《Inside The Black Mist》
Prologue
No one knew when it appeared.
Perhaps it existed in a distant era long before.
Perhaps, it appeared yesterday.
A door.
A ck arched door made of a material akin to steel. However, when advanced analyzers scan, they find this element not of this world. Moreover, its molecr arrangement boasted apletely newttice.
The first person to discover the door was Mr. Clough. A Westerner, a merchant, to be precise.
Clough and his caravan had to detour; only to find the arch in the middle of the same road.
56 meters high, 18 meters wide, with two tightly closed doors carved with symbolic patterns and sigils. It was mysterious.
When Clough pushed the seemingly heavy but weightless door, against the wishes of his men, he had unknowingly opened a new era.
After the door opened, dim light peeked from inside, reflecting vague silhouettes of mountains and peaks.
Clough made an incredibly crazy decision to explore the new world! This made him the greatest personality of the new era, without a doubt.
Despite opposition, Clough smoothed the resistance. Under the high bounty, a temporary exploration team appeared.
Led by Clough, this exploration team consisting of guards andborers marched into the door.
There were a total of eleven people, and three dayster, they returned, but only two of the original team.
Clough and a guard appeared dazed and in a terrible state. Anyone blessed with sight could see that they have had awful experiences on the ¡±other side.¡±
When asked about the trip, Clough said nothing and just had the door closed.
For a long time, he never mentioned the ¡±other side.¡± It wasn''t until two yearster that he wrote this passage on paper.
"It is a world againstmon sense, where hope and despair coexist and light and darkness y together. There is unimaginable wealth there, but demons guard it. Those dark creatures, those sphemous beings that disrespect the gods, are deceitful and cunning. Don''t expect to defeat them. How can a drop of water flood an ocean?"
Despite the widespread cirction of this warning, people still continued to explore the world behind, after all, Clough did bring back things more valuable than gold.
They were lighter than gold and even more colorful. They were called "Devil''s Treasure"* and sold at astounding prices!
Thus, the door named after Clough became more well-known.
Legends of the Inverse Universe, the dark creatures, and the Devil''s Treasure continued to emerge¡
And so, 37 yearster, the second Clough door was discovered. Behind the door was a brand-new Inverse Universe. As a result, people had to number the Inverse Universes.
A thousand yearster, a total of 127 Clough doors had been discovered!
Chapter 1 - Death Lurking At The Door
Floating dust twirled in the ubiquitous ck mist in the dim light, akin to a lonely dancer.
ck mist was an exclusive entity that only existed in the Inverse Universe, being the main culprit of the gloomy environment. It absorbedrge amounts of light and heat, leaving behind the Clough door forever dark and cold.
Next to the rusted filing cabs containing cardboard boxes and files, a man wearing a red protective suit and a hood rummaged through the items on top of the cab.
Those things had existed for who knew how long and they shattered to ashes even with the lightest touch.
"This 127th Inverse Universe makes me sick. This civilization that once existed here is so simr to ours. I won''t be surprised if I get to see another me."
Turning around, he voiced impatiently, "What''s the situation, Tianyang? Haven''t been able to contact the base yet?"
A small, dim light shone on his shoulder. The light''s effective range was already short, and with the absorbing ck mist in the air, the luminance was greatly dimmed.
With that luminance, one could barely recognize the room as a file storage.
Paper was all over the floor, made worse by sloppy footsteps, and someone was squatting on arge pile of papers, fiddling with a standardmunicator.
This instrument, resembling a radio, could be used formunication in the Inverse Universe, transmitting and receiving data.
The built-in security system could block unauthorized reception, and itsponents included a receiving antenna, a frequency conversion module, an enhancement module, and a backup matrix circuit.
At the moment, a person named Tianyang was installing aponent onto themunicator, trying to strengthen the transmission signal.
Even so, the electronic noise from themunicator indicated the team''s difficult situation.
"... This is Collection Team Fourth Squad; I am Tianyang, soldier code 1507. Base, please respond."
There were no responses, even after several attempts. Tianyang then looked up; a young face was made visible by the light.
"I can''t contact them, Captain. Maybe we''re too deep; it''s outside the maximum transmission distance of the terminal."
And with a violent kick to a shelf, someone shouted, "It is all your fault, Qin Wu! If it were not for your arrogance, we would not have been intercepted by those damn prowlers and gotten trapped!" pointing at the red-suited captain.
The captain, Qin Wu, pointed to the fourth team member guarding the door. "Don¡¯t me it on me. If it weren''t for Dongyan swearing that he found the signal of the Pir of Star, would I have brought you here?"
The team member at the door defended himself, "My digital model was not wrong. Based on the recent data on the prowlers'' activity, a Pir of Star must exist in this area!"
Qin Wu rushed over and grabbed his suit. "Then tell me, where exactly is this Pir of Star now?"
"Quiet!"
Tianyang raised his fist.
Everyone on the Collection Team, including the Captain, stared out the door nervously. In the corridor, the mottled walls were thoroughly covered with mold.
Strange noises resounded, originating in the nearby corner. Like the dying gasps of a seriously ill patient or the low roar of an injured beast.
Tianyang reached into his toolkit strapped to his waist and fetched out a glow stick.
"What are you doing?" Qin Wu tensed up.
"We need lighting. Did you forget? Prowlers don''t react to light." Tianyang bent the glow stick and tossed it out. Itnded at the corner of the corridor, and the chemicals inside began to react, gradually producing a cold light.
In the cold, blue-gray light, several figures appeared in the corner. Those figures were extremely distorted, staggering, and wandering on the other side of the corridor.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed the corner wall. The skin on it was ulcerated, secreting a dark green pus. It was sticky and it sizzled as it dropped. Like water dripping on hot rocks...
The Collection Team''s hearts rose to their throats, but fortunately, the hand quickly retracted.
"It''s the prowlers!" Dongyan, a team member, retreated. "Captain, let''s go. I don''t want to be caught by those things!"
"But how?" Another member shouted, "Even if we rush through this corridor, more prowlers are waiting downstairs. They are in every building in the street!"
"Shut up!"
Qin Wu tightened his hand on his Raider Gun, his eyes flickering. "Looks like we can only do it one way."
He turned around and reached out his hand to Tianyang. "Newbie, give me your gun!"
There was obvious hesitation on Tianyang''s face inside his hood. He instinctively tightened his hand on his gun.
The Raider Gun was a weapon provided to all members of the Collection Team. Although this bullet-firing gun had limited power and was bulky, it could still break the prowlers'' will cage as long as it was fired within a range. It was the only way to stop these dark creatures.
So, handing over the gun was tantamount to handing over their lives.
At this moment, the glow stick''s light began to dim. A foot stepped on it andpletely extinguished the cold light at the corner.
Those twisted shadows began to walk toward them, and the pale light emitted by the prowler''s will cage in the dim corridor shone like ghostly mes dancing in the graveyard.
"Quick! Let me hold them off so you guys can go!"
Qin Wu urged, "I need more firepower. Damn it, do you think I''m going to trap you!?"
Tianyang bit his lip and agreed, "Alright."
The young man handed over his rifle and a magazine.
Qin Wu took them and waved his hand. "You guys leave through the window and find another way out. Tianyang, you go first!"
Tianyang nodded, turned around, and sprinted to the window. As soon as he took a step forward, there was an explosion.
Boom!
The young man''s body shook all over, blood spraying from his right thigh and sttering on the helmet like a blooming flower.
He stumbled and fell to the ground. This sudden change stunned the other two members.
Qin Wu shouted, "What are you waiting for? Follow me! There are too many prowlers in the building. Now that his suit is broken, the type B pheromone he releases will attract those dark bastards. This is our only chance!"
So that''s how it is!
The young man felt cold reaching in his hands and feet, to which the injury and betrayal both contributed significantly.
The anger burned in his chest, rushing through his veins, finally turning into a roar. "Qin Wu, why?!"
In his helmet, Qin Wu sneered, "Why so many questions? I am a citizen of the fortress; my status is high. Dogs like you who live in the lower levels should feel honored to die for me now that you have the chance!¡±
"You bastard!"
Tianyang wanted to fight Qin Wu, but the rifle pointed at him decided something else.
At the same moment, calmness descended upon him. Tianyang realized panic was meaningless; only calmness could give him a chance at survival.
Qin Wu aimed the gun at the young man and sneered at the other two, "Are you staying? If you don''t leave, you stay with him!"
Qin Wu then walked towards the window.
The two team members pondered, looking at each other, and finally chose to leave with their Captain.
"Wait!"
Tianyang took out a dagger, turning its tip towards his aggressor¡¯s heart.
"If you''re leaving, give me a first aid kit and two units of survival supplies!"
Qin Wu panicked, "Howe you still have a knife?!"
The dagger was not part of the standard equipment.
Tianyang sneered. This alloy dagger was given to him by his mother for self-defense during his enlistment. She had spent all of her savings to buy the knife.
The young man carefully hid it and never dared to use the piece of metal. Naturally, Qin Wu didn¡¯t know of its existence.
"Qin Wu, need I remind you that the dead won''t release the type B pheromone? If you don''t give me what I want, I will die anyway. I might as well take matters into my own hands now!" Tianyang shouted, his eyes determined.
In the helmet, Qin Wu sweated profusely and his eyes grew full of hesitation.
Tianyang looked at the other two team members and said, "Perhaps you need to persuade Captain Qin Wu; otherwise, the next one to be abandoned might be one of you two."
"After all, you are both low-level citizens who can be sacrificed at any time, right?"
Dongyan and the other team members swallowed, holding their rifles tightly, not daring to directly point the muzzle at Qin Wu but putting their fingers on the trigger.
Qin Wu noticed this and cursed in his heart. This new recruit was pressuring him.
If he had known that Tianyang would be difficult to deal with, he could have just chosen another target.
But now¡
"I''ll give him a first aid kit and each of you take out one unit of survival supplies! Hurry up, there''s no time left!" Qin Wu quickly took off the backpack behind him, which contained a first aid kit. The other two exchanged nces and also took out their survival supplies, then nervously watched Tianyang.
The young man moved his dagger away slowly.
Qin Wu breathed in relief, then crawled out of the window.
Soon, the three of them used the building''s external pipeline to climb up to escape from the prowlers inside.
Watching them leave, Tianyang didn¡¯t say anything harsh, only keeping this grudge in his heart.
He wanted to reach out to the first aid kit, but a strange sound in the corridor attracted his attention, which sounded like wheezing bellows, getting closer. Tianyang even saw a foot, with only three toes covered in viscous pus, stepping heavily on the ground.
The prowler had arrived!
Chapter 2 - Unexpected Discovery
"Damn it!"
Tianyang grabbed onto a shelf and pulled himself up, then jumped to the door with only one foot. He forcefully closed therge metal door, watching as it separated the darkness of the passage from the prowlers.
A hand abruptly reached out and stuck between the door and its frame.
The metal door couldn''t close.
"Shit!"
Tianyang picked up the dagger and moved swiftly. The sharp alloy cut through the rotten hand like tofu.
At least he had cut off more than half of the hand and quickly locked the door as soon as it shut. On the other side of the door, a continuous banging and the suppressive wheezing of prowlers continued.
The young man pushed the iron cab against the wall, blocking the door, and cautiously avoided the severed hand on the ground.
Finally, he wiped the prowler''s body fluids off the dagger, but the yellowed metal surface of the de indicated that it was no longer as sharp and strong.
Prowler body fluids have a corrosive effect that, while not lethal, it could surely dull the de of a dagger.
Even so, Tianyang decided to keep the de; it was a gift from his mother.
It was the first gift he had ever received, so he was particrly fond of it.
He sat on the ground, littered with documents, and leaned against a shelf. The sharp movements while dealing with the prowler had aggravated his injuries.
Tianyang¡¯s thigh was covered in blood, so he quickly took out his first aid kit, taking out a bottle of disinfectant spray.
He sprayed it on the wound, disinfecting and cleaning up the surrounding blood.
Then, taking a surgical knife and tweezers from the kit, he carefully removed the bullet from his thigh.
He gave himself a painkiller shot and applied hemostatic tape after sewing up the wound using a wound closure device. Leaving the tools on the ground, he noticed sweat covering his face in his helmet.
After a while, Tianyang took out a survival kit and inserted it into the extractor of his protective suit. He activated it, and a straw popped out of his helmet.
Putting the straw in his mouth, a steady stream of high-energy liquid food filled his mouth, providing him with the energy needed for the day.
The Inverse Universe was filled with ck mist that absorbed more than just heat. Besides Ascenders, ordinary people who stayed in the ck mist for more than 15 minutes without protection would die.
Death would be the most ideal. Some would eventually turn into something like the things outside the door after bing contaminated by the mysterious gas.
Therefore, it was necessary to carry liquid food into the Inverse Universe. People used the extractor to consume the sealed liquid food they carried.
After consuming the liquid, Tianyang finally felt a little warmth, and his hands and feet no longer felt cold. He moved his body and used the remaining hemostatic tape to seal the openings on his protective suit, making sure to stack severalyers.
He hoped that they could seal up the openings on the protective suit and prevent pheromones from leaking out. Whether or not it would work, only time could tell. Fortunately, it seemed that luck was on his side. After a while, the banging outside the door gradually stopped.
But he wasn¡¯t safe yet.
Their team was trapped here because the team leader was greedy and impulsive and went too deep into the base. They met with heavy resistance on their way back to the base, with arge number of prowlers blocking their path.
Tianyang must find a new route as his supplies would soon run out, leaving him with no chance but to await death.
He clenched his fist and steeled his resolve, not willing to die here.
When he joined the Collection Team, he swore that he would give his mother, who had worked hard all her life, a good life from then on.
Furthermore, he needed to repay Qin Wu''s "kindness," even though he didn''t yet know how to ovee the huge ss gap between them. Taking revenge on the heartless team leader was not going to be easy.
The dull sound of gunfire reached his ears; it was the roaring sound of the rifle. Tianyang propped himself up and walked to the window.
Through the thin mist, he vaguely saw light shining from the bottom of the southeast floor, and then a car drove out of the dim alley.
It was the standard vehicle for the Collection Team, a Grey Wolf off-roader. The vehicle boasted high ground clearance, and the tires used a 360-degree wheel rim that allowed it to adjust direction easily. It was equipped with a rapid-fire machine cannon and a front-mounted light machine gun, providing firepower support.
It seemed that Qin Wu and the others had sessfully left the building, but whether they could make it back to the base safely remained to be seen.
Tianyang looked up at the sky. The sky wasn''tpletely dark yet; some visibility remained.
The sky appeared more like a summer thunderstorm was approaching. The clouds were thick and blocked out the light.
Under this suppressive light, he could see the outline of the dpidated buildings across the street, which had only a few frames remaining. With some of the more distant buildings, they formed this so-called city.
Qin Wu was right; this 127th Inverse Universe was very simr to the world where Tianyang lived.
But Tianyang never wanted to see the world where he was born and raised, nourished by sunshine and rain, turning into the ghostly appearance before him.
This world, too, maybe a long time ago, was bathed in sunshine and filled with the sweet scent of flowers and the chirping of birds. But now, it resembled a terminally ill patient on the brink of death, struggling.
Wooo~
A hollow roar came from the street below, and Tianyang saw several prowlers passing by the building.
Those twisted forms were like the human pathogens that didn''t die in this world. They were everywhere, wandering back and forth, looking for prey. Wherever they went, filth followed.
These loathsome creatures of darkness were at the bottom of the biological pyramid of the Inverse Universe. They moved slowly and had no sense, but once enough of them gathered, they would flood everything.
On the way here, Tianyang witnessed arge collection of prowlers pushing and shoving. From afar, they looked like a group of snakes, entwined, rolling, and surging!
These ugly creatures, entangled together, spread like a contagious disease along the street and then dispersed, polluting the entire world.
Although there were not many prowlers under the building now, Tianyang knew that it wouldn''t be long before evil invaded this ce.
He had to leave!
But where should he go?
As he pondered this, Tianyang noticed that the few prowlers that had passed by the building moved to the intersection ahead.
But for some reason, they suddenly stopped and turned around.
Although these dark creatures disyed the habit of moving aimlessly back and forth in certain areas, their recent behavior was abnormal. It was as if they had encountered something they were afraid of and turned away.
What was at that intersection?
Tianyang decided to explore.
Sliding down from the outside of the wall through a pipe, the young man moved along the wall. Tianyang held his breath as a prowler went by.
Luckily, the thing covered in pus on the surface couldn''t detect his presence. It walked away with staggering steps.
He breathed a sigh of relief, tightened his grip on the knife, and arrived at the intersection.
It was a T-shaped intersection, and the streets were empty without any prowlers in sight.
The vehicles on the road were overturned if these shabby, pitiful, small wheels in thin armor could even be called vehicles. In any case, these iron-d things were just remnants, like steel corpses, helplessly allowing some bloated, white, and sickly fungal vegetation to invade.
Through the faint light on his protective suit, Tianyang saw that the road was covered with patches of various sizes of fungi. identally stepping on one, he experienced something akin to stepping in mud.
That feeling of putrefaction and decay was nauseating!
Approaching a corner, Tianyang attempted to tread on the part of the road that was not covered in fungus. Suddenly, a sh of light caught his eye.
Tianyang stopped and looked back. Not far from the corner, there was a passage leading underground.
There was a prominent sign on the outside of that passage, with patterns and some simr characters.
Tianyang couldn''t understand the characters of Inverse Universe, but he could tell from the figures that it was a train driving through a tunnel.
It seemed life that once lived in this Inverse Universe enjoyed digging underground tunnels in their city. What kind of sadistic hobby was this?
Right at the entrance of the underground tunnel, he spotted a strange nt. It looked somewhat like the moonlight grass that Tianyang was familiar with, but this nt, which emitted light all over, was actually a crystalline substance.
It was a crystalline substance with a nt-like appearance, Star Grass!
Suddenly, Tianyang¡¯s heart burned. For the dark creatures, Star Grass'' light was something to hate. Even the prowlers, which didn¡¯t react to light sources, would instinctively avoid Star Grass.
More importantly, Star Grass only grew near the Pir of Star. In other words, there might be a Pir of Star in that underground tunnel!
That exclusive product of the Inverse Universe was an important article for ordinary people to be elevated ones, and it was also used as an energy supply for fortresses.
Just discovering a Pir of Star would bring a great deal of contribution points.
This was also the reason why Qin Wu took the risk of going deeper into the tunnel.
It turned out that Dongyan''s digital model was correct, and there was indeed a Pir of Star here. If they had continued exploring, it would have been a different tale.
Tianyang breathed deep into his helmet, then continued into the tunnel. The farther down he went, the brighter the light became. The scene that met his eyes as soon as he set foot on the ground astounded him.
A giant tree appeared in the middle of the tunnel. It was majestic, with a straight trunk and a lush crown.
From the roots to the leaves, all of it emitted a silver glow!
The light was so bright that it dispelled the darkness, like a lighthouse on a dark sea, shining into the desperate soul, reigniting the mes of hope.
Tianyang reached out his hand, his lips trembling and his heart beating faster, and walked towards it excitedly.
Squeak~
Squeak, squeak~
A sharp noise suddenly came from above the passage, jolting the young man to his senses.
He swiftly turned, armed with his dagger, bent a little, and got ready to attack.
Something wasing...
Chapter 3 - Propagator
The Pir of Star had the appearance of a tree and radiated a silvery light that the dark creatures hated.
In theory, there should be no residents of the Inverse Universe near this ce, but the Inverse Universe was a world full of variables.
The so-calledmon knowledge was a theoretical system established by schrs in the fortress after decades of exploration.
However, the history of the Inverse Universe went much further than just a few decades. Therefore, deviations and even errors inmon knowledge were not surprising.
Facing the passage, Tianyang retreated towards the Pir of Star, and the holy silver radiance from the tree gave the young man the courage to fight against the darkness.
Finally, it appeared.
ck hair floating in the air like floating seaweed, supported by some unknown force, this entity radiated malice.
Underneath the ck hair was a young and beautiful woman''s face. She had delicate and fair skin, as well as a beautiful overall appearance.
Her neck was long and straight, but unfortunately, the area below the neck was hidden in a deep gray cloak that shielded her entire body.
The five pitch-ck fingers scraped against the wall of the passage and made a sound that Tianyang had just heard.
Tianyang almost thought he had run into a human.
Nevertheless, smoke shot from the strange woman''s stunningly smooth face as she approached beneath the Pir of Star''s silvery radiance.
Then, a small piece of its skin fell off, wriggling on the ground; it looked like a white worm!
If the woman wasposed of the same when her body disintegrated, the scene would make him faint.
He felt nauseous, to say the least!
The feminine-shaped thing cautiously took a step back with its burned face. The white, milk-like liquid flowed from the wound and filled it, and the ¡±woman¡± quickly recovered.
It¡¯s not a she!
It looked at the Pir of Star, eyes filled with hatred, and then reached out from under the cloak. An exceptionally slender and beautiful hand.
However, in the next second, the hand turned ugly.
The arm first swelled, the muscles under the skin wriggled, and the skin turned from white to red. Finally, the skin burst and the hand bloomed like a flower.
But instead of soft petals, tendrils of flesh and blood adorned it. They plunged into the wall, tore off the wall''s surface, and pulled down a block of concrete measuring more than a meter long and wide.
Itunched towards the Pir of Star!
The stones were as fast as bullets, and Tianyang instinctively fell to the ground. He heard the dull sound of collisions and the sound of pebbles smashing and falling.
The young man hurriedly looked towards the Pir of Star; this crystalline tree had lost a small piece of "bark."
Seeing the Pir of Star unharmed, it let out an infuriating scream. The scream was filled with hatred, as if it and the Pir of Star were mortal enemies.
It suddenly lifted its cloak, but the body under the cloak and it''s beautiful face were two extremes! It was terrifying! Even nightmares didn¡¯t get this bad. Descriptions such as ugly and hideous were pale and powerless in front of it.
Tianyang quickly averted his gaze, unable to look for another second. Fear gripped his heart, akin to a cold, giant snake. When trying to recall what he saw under the cloak, only several mouths came to his mind.
From the corner of his eye, he could vaguely see a small mist-like substance spraying from those mouthparts like poisonous snakes.
The ck mist and the silver radiance of the Pir of Starpeted for space in the tunnel.
When they collided, the silver light swam in the ck mist like electric lights flickering in a summer thundercloud. Then the ck mist disappeared, the silver radiance retreated, and the two had neutralized each other.
Tianyang breathed heavily; he now knew what he had witnessed.
The Hundred-Mouthed Woman!
Or, it could be called the ck Mist Propagator!
It was mentioned in the "Inverse Universe Safety Manual" as a dark creature considered as a mobile gue, a humanoid nightmare, and an enemy of light¡
One of the few dark creatures able to resist the light from the Pir of Star, the Propagator disperses a dense mixture of ck mist. Once it discovered a Pir of Star, it would do everything to destroy it.
Its danger rating was level three, with the rating criteria being based on Ascenders'' rank.
In other words, only Ascenders with a rank of three or above could fight against the cmity. As formon folk, the handbook suggested that you run if you could.
So, when he regained his senses, the young man turned and ran, but the nightmare didn¡¯t intend to let him go.
Before he could get around the Pir of Star, Tianyang¡¯s heel tightened, and a force suddenly pulled him, causing him to fall to the ground.
He turned around to look.
The ¡°woman¡± had emerged from under the cloak with tendrils sticking to his left foot, covered with nerves and blood vessels.
"No no no!"
Tianyang stopped and attempted to sever it with his alloy dagger, but it had dulled due to the prowler''s acidic liquid.
Although the tentacles of the Propagator looked soft, its skin was extremely hard. The de emitted a high-pitched noise upon contact.
Suddenly, the tentacle shrank and dragged him towards it. The disgusting body just kept expanding in the young man''s eyes. Even if he tried his best, he couldn''t stop himself from being pulled into the nightmare.
Tianyang hung in the air, his eyes locking with the beautiful face of the Propagator. It opened its delicate lips, but instead of a tempting red tongue, a mosquito-like mouthpiece, magnified countless times, came from its mouth.
The ck, tube-like object lightly touched his helmet¡¯s facete. The strong polycarbonate material that could withstand over a ton of pressure unexpectedly had a small crack.
The young man¡¯s pupils dted slightly from fear. With a slight sound, the deadly syringe pierced through the facete and his eye. There was nothing to stop it from getting to him.
Tianyang was only left with one eye filled with terror. He clenched his dagger tightly and jammed it into one of Propagator''s eyeballs. Eye for an eye!
Surprisingly, the Propagator''s eyeball was soft, and the de easily cut through it. Its mouthpiece suddenly contracted and Tianyang saw the ck mist that emerged from the needle''s tip.
His heart immediately sank halfway. Did the Propagator inject something into him when the needle entered his eye just now?
Before he couldprehend what happened, his body was thrown into the air by the Propagator''s reaction. With a fierce swing of her tentacle, Tianyang was thrown out fiercely. He crashed upon the Pir of Star and rolled down under the big tree, falling onto the knotty roots.
Pain! Extreme pain!
In his head, it seemed as if moltenva had been poured in. It streamed between the grooves and lobes of his brain, roasting it all!
The face inside the helmet quickly turned red, and the still-intact eye of Tianyang began to cken, covering the world in front of his eyes with an indelible darkness.
Tianyang felt himself sinking. His seventeen years of life yed before him like an old-school movie.
As his mind sank into darkness, he saw his mother''s eyes and Qin Wu''s grimacing face shing. They were the two extreme emotions intertwining¡ªthe one he loved, and the one he hated.
Finally, a strong urge struck Tianyang¡¯s nerve.
I do not want to die...I do not want to die...I want revenge!
The second thought surfaced, and it was overwhelmingly strong, covering the first one like a sharp de cutting through the dark.
The boy saw light¡ªsilver, pure, holy, and hope. He reached out and grabbed it with all his might!
Dang!
The Propagator pulled the dagger from its eye with its tentacles, ignoring the bleeding eye socket, as it focused its only eye on the Pir of Star.
It continued to attack. It wouldn¡¯t stop until the crystal tree was destroyed.
It didn''t notice that the boy lying under the Pir of Star had clenched the tree¡¯s root firmly.
The silver glow radiated from the tree root, prating through Tianyang¡¯s glove and falling onto his fingers, then...
It disappeared.
However, his fingers gradually shone like the gxy¡ªstars and voids blooming in his flesh.
Chapter 4 - Cosmos
Tianyang saw a light.
Silvery at first, then orange, red, blue, ck, and purple...
The colors were strange and diversified, the shades of which were rich and vivid, reminiscent of an oil painting created by a master impressionist.
After a little while, all the colors merged, blending into a yellowish light with a hint of red, like the glow of the setting sun.
Within that dusk-like light, a bright star river gradually appeared, a long river formed from countless stars that stretched across the line of sight.
Tianyang strained his eyes but still couldn¡¯t see the beginning or end of this star river.
Behind that star river, hidden deep within the faint glow of the evening light,id a copious shadow.
It was blurry, but one could see that the shadow was human-shaped, though it seemed too huge if it was indeed a human, especially considering that the endless stars appeared like small stones before it.
Whether it was an illusion or not, Tianyang felt the shadow move, raising its arm.
He soon realized it was not an illusion, as the shadow''s arm passed through the star river, and it moved through the star river, numerous stars vanishing within its shadow.
In an instant, a section of that radiant star river was reced by a ck gap, seeming empty.
Then that hand reached out towards the young protagonist, seemingly slow but swift; though billions of light yearsid between them, it shortened that vast distance with frightening ease, until it was upon him, extending a finger.
That shadowy finger upied Tianyang¡¯s entire field of view. He could no longer see the star river or the glow of evening light, but only the deepest of ck.
Strangely, instead of fear, Tianyang felt a sense of expectation and a desire to interact.
As that enormous,-sized finger drew ever closer, Tianyang noticed that other stars shed within the shadow.
Within that shadow, another universe seemed to exist.
And that universe was hurtling towards him, then they met in a gentle collision.
With so much informationing at him at once, Tianyang felt like his head was going to explode!
Faint whispers, as if voices from some other universe had reached his ears. He couldn¡¯t understand the meaning behind those whispers, but just listening to them sent iprehensible shockwaves through his senses.
While Tianyang heard those mystical whispers, the Propagator in the tunnel attacking the Pir of Star suddenly stopped.
The monstrous entity abruptly retreated, like a startled beast. It moved away so fast that a sharp, shrill noise echoed within the tunnel.
Just as it withdrew, it sensed the arrival of a formidable will¡ªa will so massive that if even its outermost tendrils merely brushed against the Propagator, it would stir up the impulse to self-destruct.
In terms of human behavior, self-destruction was akin to suicide.
The Propagator would rather die than make contact with that will¡ªfortunately for it, it wasn¡¯t focused on it, but on the human. The Propagator also noticed that Tianyang had his grip on the root of the Pir of Star.
At that moment, the silver light transmitted through the Pir of Star coursed through every vein, nerve, and cell in his body.
Those silver tendrils soon encountered the ck mist.
The ck mist was something that the Propagator had injected into Tianyang¡¯s body¡ªa substance that contaminated living things and transformed them into new, dark, seemingly terrifying life forms.
But now, the ck mist and the silver light collided and raged against each other. As if two opposing armies were shing within the young man''s body, tearing and annihting each other...
Tianyang¡¯s body iled uncontrobly¡ªthe two opposing forces had such a different nature that every jolt and impact caused his body to break.
Originally, the silver light transmitted through the Pir of Star would have acted on instinct to destroy the ck army on the other end, regardless of Tianyang¡¯s fate.
But the will focusing on Tianyang slipped out an almost imperceptible signal, integrating it into the silver light overwhelming the ck mist engulfing him.
It then acted like an expertmander, maintaining high pressure over the ck mist but separating a portion of silver light to enter the damaged cells, tissues, organs, and bones.
The silver light fluidized silently, enveloping his wounds like mercury, only not poisonous, and forming a biological matrix that repaired and reinforced them.
Tianyang¡¯s ck hair began to gradually transform into silvery-white from the roots, and in the blink of an eye, the young man was covered in a head of silver-white hair, every strand emanating a faint, misty glow!
Within his body, the battle between the ck mist and the silver light began to move. The silver light seeded gradually, washing, dividing, and absorbing the ck mist.
And so, the dark veins on the young man''s face gradually subsided, and his skin became smoother and more delicate.
Just as the silver light seemed to be on the verge of winning, thest and darkest clump of ck mist, norger than a fingernail, suddenly condensed into a nano-sized unit, forming a symbolic mark resembling a ck goat''s skull.
The symbol flickered before vanishing, so small that it slipped through the detection of the will to enter Tianyang¡¯s body.
After the silver light dominated Tianyang¡¯s body, some data began to transmit in his brain. It was a signal that humans couldn¡¯t decipher, and if tranted into humannguage, the information released by these signals would be:
[Will data downloadplete,mencing the deep-level consciousness fusion with the host.]
[Comprehensive examinationpleted, the host''s damage percentage is 57%, and repair already started, progress 46%.]
[The threat signal has been detected at level three, rmending elimination.]
[Analyzing temporary loss of function of the host, puppet system is activated.]
[Spiritual fusion begins at 10%, 20%, 30%...]
[100%]
Tianyang lifted his head in one swift motion, and the young man¡¯s only eye opened wide, with a little starlight in his previously deep brown eyes.
He slowly propped up his body, like a newborn baby stumbling.
But the Propagator kept retreating.
The dark creature felt threatened, although Tianyang still appeared human in its eyes, but its instincts were screaming that there was something different wrapped under the human exterior.
It was magical, mysterious, and powerful!
The beautiful face of the Propagator screamed, and a bunch of tentacles shot out from under its cloak, like bullets from a heavy-caliber machine gun!
Tianyang swayed and raised his hand; a silver-blue light shone through his protective suit. The overflowing energy in his body caused his right eye to light up instantly, emitting a dazzling starlight.
With a sweep of his hand, a thin, paper-like barrier appeared between the caster and the Propagator.
The broad barrier, though thin as paper, divided the tunnel in half and was covered with a diamond mesh.
The tentacles of the Propagator viciously hit the barrier, but all of them bounced back and burst one by one!
The only thing left were a few sparks of energy that sttered upon impact.
This dark creature felt helpless and powerless...
Chapter 5 - Avenger
With its attacks being futile, the Propagator retracted its tentacles.
Tianyang bent his body, lowered his center of gravity, and bent into a running posture.
As his body leaned forward, the scene in his vision became blurred. The tunnel, the walls, the Pir of Star¡ªeverything turned into a colorful stream of light in the eyes of the young man.
When he stopped, what appeared in front was the Propagator''s back!
The expression on the face of the ¡±woman¡± was dull. Just moments ago, the young man on the other side had disappeared. It was about to search for Tianyang¡¯s body but suddenly its entire body shook.
A jet of blood sprayed out from under the cloak, forming a de-like shape from the coagting blood, seemingly due to some rule of force.
After a momentary pause, the power that bound the blood dissipated, and the ck, petroleum-like blood spilled onto the ground.
A hand pierced through the Propagator''s chest in the form of a palm de.
It was Tianyang¡¯s hand.
The young man appeared behind it and broke the Propagator''s body with a single blow.
However, this severe injury didn¡¯t bother it at all. It probed out its tentacles and pierced them into the wall of the tunnel.
With a shake, its tentacles dragged themselves away from Tianyang¡¯s hand. The tentacles stretched infinitely like rubber, allowing the Propagator to sway to the dome of the tunnel.
The mysterious creature suddenly contracted its body to a point, and its flesh and organs folded, increasing in density. In an instant, the Propagator appeared in a perfectly spherical posture.
The Propagator, with its cloak sliding off, leaped like a bullet toward Tianyang, using its two tentacles for support. The ball-shaped object sprayed out dense ck mist halfway through, covering its surface, fluttering like a me.
The ball of dark me rushed towards Tianyang at high speed, but Tianyang had already dodged it. The tunnel trembled violently as it fell to the ground like a cannonball.
The ground split into fragments, and a ball of ck me swept through the sand that erupted like a geyser, turning it into chunks of ck crystal that eventually dropped to the ground.
The young man reappeared next to the Pir of Star. Tianyang ced his hand on the trunk and pressed his five fingers into the hard crystals.
When he lifted his hand again, he pulled out arge piece of star marrow crystals. These crystals were quickly assembled under the influence of certain rules, forming a crystalline long sword that joined Tianyang¡¯s palm.
The young man lightly pressed his palm on the sword and wiped it. Inside the crystal, hair-thin threads gradually lit up.
By the time the dark, fiery sphere appeared again, extending its tentacles to lift itself higher, the crystalline long sword in Tianyang¡¯s palm was already glowing brightly.
From a distance, the young man appeared to be holding the starry sky!
Dark mes roared, full of power, as they sprang forward!
Tianyang lifted the sword, and the starry sky spread out.
A silver light appeared in the tunnel. This beam of light splits the tunnel in two.
It passed through the dark mist ball, and where it passed was the center of the dark ball, urate to the millimeter!
Time seemed to pause at that moment.
The ck mist on the surface of the dark ball opened up as soon as it touched the silver-white light, revealing the sphere wrapped in ck mist.
The silver wire slid over the sphere and entered the other side of the tunnel wall.
The sphere''s surface, as well as an organ hidden within the sphere, split up smoothly like a cheese.
The surface of the sphere immediately spewed out a ring of blood.
The organ at the center, which had been emitting orange light, suddenly flickered like a candle in the wind and quickly went out.
The organ was the Propagator''s will cage.
With the will cage shattered, the life of the Propagator came to an end.
The shattered sphere fell to the ground and slipped out for more than ten meters, leaving a trail of thick, ink-like ck stains on the tunnel floor.
At this moment, the rumbling made by the silver wire entering the wall was still pushing forward. If one looked through the cracks in the wall, one could see the silver light line pushing forward like a tide.
No one knew how far away it went before the energy finally disappeared. If someone ever dug up the city''s foundations in the future, they would discover a kilometer-long ground fault near the tunnel!
The Propagator''s flesh was rotting and dposing. After just a few seconds, the ground was left with only a patch of ck matter, like mold.
The starlight in Tianyang¡¯s eyes dimmed. The energy flowing in his body slowly subsided. What also subsided was the external signal that had just returned to its main body, lightly touching the young man''s nerves.
It was sending a signal.
So Tianyang opened his lips and released the information carried by that signal in humannguage, "Transcend...evolve...grow...my apostle..."
Thest syble had just passed through his lips when the young man fell to the ground like a puppet.
It was unclear how much time had passed before Tianyang slowly woke up.
He sat up and shook his head to clear his mind.
ncing around, remnants of the destruction remained. The young man was stunned and had no idea what had just happened.
But it was fortunate that the Propagator had disappeared. That was third-degree danger from the dark creatures. It was amazing that he had survived something like this; he must have had a lot of luck!
Wait!
Tianyang suddenly remembered that before he lost consciousness, he seemed to have been injected with something by the Propagator.
He quickly took off his protective suit and carefully checked himself, but found nothing unusual except for a pattern on the back of his right hand.
A sickle in the shape of a crescent was held by a hazy hand made of ck mes. On the de of the sickle was a symbol, 1.
What is this?
As soon as this thought rose in his heart, a cold voice sounded in the young man¡¯s ear, ¡°This is the level emblem of Avenger!¡±
Tianyang was startled and looked around. "Who? Who is talking?"
No one answered.
Avenger? Level?
While pondering these two keywords, some information appeared in his mind.
[Avenger level
Rank 1: Assassin
Rank ability: Weakness induction, Instantaneous killing
Sublimation progress: 14%
Next rank: Obliterator]
The tunnel was silent.
Tianyang stood still like a sculpture next to the Pir of Star.
The young man''s heart was filled with waves of shock!
I¡
I became an Ascender?
Avenger level? It seemed that there was no such type among the current levels announced by the fortress.
Could it be a new level?
Ascender¡
Ascender!
"Haha..."
The young man couldn''t help but burst intoughter, but quickly covered his mouth. Tianyang didn''t want to attract any more mysterious things because ofughter.
But he still couldn''t help being overjoyed. After all, the identity of an Ascender represented too many things.
One of them was that it would let Tianyang experience apletely new life. He could give his mother a better life and demand justice from Qin Wu, who held the status of a higher citizen.
The problems that troubled him in the past were all solved in front of the word "Ascender!"
Chapter 6 - Its Good To Be Back
|Lighthouse Base|
This was one of the few outposts in the 127th Inverse Universe, and the Lighthouse Base was built for the exploration of three Inverse Universe cities and dozens of towns within five hundred kilometers.
It was built for the convenience of personnel to rest, treat, and supplement supplies.
The base was built under a dam, which was fifty meters higher than the base. The dam was equipped with arge-scale water treatment device, which could provide daily water for the base.
Also, in the event of arge-scale attack, an artificial flood could be created by detonating the floodgate of the dam.
Fortunately, in the ten years since the Lighthouse Base was built, this suicidal defense method hadn¡¯t yet been used.
Behind the heavy explosion-proof door at the entrance of the base stood two defensive towers on each side. The high-powered searchlights on the tower swept through the defense trenches day and night.
With the assistance of intelligent electronic systems, only one soldier was needed in each defensive tower.
At this time, a warrior in ck full-body armor in the left defensive tower yawned. Since the defense tower has a filtering and purification system that could prevent ck mist from prating, soldiers could work without helmets.
This was one of the few advantages of working in the defense tower.
The built-inmunicator of the armor shed, and a message was received in the private channel, ¡°How about it, Wei Bo? You didn''t fall asleep, did you?¡±
The soldier named Wei Bo smiled and replied, ¡°I took a nap just ten minutes ago. Oh my God, the work in the defense tower is boring. If I had known earlier, I should have applied to join the Night Walker exploration corps.¡±
"Forget about it. You are an upper-ss citizen. Your father wouldn''t want you to take risks. Apart from the lower ss and lunatics, who would voluntarily join the Night Walker?"
Wei Bo was about to say something when suddenly theputer prompted the detection of an alert signal, indicating that the dark creatures were approaching the base.
"Damn it!"
Wei Bo jumped up, and his ten fingers danced quickly on the virtual keyboard. A holographic window opened in front of him.
The window depicted an open area in front of the base entrance, where a few stumbling figures appeared.
Although the soldier couldn''t see the specific appearance due to theck of light, from the twisted limbs and the gray-white light mes floating in front of their chest, it was not difficult to judge that they were a few prowlers.
The soldier breathed a sigh of relief. Several prowlers were not threatening at all. After the base was put into service, dark creatures hardly ever came to this area, though sometimes they did.
But Wei Bo suddenly tightened his whole body again because he saw a car after those few prowlers.
The car was not equipped with any weapons, only four tires with a thin shell. And it looked like some of the tires were t.
This was obviously a vehicle that could be seen everywhere in the Inverse Universe city. The design inspiration for the first wheeled vehicle was rumored toe from the junk in the Inverse Universe city.
The soldier rubbed his eyes, thinking that he was dazzled. After all, those vehicles shouldn¡¯t have enough power to drive.
Soon, he found out why.
It was the prowler!
Someone tied thick iron chains to these ugly creatures. The other end of the iron chains was tied to the bumper of the car, so these prowlers yed the role ofbor and pulled the car forward.
Prowlers were not livestock, and they couldn¡¯t be driven with whips. So, there was ampshade hanging on both sides of the car.
There was Star Grass in the transparentmpshade. The light emitted by Star Grass made prowlers stay away instinctively, thus creating the scene in the holographic window.
Wei Bo couldn''t help but let out a heartfelt exmation for this ingenious idea. Then the defense tower received a message, "Defense tower, can you hear me? I am Tianyang, a member of the fourth squad of the Collection Team, with a soldier code of 1507. I request to enter the base. Oh, by the way, please inform the experimental department that I have a few living specimens of prowlers here; please send someone to receive them."
With a standardmunicator in his hand, Tianyang repeated what he had just said.
A slightly panicked voice sounded in themunicator, "Defense tower received, identity verification in process, please wait..."
After a while, the explosion-proof gate opened, and several base vehicles drove over. Among them were two experimental department specimen transport vehicles.
The prowlers were received, and Tianyang handed over the Star Grass he had collected. As for the Pir of Star in the tunnel, he couldn¡¯t take it back by himself, but he marked the location of the Pir of Star on the map.
Later, handing in this map would also be a great credit.
Prowlers, Star Grass, Pir of Star map. These three things were enough to give Tianyang 4000 contribution points.
In the fortress, 1,000 contribution points could sustain a family of three for a year leisurely.
So, after registering for Tianyang, the officer looked at the young man with some envy in his eyes.
"Your left eye was injured, and I suggest you go to the medical center. Moreover, you just came back; ording to the regtions, you must undergo a full-body examination and then report to the higher officers."
After uploading Tianyang''s information to the base system, the officer suggested.
Tianyang made a request, "Commander, I want to see the Night Walker Commander."
The base officer was surprised. "I''m afraid the Commander won''t make a special trip for a Collection Team member, even if you bring back a lot of things."
"Maybe you noticed that I¡¯m not wearing a helmet. Yes, I¡¯m already an Ascender. Furthermore, my level was not in the information published by the fortress. Perhaps the Commander will be interested in this," Tianyang said, pointing to himself.
"You mean a brand-new level? Damn... ahem, sorry."
The officer finally agreed. "Well, let me have a soldier send you to the hospital. As for your request, I will report it to the Night Walker headquarters. As for whether the Commander will see you, that is not for me to decide."
"That''s good, thank you."
A base vehicle took Tianyang away and entered the explosion-proof door. Looking out from the car window, the young man saw several supply trucks drive to the storage room.
Two Falcon high-speed vehicles passed nearby, preparing to leave the base. These were Night Walker''s standard vehicles, and a squad was embarking on a new exploration mission.
In the distance, on the base''s parade ground, several armed humanoid units engaged inbat training. They were developed topensate for the numerical disadvantage of the Ascenders.
The base remained as vibrant as ever, with its personnel exploring the world like a diligent colony, working efficiently and tirelessly.
"It''s good to be back!"
Chapter 7 - Small Request
|Outpost base, Diagnostics Center|
Tianyangid on an automated examination bed, with white medical diagnostic instruments on one side. Under the control of a mechanical arm, the machine performed aprehensive examination on the young man.
The examination took 15 minutes and the diagnostic instrument retracted into the ceiling, transmitting data to the physician''s control panel.
The control panel looked like a piece of silver foil, disying Tianyang''s physical information. After browsing through it, the physician folded up the control panel.
After folding it into the size of a card, the woman standing casually put it into her pocket. The woman, the docker, with soft ck hair, showed a gentle smile. "All your indicators are normal, with no signs of contamination. However, your left eye''s vitreous body is damaged beyond repair. I will have to perform a removal surgery on itter."
Tianyang covered his left cheek. "Can''t it be healed?"
The doctor exined, "The damaged area exceeds 70%, and many nerves are damaged. This is irreversible damage. Of course, you can get a 3D printed eyeball; however, it can only be done in the fortress'' medical center and it''s expensive."
"Alternatively,ter you can apply to your department for worker''spensation and receive some reimbursement. At least a cybeic eye could be covered with it."
A cybeic eye? At least it''s better than being half-blind.
Tianyang thought to himself that it should be no problem to exchange for a fully functional tactical cybeic eye from the points he ought to receive.
Zoom~
The automatic door of the diagnostic center opened, and someone walked in.
Linen-colored hair flowed with a brown luster under the light. On the young and tough face, there was a barely noticeable tiredness. On the straight nose bridge rested a pair of simple sses. Even so, the pupils behind the lenses still revealed a sharp look.
The dark military uniform was adorned with a silver emblem on the chest, an emblem that featured a crescent moon, and a traveler¡ªthe symbol of the Night Walker Exploration Corps!
"Ah, General Ling, any specific reason for your visit?"
The female physician''s face was full of surprise, with audible admiration in her voice.
The young man nodded slightly. "Sorry, doctor. Can I talk to him alone for a few minutes?"
The doctor naturally didn¡¯t refuse, so she reluctantly gave them a few more nces before leaving the diagnostic center.
"Let me introduce myself. My name is Ling Feng, the chief of the Night Walker Corps."
Tianyang quickly got off the bed and clenched his fist on his chest. "Soldier of the Collection Team, Tianyang!"
Ling Feng''s gaze fell on the level insignia on the back of the young man''s hand and he said, "The Commander was not in the Lighthouse Base, so I was sent here. You said that you awakened to a new level?"
"Yes, sir! The level I awakened to is called [Avenger]!" Tianyang stated loudly.
Ling Feng reached out and gently lifted his sses. "The Avenger level? I''ve really never heard of it before. Can it drive Star Energy?"
Star Energy was the energy in Ascenders'' bodies, an important resource they use for their abilities.
"I''m not very proficient yet; it might take some time." The young man was somewhat restrained.
Ling Feng stepped back and said, "Show me."
Tianyang nodded and closed his eyes, concentrating on feeling the power in his body.
In a moment, a faint light illuminated his hair like stardust.
The insignia on the back of his hand, the hand of the dark me wielding a sickle, slowly floated and swayed, like it lived.
There was a unique aura emanating from the young man''s body, which Ling Feng had never felt in any other Ascenders before.
Moreover, that insignia had never been seen before. Since it could be activated by Star Energy, it was proof that it was not forged!
The Chief said softly, "That''s enough; I believe now that you have awakened at a brand-new level. So, tell me, why do you want to see the Commander?"
Tianyang opened his eyes and said very seriously, "I want to join the Night Walker Corps."
Ling Feng said straightforwardly, "No problem, we wee every Ascender to join the Night Walker Corps. Later, I will let the deputyplete your admission procedures. In 48 hours, you will receive a notice."
"No, sir. I hope to be a member of Night Walker now. And have all the rights of Ascenders, for example, the status of a citizen."
Ling Feng''s face turned cold. "I can deliver what you said, but the procedures take time!"
Tianyang didn''t back down. "Maybe this new level, Avenger, can shorten the time. If the Night Walker Corps can''t do it, the Storm Corps, the Iron Wall City Guards, or the Primates of War Church might be able to."
Ling Feng narrowed his eyes, his pupils shing sharply. "Soldier, are you threatening me?"
Tianyang gritted his teeth and faced the pressure. "I''m just stating a fact, sir. A brand new level,plete rank information, and an ability matrix. With these, the Night Walker Corps can apply for more financial appropriations."
"Compared to those things, what I''m asking for is nothing."
Ling Feng didn¡¯t react.
Tianyang stood silent, staring into Ling¡¯s eyes. The atmosphere in the diagnostic center was oppressive.
After a few breaths, Ling Feng said, "Why? Why do you want these things so urgently?"
Tianyang clenched his fists; a hint of hatred flickered in his eyes. "I have my reasons, sir."
Ling Feng gave in. "Okay, now you are a member of the Night Walker Corps and have all relevant rights as an Ascender. I promise you that."
Tianyang saluted. "Thank you, sir!"
Ling Feng nodded. "Later, I will give you specific tasks. Take a rest now. Oh, about the new level, don''t disclose it. It''s better to cover up the insignia on your hand."
After leaving the diagnostic center, Ling Feng nced back at the young man at the door.
"A brand-new level. If this news gets out, it will cause a stir among the Golden Court and the Four Great Churches. You underestimate your own value. You could have made more demands..."
It has been a thousand years since the appearance of the first Ascender, and nine levels have been born within that millennium. Countless examples have shown that there were restrictions between levels.
Due to resource issues, each fortress city focused on nurturing different levels. Therefore, the diplomatic priorities and strategicyout of the fortress were often adjusted ording to the Ascender levels they possessed.
If a new level appeared, it would have a huge impact on the existing structure.
There have been several precedents in history where the emergence of a new level caused a reshuffle in the world order.
Now, the tenth level has appeared.
Through research and observation of their job levels and ability diagrams, it could be determined what levels it was restrained at.
If used properly, Ascenders who awaken to the new level could be a deterrent force.
It would be an important negotiating capital in the fortress'' diplomacy.
However, Tianyang had only recently awakened, and this young seedling urgently needed protection and nurturing to develop into a towering figure!
Upon returning to the office, Ling Feng sent an encrypted message to his superiors and then arranged a meeting with those who had had contact with Tianyang to issue a gag order.
The fewer who knew about the new level, the better. Ling Feng especially didn¡¯t want the Church of the Warlord to get involved with the young man, as they have a great interest in the various mysteries within Ascenders and the Inverse Universe.
Chapter 8 - Infinite Possibilities
Near one of the few entertainment venues in the Outpost Base. Although it was a bar, it only served officers. More precisely, it only served officers with high social status.
So, when Tianyang approached, he was stopped without surprise.
Since the bar was located in the residential area of the base, there was no need to wear protective suits. After leaving the diagnostics center, the young man changed into civilian clothes, and the physician in charge kindly gave him a ck eye mask.
Tianyang also found a pair of fingerless gloves to cover his level emblem.
After being stopped, he took out a silver card with the Night Walker logo and the word "Ling" on it.
This card represented Ling Feng''s will.
Ling Feng''s adjutant sent it to Tianyang once he finished the eye removal procedure. With this card, the young man''s rights were ensured.
Tianyang used it to get the information he wanted.
Seeing this card, the bartender who worked part-time at the bar, quickly saluted Tianyang and led him in.
The bar was very lively, with groups of officers with high social status asionally bursting intoughter.
Because it was a base (ED: inside the military base) bar, there was no music or dancing girls.
The bartender asked Tianyang his choice of drink, but the young man refused. He was not there to drink.
He was there to find someone.
As he walked into the bar, he spotted his target.
Qin Wu!
That ruthless Captain was sitting with two friends at the bar, boasting shamelessly.
"...The state of affairs was extremely dangerous, with prowlers, about twenty or thirty of them. They were swaying and crawling through the corridor, so I had to stay behind to cover my men and let them go first. Unfortunately, one of them was still martyred."
Qin Wu sighed. ¡°It was a new recruit, only seventeen years old. It''s a pity."
While bemoaning the loss, he smiled and raised a toast.
"Did that really happen? I heard that it was Captain Qin Wu who deliberately shot the new recruit to attract the prowlers'' attention so that his hopeless self could escape."
Qin Wu, who was already a little drunk, turned furious and said, "Who the hell is talking nonsense here?!"
Then he noticed Tianyang sitting next to him.
Qin Wu was stunned. "It''s you! You''re not dead!"
Tianyang smiled and said, "Thanks to you, Captain, I''m back."
The two officers next to him exchanged a look and stepped back slightly, leaving enough space between the young man and Qin Wu.
Qin Wu''s face darkened. "How did you get in? Since you''re back, take a good rest for two days and don''t wander around. ¡±Especially,¡± watch your mouth!"
Tianyang reached into his pocket and took out a small chip, which he ced on the bar.
"Captain, you should know that our helmets have recorders. Coincidentally, it just recorded what you did. If I give it to the Base Committee, I wonder if I can get justice?"
Qin Wu''s face changed, and he quickly reached out and grabbed the chip.
He crushed it!
"Now get out of here!"
Qin Wu pointed to the door.
Tianyang stood confidently, even pouring himself a ss of water, which of course the bartender behind the counter didn''t dare to give him.
It was evident to all witnesses that the young man was provoking a senior military officer.
"If you''re not going to do this the easy way, we''ll have to do it the hard way," the officer threatened.
Qin Wu waved his hand, and someone closed all the doors and windows of the bar, so there were no outside witnesses, probably.
Qin Wu sneered, "Kid, don''t try any tricks with me. I''ll give you two choices. One is to leave and do whatever you want. Then I can pretend nothing happened."
"The other choice is to leave with a little souvenir, probably a few months in the hospital. Then I''ll throw you in jail. Don''t doubt my ability. Oh, by the way, you have a mother who came to see you when you joined the army. She''s still young and pretty; maybe she''ll be willing to make some deals she wouldn''t normally make for the sake of her poor son." (ED: So is our 1st viin, dear readers)
With that, Qin Wu sneered and exchanged a nasty nce with two of his friends.
Tianyang''s eyes glinted with anger, and he snorted, "Qin Wu, you vited the rules of the battlefield, shooting your own teammate and leaving me to die! Now, not only do you not plead guilty, but you also threatened me. Don''t you have any respect for thews of the fortress?"
Qin Wu mocked, "It seems you haven''t quite grasped the concept of the fortress''ws. They exist to protect those of us from the upper city. You, on the other hand, are just a rat in the gutter, a cockroach in the trash can! When have you ever heard of thew protecting rats and cockroaches like you?"
"You''re nothing but a lowlymoner, not even worthy of a surname, yet you dare to lecture me about thew? What a joke. Let me tell you, all of your hard work and efforts in your lifetime are just to make our lives better. Your sacrifices and the value you create will ultimately be the foundation for elevating our status."
"You can be angry, furious, and even vent all you want. But I''m sorry; no matter what you do, none of it will change the fact that your fate was sealed from the moment you were born!"
"So, are you still nning on discussing thew with me?"
The bar fell silent.
Some officers'' faces weren''t exactly friendly, obviously not agreeing with Qin Wu''s superiorityplex.
But no one would stand up for a lower-ss soldier. It was the game''s rule.
Tianyang examined the smug face and felt even a prowler was cute rtive to Qin Wu.
The boy jumped off the high stool, hands in his pockets.
"Originally, I thought that if you were willing to admit your fault and ept the punishment of thew, it would benefit both of us. It seems that I was too naive. Indeed, the weak have no right to speak. Thank you for showing me that. I won''t make the same mistake again."
Tianyang walked toward the door, eyes slightly raised, looking at a recorder in the corner of the bar.
"Stop!"
As he expected, Qin Wu shouted behind him.
Pulling out a pistol, Qin Wu walked up to Tianyang and pointed it at his forehead. "Did I say you could leave?"
"Oh, can''t I leave?"
The boy''s face showed no fear, making Qin Wu ufortable.
A meremoner dares to oppose me!
"You can leave, but..." Qin Wu said.
The expression on Qin Wu''s face twisted. "Kneel and lick my shoes clean, and I''ll consider letting you go."
Tianyang''s lips curled slightly. "You''re insulting my dignity."
Qin Wuughed. "If I wanted to, I could throw you into the cell, and the psychopaths in there would show you what real hell is like!"
The boy lifted his chin. "I''m d you said that."
"What?"
Qin Wu was stunned.
A faint light drifted out of Tianyang''s silver-gray hair.
"I wonder if you''ve ever heard of the three basicws of the fortress."
"That is the rule that overrides the fortressw, and one of them says, ¡°Ascenders shall not be vited! No matter who you are, individual or group, no one is allowed to attack Ascenders in any form, including provocation, harm, or verbal abuse.¡±"
"And when their lives are threatened, Ascenders have the right to retaliation!"
As Tianyang finished speaking, a cold light shed across Qin Wu''s wrist.
Thetter''s pupils dted slightly in disbelief as his gun separated from his body.
Tianyang''s hand now held a dagger.
Only then did Qin Wu notice that the boy was emitting a faint glow all over his body, a sign of his Star Energy manifesting externally.
The dagger shed horizontally again.
Qin Wu felt a chill on his neck and reached up to touch it, then opened his palm.
It was stained with blood!
"You..."
He stepped back, his throat gurgling, unable to say a word.
Finally, he copsed, his eyes wide open, as if he couldn''t believe that Tianyang dared to kill him!
The boy then said, "Let me correct you. Life is full of infinite possibilities, and no one''s fate is predetermined."
This time, Qin Wu couldn''t refute.
As Tianyang turned to leave, something blinked in his mind. He suddenly received information about levels and experienced a subtle change...
Chapter 9 - Capital For The Game
|Outpost Base, Night Walker Headquarters|
Ling Feng looked up from the report he was reading when the automatic door opened. He saw his deputy, Lin Yang, a middle-aged man in his forties, walking in with a wry smile on his face.
Ling Feng gently lifted his sses frame and asked, "Let me guess, that kid caused trouble?"
Lin Yang couldn''t help but admire his boss''s intelligence. "It''s not that he caused trouble; it''s just that he did something unexpected."
"Oh," Ling Feng said, appearing interested. "Even if you are surprised, it seems that he has done something remarkable. Did he pick a fight with his former team leader?"
"To be precise, he killed his former team leader."
Lin Yang activated an interface on the wall, turning it into a projection screen and disying a scene from a bar, and Ling Feng saw two key figures in it, Tianyang and Qin Wu.
After watching the whole thing, Ling Feng''s lips curved into a smile. "Although it''s not perfect, this rigorousness will work for now. It turns out that he wanted Night Walkers and an Upper Citizen''s identity toy the groundwork for revenge."
Lin Yang rubbed his hair. "He is quite meticulous, but his scope is too narrow. He''s already an Ascender; why bother with a small team leader? Even if he wanted revenge, he could have followed the proper procedures. Why create such a scene?"
Ling Feng folded his hands under his chin and said, "I don''t agree. It''s precisely because he''s already an Ascender that he should do it."
Lin Yang looked surprised and asked, "Why?"
"Ascenders must not be offended!" Ling Feng''s face turned cold.
"This is the fortress'' iron rule. If that kid was just an ordinary person, with such a disparity in identity and status, seeking revenge would still be foolish even if he seeded. Because next, he would have to endure even bigger and more violent storms."
"But he is an Ascender now, and Qin Wu was the one who did things wrong first. If he still followed the normal procedures, how would others see him? If he gets used by others, it is possible to undermine the status of Ascenders in the fortress. In recent years, there have been many voices questioning whether we should continue to invest so many resources in Ascenders."
Lin Yang snorted, "Those fools who only sit in the office, how would they know that only Ascenders can suppress the higher-level dark creatures?"
Ling Feng looked at the young man on the screen, who had now slit a throat. "That''s precisely why the authority of Ascenders should be upheld. Today''s incident serves as a warning to some people. Even if you are an Upper Citizen, as long as you are not an Ascender, you can¡¯t offend us!"
Lin Yang''s heart skipped a beat; he guessed that this young chief of staff would probably use this incident to his advantage. That kid probably didn''t realize that his actions would be capital in the upper-level game.
Tianyang, in fact, didn¡¯t know.
He only knew that after walking out of the bar, his hands trembled slightly.
Although he had acted calmly and killed without hesitation, he was very nervous.
The fortress'' ss distinction had always taught him one thing, the status of Upper Citizens couldn¡¯t be shaken!
At least for them, themoners, this was true. But just now, he killed an upper citizen.
The script was going exactly as he had nned, and now Tianyang felt a sense of pleasure in breaking rules and boundaries. (ED: Rebel Syndrome)
At the same time, he deeply felt the superiority of the Ascenders.
Just now, there were so many upper-level military officers in the bar, but no one dared to trouble him. This was unimaginable for his previous self.
There were so many proud Upper Citizens, but when he looked at them, they all lowered their heads.
This gave the young man a strange feeling that he was trampling the world under his feet.
Now his nerves were constantly releasing signals of tension and excitement, so Tianyang was not sure when he would return to the Collection Team dormitory.
After sitting on his bed for about 5 minutes, he finally calmed down and then remembered that his level information had changed before leaving the bar.
As this thought arose, some information became clear.
[Avenger level
Rank 1: Assassin
Rank ability: Weakness induction, Instantaneous killing
Sublimation progress: 25%
Next rank: Obliterator]
Tianyang immediately grasped the point.
Sublimation progress suddenly increased by 11%!
What''s going on?
As Tianyang recalled, to advance in Ascenders, one must increase the concentration of Star Energy.
Now that he has be an Ascender himself, Tianyang knew more details. The concentration of Star Energy was the progress of sublimation.
The conventional way to increase the concentration of Star Energy was through battles.
During battles, Star Energy was mobilized, consumed, and then precipitated through cell regeneration. Through this process, the concentration of Star Energy would gradually increase.
Another way was to absorb the energy of the Pir of Star, but the Pir of Star itself was a valuable resource. Even though the importance of Ascenders was irreceable for each fortress city, it was not extravagant enough to supply Ascenders with the Pir of Star.
From the above information, it was not difficult to conclude that the concentration of Star Energy should gradually increase, but it should not increase suddenly by 11% like in Tianyang''s case.
This is crazy!
Tianyang narrowed his eyes slightly. "Can it be rted to revenge?"
This was the only possibility.
Thinking about his level, this possibility was certainly great.
If that was really the case, then there should be methods for each level to significantly increase the concentration of Star Energy.
Ascenders have too many secrets, and even nowadays, some secrets were not publicized.
At least yesterday''s ordinary Tianyang didn¡¯t have the qualifications to know.
Bang!
The door of the dormitory suddenly pushed open, and a strong smell of alcohol immediately rushed in from outside the door, eager to drill into the boy¡¯s nostrils.
Such a strong smell of cheap alcohol.
The boy frowned slightly. He didn''t like this smell, especially since there was also a hint of sweat mixed in the odor. They stirred together to create an unpleasant mixture.
"You... howe you''re not dead?!"
Dongyan''s voice rang out, and he and another colleague each held a bottle of alcohol. It seemed they had juste back from the "Holiday Time" bar, which was only open to soldiers.
Tianyang shrugged and said, "Surprised?"
The two soldiers exchanged a nce, and Dongyan lifted his foot and kicked the door shut.
"Does the captain know you''re back?"
The other soldier looked nervous.
Tianyang replied calmly, "You can go ask him yourself." (ED: Heh)
The soldier was left feeling dejected, and a look of displeasure shed across his face.
Dongyan tried to force a smile on his face. "Tianyang, we''re all happy that you''re back. You see, we had no choice but to leave you behind. You won''t report us, will you?"
Tianyang smiled back. "What do you think?"
Dongyan''s smile immediately disappeared from his face. "Tianyang, you should know when to be grateful. Since you''re not dead, let''s just forget about it."
"Not dead, so we can just forget about it?"
Tianyang shook his head. "So if I beat you almost to death, you wouldn¡¯t hold it against me?"
"So, you''re going to report us then?" Dongyan''s tone was clearly hostile.
Tianyang corrected him, "To be exact, the higher-ups should already be aware of this matter."
His killing of Qin Wu in the bar must have spread and the higher-ups had no reason not to know. But Night Walkers would definitely handle this matter, which was why he wanted to join them as soon as he returned.
He needed backing.
Dongyan and the other soldier''s faces suddenly turned pale, even though Qin Wu was the mastermind behind this.
But they had not stopped him; ording to the fortress¡¯ rules, they were aplices.
They could have their military status revoked or even be sentenced; their lives would be over!
Thinking of this, the two soldiers'' eyes were filled with viciousness.
They exchanged a nce, then nodded together, walking towards the young man sitting on the bed.
"New recruit, this is what you asked for." Dongyan''s face was grim.
"Whether I sit in jail or not, I don''t care; having one more crime on my record doesn''t matter," the other soldier said.
Of course, Tianyang knew what they were going to do. "I advise you to step back now while you still can. Trust me, it''s for your own good."
"Oh, is that so?"
Unfortunately, they didn''t take Tianyang''s warning seriously.
Just as a violent incident was about to happen, the door of the dormitory suddenly pushed open and there was a cry of surprise from outside.
"What do you think you''re doing?!"
Chapter 10 - Sky Tower
Two people stood beyond the door.
Dongyan recognized one of them, the Deputy Commander of their Collection Team, Luo Hao, an officer of the Upcivil Army.
The man, with a slightly balding head and thinning hair every year, was a respectable gentleman. He was due to retire in seven or eight years. Most times, Luo Hao was seen to be friendly, but now he looked furious.
His overweight body struggled to squeeze into the narrow dorm, and then he rushed over at a speed unsuitable for his size.
He grabbed Dongyan and pped him hard.
"What are you doing? How dare you treat Mr. Tianyang like this?! Apologize right now!" The Deputy Commander''s roar echoed in the absent dorm.
Dongyan and the other person were stunned.
Mr. Tianyang? Apologize?
Did they mishear?
Tianyang looked at the other person outside the door, a middle-aged man with a firm face and slightly gray hair, Ling Feng''s deputy.
He had introduced himself when he came to deliver something. Tianyang recalled his name as Lin Yang.
The Deputy Commander''s attitude should be caused by Lin Yang''s appearance.
And it was indeed the case.
Otherwise, Luo Hao wouldn¡¯t be so angry. Neither the Ascenders nor the Night Walkers were opponents that the Collection Team could provoke.
Luo Hao was d he came early; otherwise, if Dongyan and the other dormmate assaulted Tianyang, Night Walkers would give the Collection Team a hard time.
Seeing the two soldiers still standing there, Luo Hao disyed even more anger, "Don''t let me say it a second time; apologize to him!"
"Sorry, Mr. Tianyang."
"Louder!"
"Sorry!"
After a few more apologies, Luo Hao smiled and said, "Mr. Tianyang, is this alright?"
Tianyang knew Lin Yang had something important to discuss with him and didn''t want to argue with Dongyan and the others, so he nodded.
Luo Hao immediately called in several soldiers and detained Dongyan and the other man (ED: Still no name for dear Mr. Other person welp). This action showed that the relevant department was already handling the matter for Tianyang.
After the Collection Team left, Lin Yang came in and handed a box to Tianyang. "Your new identity card is in here. The application for the apartment dormitory in the Upper District has been received and should be arranged for you in one to two weeks."
"Also, Mr. Ling Feng has made an appointment for you at the Fortress Medical Center for an electronic eye instation surgery. If you want to upgrade to a higher level, you must pay for it yourself. You may take the hyper-speed train back to the fortress. I took the liberty to book a seat for you. Please pack up and head to the station."
"Rest in the fortress for a few days, and if there is a new task, I will let someone notify you."
Tianyang saluted. "Yes, sir!"
Lin Yang nodded and left the dorm.
After Lin Yang left, Tianyang shouted with joy. He moved to pack his luggage before heading to the base station. He boarded a hyper-speed train to the rear base where Clough''s Gate was located, passed the simple boarding check with the Ascenders'' dedicated passage, and arrived near Clough''s Gate.
This ck steel arched gate was wide open, with vehicles and pedestrians passing through it, shuttling between the Inverse Universe and the fortress.
On the other side of the gate, the light was bright, in sharp contrast to the dimness of the Inverse Universe.
Tianyang took a deep breath and walked towards the gate, picking up his pace until he finally entered the light.
Crossing between two worlds always gave him a wonderful feeling, like walking out of a waterfall. After getting used to the light outside the gate, Tianyang spotted the transfer tform of the fortress.
This huge transfer tform used to be an empty mountainous area before the fortress was built. One day, No. 127 Clough''s gate quietly appeared, and after its discovery, a fortress city was built.
Most fortress cities were formed in this way.
Tianyang''s hometown, the Sky Tower, was rtively youngpared to other cities, with a history of just over a hundred years.
Therefore, the various buildings and equipment in the Sky Tower were still fresh and full of vitality.
Tianyang carefully avoided various vehicles, especially heavy transport trucks carrying building materials. They were like steel beasts, constantly delivering massive resources into the Inverse Universe to support the construction of the third outpost base.
In addition, he also avoided some people wearing strange clothes. They had no uniform clothing or equipment and they emitted a dangerous aura.
They were Prospectors.
Each Inverse Universe was so vast that no fortress city could fully explore it. Therefore, there were Prospectors, a profession where these fearless guys would always gather in groups and rush into the Inverse Universe, risking their lives to search for treasure that might not even exist.
The fortresses used their help to improve the map info in the Inverse Universe. At the same time, any benefits they obtained from the Inverse Universe must be paid back to the fortress by twenty percent.
Even so, the prospectors still continued to flock in, and some lucky ones among them stimted more people to join this dangerous industry.
Tianyang''s home was in the Lower District, so after leaving the transfer tform, he boarded the tubr city train.
This was an important means of transportation between the various districts, after all, not everyone could own a private vehicle. Nor could anyone drive around the fortress as they pleased.
Therefore, the tubr city train, which circled every 15 minutes, became the preferred mode of transportation for city residents. Of course, the train couldn¡¯t reach every corner of the city. Take the Lower District as an example; the train only had three stations there.
After getting off the train, people had to rely on themselves to explore the area of the district.
As the train passed the outer orbit of the Upper District, through the window, one could see an almost boundless sea.
The Sky Tower was built near a bay, which was a rainy area and where sunny days were rare.
Tianyang looked out the window and saw the sea illuminated by the bright sun, shimmering like it was covered in jewels. This was his favorite scene. Every time he looked at the ocean under a clear sky, it was as if all his troubles vanished into thin air.
Suddenly, the light outside the window dimmed. Tianyang knew that the train had entered the Sky Tower''s top corridor.
Due to the rainy climate, the city area of the Sky Tower hadrge circr skylights. When the weather was clear, they would retract their covers to let sunlight enter the city.
During the rainy season, the streamlined skylight design could discharge rainwater, reduce wind load, and protect the buildings in the city from the onught of storms.
There were also many rainwater collection pipes on the circr skylights. The collected rainwater was sent to the water desalination nt. Which was then distilled and purified before being transmitted to various city areas for residents to use.
After the train left the top corridor, a strong beam of light shone blindingly. Tianyang could barely open his eyes. It was the reflection of the windows of the observation towers on the skylights.
Below the observation tower were rows of turbine turrets, symbolizing military force. The multi-functional track at the bottom ensured free movement.
As the observation tower and turret array gradually receded, the train entered the tunnel, indicating that the Upper District was far away. The train was heading towards the middle and lower levels of the fortress.
Chapter 11 - She Said Let Go
"Next stop, Shadow Street Station. Doors will open on the left; please mind the gap."
As the soft announcement echoed in the train, Tianyang stood at the yellow line near the door. Stepping off the train, the door slid open.
A cold wind rushed to his cheek, giving him the feeling of a deep cave. On the ground, aluminum could be rolled uncontrobly in the wind before finallying to a stop next to a garbage bin. Several homeless people wrapped in tattered nkets rummaged through bins, searching for food and non-existent food.
Tianyang quickly walked out of the station and onto a wide but disorderly street, namely Shadow Street; it would take him a 40-minute walk home. The central and upper districts of the city had trams for transportation, but unfortunately, there were none in the Lower District.
Located at the bottom of the city, the streets of the Lower District remained dimly lit even on sunny days, giving the illusion of an Inverse Universe and was synonymous with chaos and filth, as the fortress housed almost all kinds of factories. Various industries,puter rooms, unprotected units, andrge numbers of transmission pipelines were stacked together with the corrugated iron houses and shacks built by the lower ss.
Residents here were treated like parasites of the city, humble and helpless. The streets were filled with busy pedestrians, most of whom were workers in the myriad of factories. They worked tirelessly every day, earning contribution points barely enough to cover their daily needs. Their eyes had lost their luster, as they mechanically repeated their dull and monotonous work every day, driven only by instinct.
As Tianyang walked past an alley, he observed it was crowded with homeless people. They were lying or sitting there and would beg for a job opportunity as people passed. Most times, such begging went unanswered.
Some children would sometimes chase after people passing by, probably being the most energetic group in the Lower District. Petty theft was more thanmon for such kids.
At the entrances of bars, women stood in revealing clothing, trying to survive because they couldn''t do heavy physicalbor, andck of education made it impossible for them to work in an office, even as ordinary clerical workers. Hence, they chose to sell themselves, but only Prospectors with money could afford such extravagant services.
The Volcano Bar was famous for a type of strong liquor called, well, "Volcano." Tianyang marched there instead, not to drink, though. His mother, Nanfei, worked here as a cleaner. It was one of the few legitimate jobs for women in the Lower District, so she cherished it dearly.
Tianyang knew that she was able to work here because the bar owner, Kaidi, liked her. That rough, thick-chested man with dense chest hair was once a member of the Collection Team, but after losing a leg in the Inverse Universe, he retired and used his pension to open a bar in the lower city.
Business was not booming, but it was better than many others. What surprised Tianyang was that, although Kaidi liked his mother, he never said it out loud. But whenever his mother was in trouble, he was always willing to help.
Tianyang was able to join the collection team with Kaidi''s help, so Tianyang kind of liked that rough guy. Pushing open the door of the bar, he noticed there weren''t many customers in the afternoon; the few were scattered in the dim corners.
Cheap alcohol permeated the air. Tianyang looked around but didn''t see her mother. Instead, he spotted Kaidi biting on a pipe and wiping sses behind the bar.
"Kaidi, where''s my mom?"
Tianyang walked up to the bar and asked directly.
Kaidi raised his thick eyebrows. "You little brat, I''ve told you eight hundred times; call me Uncle Kaidi. Don''t be rude, or your mom will beat you. Hey, why did your hair turn white? What''s with the eye patch? Don''t tell me you lost an eye after going to the Inverse Universe?"
Tianyang shrugged and said, "It doesn''t matter. The higher-ups have already arranged for me to have an electronic eye surgery. I''ll have it installed in a few days."
Kaidi sighed. "That''s what you say, but seeing you like this, Nanfei would be sad."
Tianyang smiled. "No worries. I''ve prepared a surprise for her this time. She''ll be happy."
"I hope so." Kaidi looked in the direction of the kitchen, and sure enough, the kitchen door opened, and a figure emerged. "Nanfei is here. Make some effort yourself."
Tianyang looked over and saw his mother. She had tied up her long hair and had a sweaty face. She was dressed inly, carrying a garbage bag, indicating she had just finished cleaning the kitchen.
Tianyang was about to go over when suddenly a ck-haired hand reached out and grabbed Nanfei.
The muscr man with only a tactical vest on his body grinned. "Miss, want to have a drink with me?"
Nanfei''s face changed, and she replied coldly, "Please show some respect. I''m not here to apany you drinking. Let go of me."
The manughed and said, "Then will you apany me to bed?"
Asughter died down, a glint of silver shed in the corner of his eye. Then a dagger plunged into the big man''s other hand, pinning his broad palm to the table!
A faint light fell from his silver-gray hair as Star Energy glowed through his skin, shining dimly in the dark bar.
Anger spewed from the boy¡¯s eye; his voice was as cold as ice. "She said, LET GO!"
Behind the bar, a ss shattered on the ground, exploding into tiny fragments.
It happened too fast, and Kaidi didn''t even know when the young man had moved over, especially since the gate and the table were at least ten meters apart.
Kaidi couldn¡¯t see his movements.
"Damn it, my hand!" the big man screamed, releasing Nanfei and reaching for his gun holster at his waist.
"Stop it, Tieshan!" Hispanion, a thin man, stood up and looked cautiously at Tianyang, speaking with utmost respect.
"Respected Ascender, please forgive mypanion''s rudeness. I''m willing to apologize for his recklessness and offerpensation to thisdy."
The man named Tieshan finally saw the scattered glow on Tianyang''s body and couldn''t help but shudder.
Ascenders.
No matter how weak the Ascender was, they were not something an ordinary person like him could handle, especially without heavy weapons at hand.
If hispanion hadn''t stopped him just now, maybe that dagger might have been in his heart.
Tianyang snorted, withdrawing his dagger, and pointed to the door. "Forget apologies and such. Get out, and you''re not wee here anymore!"
After all, it was Kaidi''s bar, and Tianyang didn''t want to make things too difficult and affect his business.
The thin man nodded several times, helping hispanion leave dejectedly.
"Tianyang, are you an Ascender now? Wait, why is your hair white? And wha¡ªEYE PATCH!" Nanfei eximed, repeating the questions Kaidi had asked earlier. But this time, for some reason, the young man felt uneasy.
Looking at his worried mother, Tianyang muttered, "Mom, let me exin..."
At the door, Kaidi chuckled. "Even as an Ascender, still afraid of your mom, you little brat."
Chapter 12 - Mother and Son
On the very same day, Qin Wu''s body returned to his home in the Upper District.
Upon hearing the news, Qin Jie, the director of the third security office in the Upper District, dropped everything and rushed home, hoping that he had misheard.
Upon opening the door, the sound of cryinging from the hall made this middle-aged man''s heart sink to the bottom.
He walked into the hall with heavy footsteps. In the center was a refrigerated mortuary chamber and next to it was his wife, a woman dressed in luxurious clothing, crying wildly.
Two servants were supporting her; otherwise, she might have copsed.
On the other side, Qin Jie saw several officials from the Collection Team, as well as a resolute-looking stranger.
Qin Jie immediately pounced on one of the Collection Team officials, grabbing him by the cor and shouting, "What happened? Why did my son die?"
The official sweated profusely as he tried to calm him down. "Mr. Qin, please calm down and listen to me."
"I won''t!" Qin Jie shouted. "I just want to know how my son died!"
"Your son collided with an Ascender and threatened him with a weapon, which resulted in the Ascender responding with lethal force. Mr. Qin, please ept our condolences."
The resolute-looking man standing beside them spoke up.
Qin Jie''s eyes were bloodshot. "Who are you?"
The Collection Team official quickly introduced him. "This is Assistant Lin Yang, the chief of staff to the Night Walker Corps'' general."
Qin Jie nced at Lin Yang, who nodded slightly. Then Qin Jie said, "My son collided with an Ascender; does that mean he deserved to die? This matter won''t be settled like this. Even if you are a Night Walker, I will go to the city lord''s office to file aint!"
Lin Yang said calmly, "Mr. Qin, as I just said, your son didn''t just collide with the Ascender. He also pointed a gun at his head. The fortress rules stipte that in such a situation, the Ascender has the right to respond with lethal force."
"Moreover, before this incident, your son alsomitted the crimes of desertion and shooting his own teammate with a gun, using him as bait to gain an opportunity to escape. To put it bluntly, your son had a history of bad behavior and his death is not regrettable to society."
"But in the spirit of humanity and respecting the deceased, the fortress military will not investigate the crimes hemitted before his death. If you have anyints, you can file them with the fortress military judiciary."
After speaking, Lin Yang bowed slightly. "Once again, please ept my condolences. Goodbye."
He turned and walked to the door.
At the door, Lin Yang suddenly paused and said, "Oh, by the way, Mr. Qin. Besides representing the Night Walker Corps to offer condolences to the family, I personally wish to offer you a piece of advice. Let the past be past."
Then he left.
The Collection Team officials also bid their farewells one after another.
After everyone had left, Qin Jie roared in anger, smashing the furniture and decorations in the hall.
After venting, he gasped for breath and said, "Let the past be past?! Is this a warning not to seek revenge? Night Walker, such arrogance!"
His wife looked up and said, "Qin Jie, he was our only son. Revenge him!"
Qin Jie remained silent, his face still like water.
In the lower city, at Shed 1837 of Youshui Road.
Tianyang nced nervously at his mother, while Nanfei stood at the window with her back to him, looking at the quietly flowing canal outside.
After a moment, he uttered, "So not only are you an Ascender now, but you''ve also joined the Night Walker Corps?"
The young man nodded eagerly. "Yes. The Night Walker Corps has already applied for a dorm for me. Once it''s approved, we''ll move. I''ve even thought about renting a nearby house for you to live in. I can visit you whenever I''m on break. Also, I''ll see if I can help Kaidi open a bar in the Upper District."
"I''ll be a shareholder in the bar. If you have nowhere to go, you cane and work there to kill the time."
Nanfei said, "You are quite thoughtful."
Tianyang scratched his head and replied, "Well, I guess. So, you don''t object, do you?"
Nanfei responded calmly, "I object."
Tianyang was surprised. "Why?"
Nanfei bit her lip gently. "Anyway, just listen to me. I don''t want to move. We''re fine here. I just want you to be safe and sound."
Tianyang forced a smile. "Mom, I''m already an Ascender. I can make our lives better. Among Night Walkers, Storm, Iron Wall, and the three major legions, Night Walkers has the best offer. I..."
Nanfei suddenly exploded. "I said quiet! If you must join the army, join the Iron Wall! But not Night Walker or Storm, I won''t allow it!"
She rarely lost her temper, and Tianyang had rarely seen her like this. He tried to calm her down. "Mom, listen to me..."
"No, you listen to me!"
Nanfei grabbed her son''s shoulders, her eyes a little bloodshot and excited. "If you still see that I''m your mother, go and quit as a Night Walker now!"
Tianyang finally couldn''t bear it, pushed her hands away, and said, "Why should I? Mom, I''m not a child anymore! Why don''t you trust me? Thest time when I wanted to join the Collection Team, you were like this too! I don''t understand why you don''t want me to join the army! Is it wrong for me to want to make our lives better?!"
He took two steps back and yelled, "And every time I ask you who my father is, you always say I''m too young to know. Is it because you''re too controlling? Maybe my father couldn''t stand it and left!"
Pa!
Nanfei pped the boy on the face, her eyes red and her body trembling. "How could you say such a thing?" she said.
Tianyang grunted, holding his face, and stormed into his own room.
The door mmed shut.
Nanfei thought about going after him but hesitated and sighed instead. She walked out of the shack and squatted at the door, lighting a cigarette.
Tianyang''s bedroom was small, with a neatly made bed and a stack of books at the foot of it.
"Synopsis of Fortress Law," "Overview of the Nine Levels," "Inverse Universe Survival Rules," "ssic War Analysis of Ascenders¡"
The covers of these books were mostly worn and the pages yellowed. They had been Tianyang''s ymates since he was young. Ever since he could remember, these books had been around, but whenever he asked his mother where they came from, she wouldn''t say.
Tianyang secretly guessed that they were left by his father because of some of the annotations inside. The handwriting was obviously a man''s.
Looking at them, Tianyang sighed. He regretted being impulsive.
It was difficult to raise a child in the Lower District, and Tianyang knew how much his mother had suffered over the years.
Although he felt that Nanfei''s demand for him to quit the Night Walkers was unreasonable, the boy still regretted saying such harsh words to his mother.
He thought to himself that he would apologize to her tomorrow.
Tianyang lied in bed, thinking.
Chapter 13 - Ascenders Rights
The next day, Tianyang walked out of his bedroom, ready to apologize, but found his mother had left, leaving a simple breakfast on the table¡ªa nutritious cereal in a thermos and a fresh egg.
There was a poultry farm inside the fortress, but eggs were a luxury item in the Lower District. This egg might have cost his mother a whole day''s worth of sry.
Looking at it, Tianyang felt idiotic.
He drank the cereal but couldn''t bear to eat the egg. He carefully opened the egg white and took out the yolk, and when his mother returned, he could steam it lightly and serve it to her.
Tianyang ate a few mouthfuls of egg whites and looked around. The ground had umted some dust; his mother probably didn¡¯t have time to clean it recently. So, he searched for a broom and started cleaning.
He went into his mother''s room. Nanfei''s bedroom was very tidy, with even a small potted nt on the window sill and a photo frame on the shelf next to her bed.
Inside was a photo of her and Tianyang, but in the photo, the now ascender was a baby held in Nanfei''s arms. The photo was clearly cropped, and from the photo, there seemed to be another person standing next to Nanfei.
Could that be my father?
Why was he cut off?
Tianyang picked up the photo frame, lost in thought.
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door, and Tianyang assumed his mother had returned. Hurriedly putting the photo frame back, he identally dropped it, and it fell apart.
"Excuse me, does Mr. Tianyang live here?" A man''s voice came from outside the door.
Tianyang nced at the broken photo frame on the floor and was relieved that his mother hadn¡¯t returned. He quickly left the bedroom.
Opening the door, he saw a tall and thin man outside. The man''s gray hair was neatlybed, and his uniform looked somewhat ill-fitting. He tried to be serious, but he looked ridiculous.
"Who are you?" Tianyang didn''t recognize the man at all.
The man smiled and said, "I''m from the registration office of the Upper District. Congrattions, Mr. Tianyang. Your registration in the Upper District has been processed. As per the rules of the fortress, you can add two more people under your registration, but only for immediate rtives. The office has sent me to assist you with the registration."
"In addition, ording to the procedure, I will read out the rights and obligations of the Upper Citizens to you, although you may already know them."
Tianyang invited him in; the manplied and after looking around, he cleared his throat and began to read, "ording to the fortress'' rules and regtions, Uppers, especially Ascenders with upper citizenship, have the following rights."
"Firstly, the right to reside in the Upper District, where you can enjoy all the convenience services provided by the fortress."
"Secondly, the right to select a spouse. It should be noted that this should not be confused with the rights that all citizens enjoy. Ascenders only have the right to select their spouses. This means that you can marry any woman you choose, and she can¡¯t refuse you unless she is willing to leave the Sky Tower. This includes women from upper-ss families as well, though I doubt that anyone would turn down such a wonderful opportunity, lol."
"Of course, you can only choose one spouse, as the fortress'' marriagew strongly insists on monogamy."
Tianyang chuckled. "I don''t have any ns to get married yet."
"In addition, each Ascender also has the right to apanion, and there is no limit on the number. Even if you already have a family, this right can still be maintained. This is due to gic optimization; as you know, there is a high chance that the offspring of Ascenders will also be Ascenders."
"If you have umted more than 100,000 contribution points, you will also have the right to establish a n. You can choose a surname for yourself, and your descendants shall inherit it. The first three generations of this family can inherit your surname, as well as the status, property, and rights of the Upper Citizens, and so on..."
The man read out all the details for about ten minutes, and Tianyang almost fell asleep. Just as the boy was thinking of shooing him away, the man finally finished.
He then ced an electronic key on the table.
"This is..." Tianyang looked at the key.
"This is the vehicle assigned to you, an electromaic unicycle. It''s parked outside and has unlocked ess for most areas. I hope you''ll like it."
The registration officer finally left, and Tianyang went outside to see the unicycle, very excited. He couldn''t help but let out a cheer.
This unicycle used an electromaic engine and could be charged on the electromaic charging panels avable generously on city streets.
The vehicle used a gyroscope bncing system, which even beginners could easily operate. Although its maximum speed was only 60 kilometers per hour, it was sufficient for use within the fortress.
After the biological module was written into the system, Tianyang was registered as the vehicle owner. Although he wanted to take it for a joyride, he returned to Nanfei''s bedroom.
The fallen picture frame still needed to be repaired. His mother treasured the frame, and if she came back to find it broken, it would likely result in another storm.
Tianyang picked up the pieces and nned to find some glue to fix the frame. Suddenly, he noticed a piece of paper.
It was ced behind the photo, and he probably wouldn''t be noticed unless the frame was broken.
He opened it, and it was a receipt from the Sky Tower Storage for the Upper District. The receipt indicated that someone had anonymously stored something in the storage facility.
It had been stored for 50 years, and the fees had already been paid in advance.
Looking at the date on the receipt, it was issued 17 years ago!
"17 years ago, wasn''t that when I was born? Who went to the storage, was it mom?"
"What was stored? Why hasn''t it been retrieved yet?"
Looking at the invoice, Tianyang suddenly had a bold idea.
Could it be that what was stored had to do with my father?
Once this idea arose, he couldn''t be stopped.
Tianyang quickly fixed the photo frame and put it back, then took the invoice and left.
The electric motorcycle''s system had a built-in navigation system, and even though Tianyang had never been to the Upper District, he was able to find the storage quite easily.
Entering the storage house¡¯s gate, a woman in simple clothes, with a professional smile stered on her face, stared at Tianyang with surprise and disdain.
The surprise was at Tianyang''s look, which didn''t look like that of an Upper Citizen but rather that of a Lower Citizen. It was indeed surprising that a Lower Citizen coulde there.
The disdain was also due to his Lower Citizen status. After all, this storage was mainly open to the Upper Citizens. Speaking of which, could a Lower Citizen even afford storage fees?
Although she was only amoner, her status was higher than that of these Lower Citizens.
A sense of superiority rose within her.
"Good afternoon, sir. May I ask what you need?" Despite her sense of superiority, the woman was obviously still here to serve customers and wouldn''t drive Tianyang away foolishly.
Tianyang took out an invoice and said, "I''m here to retrieve something."
The woman took the invoice and looked at it leisurely. "Can you show me your personal identity card?"
Tianyang nodded and took out the new identity card that Lin Yang had issued him.
The woman took it and lightly ced it on an electronic scanner on her wrist. Through the chip on the identity card, she could read the information of most people in the city.
When the words "Ascender" appeared on the instrument screen under Tianyang''s name, the woman almost dropped the card.
To themon popce, Ascenders were almost unattainable big shots.
What the woman couldn''t understand was why such big shots needed toe to retrieve things on his own?
Moreover, this Ascender seemed very young, and his clothes were too... Well, too in!
Fortunately, she hadn''t said anything wrong just now. Otherwise, she might be dead.
The woman''s attitude changed drastically. Warmly taking Tianyang''s arm, she said, "This way, Mr. Tianyang, we need to verify and inspect the item you want to retrieve, which may take some time. Please follow me to the waiting room. If you need anything, just let me know."
The mature woman pressed her chest against Tianyang''s arm, making him ufortable. He wasn''t used to being so close to females, so he quickly withdrew his arm, finally being able to breathe normally.
15 minutester, a password-protected box was ced in front of him. Upon opening it, there was only one thing inside.
A diary!
Chapter 14 - Su Lie
A hardcover notebook with a deep brown leather cover and silver-white embossed wings. Bronze retro book corners with exquisitely carved patterns flowing like water adorned it.
Tianyang gently opened the cover, and at the bottom left of the title page, "Su Lie" was signed. Obviously, that person ought to be the owner of the diary.
Although he was eager to read the contents, Tianyang put it away and ced it in a handbag graciously given by the storage department.
After he left, a manager hurried back to his office, taking out a slimmunication board from a drawer.
The manager entered a message:
[Dear Sir, just now, the item you were interested in was taken away by an Ascender named Tianyang.
I''m sorry, I don''t have the authority to know any more information.]
And the message was sent.
Leaving the storage department, Tianyang didn''t immediately return to the Lower District. He found a park nearby. Yes, a park, a luxury non-existent in the Lower District, the young man sat on an outdoor chair under the tree shade and flipped through the notebook.
Through the gap in the dense canopy above his head, the warm light fell on the beautiful and powerful handwriting in the diary. Tianyang carefully examined it.
"October 7th, One-hundredth day after I met Nanfei. Lord of War, although I am not your believer, I still want to thank you for letting me know of this girl in your church. I feel that it is necessary to record these beautiful days, so we can savor them in our older days.¡±
¡°Maybe by then, Nanfei willugh at me. After all, I don''t look like someone who would write a diary. Well, who cares, haha."
Tianyang found his hands shaking after reading the first entry.
This Su Lie actually knows my mother, and it seems that the two are, or were in a romantic rtionship.
Could it be that Su Lie is my...
The young man couldn''t wait to read on.
"October 23rd, I just came back from a mission, and I''m exhausted. I¡¯d rather not go to the Inverse Universe if not for the right to establish a n. It''s always dark there, with so many disgusting and ugly things. It''s not nearly as good as the sunny and bright fortress, and of course, my favorite girl is here. Nanfei, I''m back."
"October 24th, I just quarreled with my old man. Thinking about it, I haven''t argued with him for many years. He''s really stubborn. He actually asked me to go on a blind date with the Miss from the Ren family. What a joke, I can''t marry the kind of person who only knows how to look pretty, has no aim, and is average-looking. [ED: Look like that is your priority?] I really don''t know which part of her the old man likes. Oh, I know, it should be because of the promise made by the Ren family to donate ten thousand contribution points annually."
"November 7th, poor Nanfei fell ill today. However, she had a certain charm when she was sick. Hmm, but I can''t tell her that, or she''ll think I''m a pervert. Am I? Of course not!"
Basically, this diary recorded trivial things happening during Su Lie''s interactions with his mother. This includes Su Lie''s father''s opposition, arranged marriage, Su Lie leaving home, and finally Su Lie''s father''spromise.
From the information in the diary, Su Lie was clearly a member of the upper ss in the fortress. Not only was he from the upper ss, but he was also an outstanding contributor who could establish a n.
Unfortunately, Su Lie revealed too little information about his family in the diary to determine what job the man had in the fortress.
But from the tasks mentioned many times, this Su Lie should be serving in one of the three forces, Night Walker, Storm, or the Collection Team.
Looking further down, Su Lie''s father died in mid-May of the following year (of the story, of course). In early August, Nanfei got pregnant. Su Lie seemed very excited and happy in the diary, even nning the marriage in secrecy.
"August 27th, there is another mission today. This mission seems to be quite time-exhaustive. This is unfortunate; I was nning to marry Nanfei next month. I have no choice but to let Jingnan prepare for me. I shall marry Nanfei when Ie back from this mission. She will definitely be ted!"
"August 28th, it''s decided. Let''s name the little one in Nanfei''s belly, Tianyang! I hope he will have a broad mind like the sky and a brilliant future like the sunshine! Ha, there is still a little ink in my belly as a father, although not much as Jingnan. Hmm, I''ll tell Jingnanter and ask for opinions on this name."
This is thest page?
It was not that this was the end; other pages have been torn!
Looking at the uneven fracture, Tianyang''s heart was filled with questions.
Why was the diary torn here? What happened afterward that caused my mother to live alone with me in the Lower District?
On thest page, it was confirmed that Su Lie was indeed his father, but why hadn''t he appeared for so many years? Did Su Lie grow bored of his mother and abandoned them, or was there another reason?
Tianyang closed the diary and shut his eyes.
At least two people knew the truth so far, his mother, Nanfei, and the other, Jingnan, mentioned in the diary.
His mother never mentioned his father and would probably refuse to say anything, even if he asked. If she found out that he had taken the storage receipt without permission, what would she do?
The young man shook his head. "I can only find the answers from Jingnan!"
But with a poption of over a hundred thousand permanent residents in Sky Tower, who knew where Jingnan lived or if he still lived?
Suddenly, he remembered the staff member at the household registration office he had talked to earlier that day. Tianyang pped his thigh.
"Right, I can ask for his help! The household registration office should be able to find out residents'' information."
Tianyang immediately jumped up, ran out of the park, and got on his new motorcycle. He turned on the navigation system and headed straight for the household registration office.
At 3PM, Tianyang was cruising on the road back to the Lower District.
The household registration office promised to help, but even if it was on behalf of the Ascenders, they couldn¡¯t casually disclose resident information. So Tianyang filled out an application form, which the household registration office would submit to the Fortress Information Management Department for approval. Only after the approval could they search for the relevant information.
It would take at least a week.
Tianyang took the diary home and hoped to hide it before his mother came back.
When he returned to the shack and parked the motorcycle, he saw a figure in front of the shack. He was startled, thinking it was his mother who hade back early.
However, it turned out to be a man wearing a Night Walker long coat. Tianyang felt excitement surge in his bones. Was there a new mission?
Chapter 15 - New Mission
On the ck uniform of the officer, a crescent moon and traveler''s emblems were embedded, undoubtedly a Night Walker.
As Tianyang saw him, that person also reacted and saluted him. "It''s an honor to meet you, sir. Private Yanbing, Night Walker, reporting!"
The man named Yanbing looked older than Tianyang but seemed like an ordinary person, not an Ascender.
Tianyang was still embarrassed as he was called "Sir," but also a little thrilled. "At ease. A mission from higher-ups?"
Yanbing, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, looked like an enthusiastic worker. He put a silver-gray mechanical armor box at Tianyang''s feet and said, "This is the equipment assigned to you. And this¡" He handed over amunication device. "Commander Lin Yang asked me to hand it to you personally and informed me he would contact youter. As for the status of a mission, I''m not sure."
He then took out amunication device and handed it to Tianyang solemnly.
Tianyang received it and nodded. "Thank you for sending this over."
Yanbing stood up straight and saluted. "It''s my honor to serve you!"
He smiled and left.
Tianyang picked up the armor box and entered his room.
As soon as he put the things on his bed, themunication device rang and a request came through.
After epting it, Lin Yang''s image appeared on the screen.
"Have you received a sealed armor box as well?"
Lin Yang was holding a dispatch board and seemed to be in the middle of some work.
Tianyang replied loudly, "Yes, sir!"
Lin Yang put down the dispatch board and said calmly, "Currently, I don''t know your abilities and expertise, so I have only provided you with standard equipment. Use it for now. After a while, we will adjust it ording to your performance in missions. Alternatively, you can order equipment from the fortress'' weapons merchant, with the cost split between you and the military."
"Oh, and one more thing. I have to tell you first. During tomorrow''s electronic eye surgery, they will install a recorder in your electronic eye to collect your level data. In return, a special allowance will be given to you with the base sry each month. I''m not sure how much it is, but it should be substantial."
Tianyang said happily, "Thank you, sir!"
Lin Yang shook his head. "Don''t thank me. You deserve it. Finally, you have a mission. I will send the details to yourmunication device soon. That''s all." Tianyang saluted, and themunication ended.
Putting down themunicator, the young man opened the armored box. Inside were several foldablepartments, each containing a sword, a gun, a set of armor, and a Night Walker uniform.
The electronic screen on the box gave detailed descriptions of every piece of standard equipment used by Ascenders.
First was the sword, named the "High Vibrational Particle Sword," which could cut objects on a molecr level. The sword was made of a special metal from the 78th Inverse Universe, which was durable and resistant to wear and tear. The scabbard was mainly ck, with a subtle yellow anti-slip design on the handle. It was extremely sharp, and Tianyang liked it.
Next was a gun, which was smaller than the Attacker rifle that the Collection Team had been using. The weapon was called the "Assault Star Rifle," but its power far exceeded that of the Attacker.
Star Energy was a high-purity energy body obtained from the Pir of Star through dposition and processing. Diluting it produced a luminescent gas, termed as "Star Essence," which, when ingested, could enhance Ascenders'' abilities, serving as a stimnt.
Star Essence could also be stored in gas magazines and used as bullets for the Star Energy Gun. For example, an essence magazine could sustain more than 500 shots than the Assault rifle. The gun also came with a long-range sight and a foldable three-point gun mount. Switching the firing mode to sniper mode allowed it to be used as a sniper rifle. However, it was still inferior to professional sniper equipment.
As for the Assault armor, it was made of a specialposite that included some Pir of Star fragments. Even so, the armor could effectively defend against attacks from dark creatures, especially those with contamination and invasion profiles.
The armor was equipped with a multi-functional belt containing a portable tool kit, an energy pack, and high-calorie food, allowing Ascenders to survive alone in the Inverse Universe for a period of time.
From this equipment, it was evident that the fortress attached great importance to Ascenders. Even ordinary soldiers, including Storm and other armies that also fought in the Inverse Universe, were not equipped with equipment made from the Pir of Star.
Thest item was the uniform. The Night Walker uniform consisted of a ck high-necked long coat with a double-breasted twisted button design. There was a silver military emblem adorned on the chest and ck and silver epaulets on the shoulders, with a star badge denoting the rank of Second Lieutenant. This was the lowest military rank for every Ascender in the fortress.
Tianyang excitedly put on the uniform and found that it fitted him perfectly. Some special designs made it possible to move freely while wearing them. The special fabric used in the uniform made it less prone to wear and tear.
Of course, even if it did wear, he could apply for a recement. Night Walker had a certain amount of financial subsidy for this.
Suddenly, there was a sound of the door opening outside; it seemed that his mother had returned. Tianyang quickly took off the uniform so that Nanfei wouldn''t be unhappy if she saw it.
He hid the mechanical armor box under the bed and carefully opened the door, and sure enough, it was his mother.
She was carrying a bag and took out packages of dried vegetables from it; apparently, she just came back from the market on the other side of Shadow Street.
Tianyang took a deep breath and walked out of the bedroom. "Mom, you''re back?"
Nanfei didn''t even look up. "Hmm, just wait a bit. I''ll make dinner for you now."
Tianyang called out, "Mom, I have something to tell you."
He wanted to apologize, but Nanfei seemed to want to avoid the subject. "Let''s talk about itter. It''ste now, and I''m hungry. Aren''t you?"
After that, she headed to the kitchen.
After dinner, Nanfei left again, saying that she had to work at the bar.
Helplessly, Tianyang had to return to his room. He received a file on hismunication device, apparently a mission briefing.
Night Walker was going to retrieve the Pir of Star that Tianyang discovered, and Ling Feng ordered Tianyang to report to the transfer tform the day after tomorrow. At that time, he would temporarily join the Raven Squad as a guide.
The basicpensation for this mission was 200 contribution points, with additional rewards based on his specific performance during the mission.
The briefing also included the profile of the Raven Squad leader, a man with deep eyes, a beard, and a haggard face. Tianyang hoped that this leader named Han Shu would be an easy person to get along with.
Chapter 16 - Enmity
Another day passed, and Tianyang was already done with the surgery. He paid out 2,000 contribution points from his own pocket and now has a tactical electronic eye installed in his left socket.
In addition to normal visual functions, it also had thermal imaging, infrared, and ultra-long-distance vision capabilities.
In the Inverse Universe, detecting an opponent early matters a lot to safety.
So Tianyang didn''t hesitate to spend half of his contribution points. After all, contribution points could be earned, but life was precious.
The appearance of the tactical eye was no different from a normal one. Except for asional electric surges that caused a blue light to appear in the pupil, it didn''t look abnormal.
Tianyang could finally take off the eye patch. That night, he nned to talk to Nanfei about the mission, but his mother seemed to sense something.
She avoided the topic and didn''t even give Tianyang a chance to speak, opting to tidy up the house instead, even though the shabby hut didn''t need much cleaning.
The young man was helpless, unable to even apologize or talk about the mission.
The next day, when he woke up, Nanfei had already left. Tianyang had no choice but to leave a note saying he was going on a mission and would talk to her when he came back.
After breakfast, Tianyang put on his equipment and uniform and rode his motorcycle to the transfer tform.
They would gather in the third area, on the 7th deck.
When Tianyang arrived, no one had arrived yet. It seemed he arrived early.
He drove the motorcycle to the corner and was about to park it when a cold voice came up.
"This is the Raven Squad''s meeting point. Which squad are you from? Don''t park your vehicle anywhere you want."
Tianyang turned around and saw a young man standing behind him. He looked a bit older than himself¡ªaround 20 years old. He had dark raven-ck hair tied in a ponytail, and with his overly delicate facial features, it was easy to mistake him for a girl.
He was also wearing the Night Walker''s ck uniform, and the armor underneath was covered with Star Crystal''s unique silver light, obviously, a specialized defense armor prepared for Ascenders.
The style was slightly different from Tianyang''s, and there were many scratches on it, indicating that the owner was not a rookie.
The young man carried a sword with a narrow and long scabbard that had a special design on both sides of the opening, making it easy for him to draw the overly long sword at any time to defend against enemies.
To be honest, even Tianyang''s shallow knowledge of weapons knew that both knives and swords shouldn¡¯t be too long.
Unless there was a special need, overly long knives and swords were not conducive to their use.
"Hey, you there, what are you thinking? Is this the quality of new recruits nowadays? You''re practically sending yourself to the dark creatures." The young man appeared dissatisfied with Tianyang''s response, or rather,ck of it.
Looking at the other''s shoulder badge, Tianyang swallowed the word "Sir" that hade to his lips since he and the young man had the same rank of Second Lieutenant. "My name is Tianyang, and Chief Ling sent me to report to the Raven Squad."
The young man was taken aback, and then a look of disgust surged in his eyes. "So it''s you. I heard that as soon as you became an Ascender, you killed your former superior."
Tianyang sensed the enmity emanating from him and didn''t know why this person disliked him. [ED: Bro, he just said why! I would also dislike such a colleague. Think before you write, author-san] However, he had no intention of exining.
Since they were not getting along, Tianyang didn''t bother wasting any more words and turned to find a quiet corner to stay in.
A hand pressed down on his shoulder.
Tianyang turned around, and a handsome young man had a frosty expression on his face. "You''re just amoner; don''t think too highly of yourself!" The young man''s tone was icy.
Tianyang pped his hand away. "Did I offend you?"
"No, but the things you''ve done are disgusting."
The young man clenched his fists, lightly touched his mouth, and furrowed his two beautiful eyebrows as if feeling ufortable and about to vomit.
"Originally, you were just amoner, but due to some lucky shit, you became an Ascender and took revenge on your former superior. Perhaps he had done something wrong, but since he was an Upper Citizen, even if he had made a huge mistake, he shouldn''t have been executed. At the very least, he shouldn''t have died by your hand!"
"You guys who live in the Lower District never show gratitude, only resentment. Have you ever considered that if it weren''t for the sacrifices and contributions of Upper Citizens like us, you parasites wouldn''t be able to live safely in the fortress?"
Tianyang sneered. "Do you even know that the so-called noble Upper Citizen you''re talking about shot me in the leg during a mission so that I could attract prowlers as bait? Why is it that an Upper Citizen shouldn''t die, but amoner should be treated as bait?"
The young man was taken aback. Although he had heard rumors, he didn''t know about this detail.
Tianyang continued, "And now that I am an Upper Citizen, please refrain from showing off your superiority."
The young man snorted arrogantly, "With someone like you, do you really deserve to call yourself an Upper Citizen? True Upper Citizens are those who have surnames. Do you have your own surname?"
Tianyang calmly said, "I will have one eventually."
"That''s what makes me sick. Just the thought of those ill-mannered, even whore-born bastards being able to have their own surnames one day makes me sick." The young man covered his mouth with his hand, looking pained as if he were ill.
Tianyang grabbed the hilt of his sword. "Say it again if you dare!"
The young man''s hand was cold as he reached back and lightly grasped the sword''s hilt.
"What? Am I wrong?"
"You can say whatever you want about me, but you can''t defame my mother!" Tianyang roared, drawing his sword one inch from its sheath.
"Oh, I didn''t expect you to be..."
Before the words could finish, a fistnded on the young man''s face, sending him spinning through the air before crashing heavily several meters away.
Tianyang stood in a daze, only to realize that there was a man beside him.
Tall and sturdy, with thick eyebrows and a cigarette dangling from his mouth, it was none other than Han Shu, the captain of the Raven Squad!
"This kid is right; every mother deserves respect. Cang Du, you need to reflect on this," said Han Shu. His gaze then drifted towards Tianyang and he clicked his tongue. "But you, you actually unsheathed your weapon against yourrade. Hey, the weapons issued to you are not meant to be aimed at your squadmates. Go, run 50ps along the 7th deck for me."
"Captain, I..."
"60ps."
"I''ll go right away, Captain!"
Tianyang didn¡¯t dare to argue any further and hurriedly ran off to avoid excessive effort.
Han Shu crossed his arms and watched the young man struggling to get up from the ground and Tianyang running around the deck. He shook his head and sighed. "Young people are always full of energy. Can''t you use that strength to deal with those dark scums instead of causing trouble for me?"
The captain ruffled his spiky, chestnut hair and said, "This bastard Ling Feng did it on purpose, didn''t he? We already have a map; why do we need a guide? I knew it; nothing good ever happens when the Chief is involved!"
Chapter 17 - Unexpected Order
The captain called Tianyang back when he reached the 55thp. The young man noticed a significant improvement in his physical condition since bing an Ascender.
In the past, this level of physical activity would have left him gasping for breath, but now he was only slightly winded.
Could it be true, as some schrs imed, that Ascenders were a form of life distinct from humans, the pinnacle of evolution, and a higher form of life altogether?
Arriving at the gathering point, Tianyang noticed more people had joined. Including himself, there were already more than ten individuals assembled.
It seemed that the entire Raven Squad had gathered.
However, not all of these ten-plus people were Ascenders. ording to the Night Walker Squad''sposition, there were usually three to five Ascenders serving as the main force, apanied by six to eight regr soldiers providing support and logistics.
At this moment, Han Shu cleared his throat and pointed to a man of simr age standing nearby, introducing him, "This is Xu, experienced and knowledgeable about those dark bastards. We call him Old Xu. He and Cang Du are both War God-series Ascenders, respectively holding the rank of Samurai at Level 3 and Swordsman at Level 2."
Tianyang examined Xu closely; his hair was thinning, and his figure didn''t have the same vigor as Han Shu''s. He had the air of an old pro.
With a smile, Old Xu asked, "Youngster, do you know how topletely kill dark creatures?"
Tianyang immediately replied, "Yes, by destroying their Will Cage, we can kill thempletely. ording to research, the Will Cage is like the human brain, sendingmands to dark creatures. However, the higher-level creatures have deeper-hidden cages that are more difficult to destroy."
Xu looked surprised. "Impressive, I thought you wouldn''t know. Well, do you know anything about the behavioral characteristics of the Mad Hounds?"
"Hold on a moment."
Han Shu pushed him aside, saying, "I don''t have time for your showboating now."
He then pointed to a woman who skillfully handled a silver longbow. She had ck shoulder-length hair, fair skin, and unusually dark red pupils. She stood a couple of meters away from the crowd, exuding a solitary and cold aura.
"This is Ji Yu, a Hunter at the Hunting Level and the Scout Master of our squad."
The woman named Ji Yu didn''t even blink as Han Shu introduced her, unaffected.
Han Shu seemed unfazed by her reaction, shrugging his shoulders. "As for me, I''m a Fortress at the Fortress Level, a Guardian at Level 4. Your turn."
Due to Ling Feng''s instructions not to disclose the new levels, as also mentioned in the mission briefing, Tianyang''s external information was that he was at the War God level.
So he lied right through his teeth.
"Alright, that concludes the self-introductions," Han Shu eximed loudly.
"Listen up, this mission is to retrieve the Pir of Star, and our squad alone won''t be able to aplish it. Therefore, it''s a joint operation. Besides us, four other squads are participating. A medical squad and a retrieval squad will apany us. I am the generalmander of this joint operation, so all of you better stay alert and not embarrass me!"
"Now, let''s move out!"
As they made their way towards the Clough Gate, Tianyang noticed that Yanbing, the soldier who had delivered his equipment a couple of days ago, was among the members of the Raven Squad.
Tianyang nodded slightly at him, and Yanbing seemed excited, returning a military salute. This drew a dissatisfied grunt from Cang Du, who was ahead of them.
After submitting their application, they quickly received clearance. Just as the Raven Squad was about to enter the Clough Gate, several cars rushed forward at high speed. The leading car even made a turn in front of the squad and came to a stop.
Dust lifted from the spinning tires and flew across Han Shu''s face. His expression instantly darkened, and he red at the people inside the car.
The car door opened, and a man dressed in a high-ranking military uniform jumped out, shouting loudly, "I''m Chen Liu, senior officer from the Fortress Strategic Department! I just received orders from the military headquarters that the Storm Squad and I will join this mission!"
Han Shu eximed, "I haven''t been notified, sir."
Chen Liu pointed at themunicator on his body and said, "Perhaps you can confirm with your superiors now, Captain."
Han Shu shook his head, said "Wait a moment" to the others, and walked away to make contact with Night Walker Headquarters using themunicator.
After a while, he returned and nodded, saying, "It has been confirmed. We are leaving now; are youing, sir?"
The man named Chen Liu replied, "Of course."
Then he returned to his car, and the convoy proceeded ahead of the Raven Squad, passing through the Clough Gate.
Old Xu couldn''t help but ask, "Captain, did they really allow them to join us?"
Han Shu made a sound of agreement, "They said it was a temporary order from the military headquarters."
Old Xu muttered, "Aren''t people from the Strategic Department the ones who sit in offices and give orders? Why are theying to the frontlines? Let''s hope they don''t cause trouble for us."
Han Shu grabbed his hair in frustration and muttered, "Who knows? Let''s go, let''s go. If we''re too slow, we won''t catch up with the high-speed train to the Lighthouse Base and that would be disastrous."
Finally, the Raven Squad passed through the Clough Gate. After that surreal feeling, Tianyang looked up and found himself back in the dimly lit Inverse Universe.
Half an hourter, they boarded the high-speed train heading to the Lighthouse Base. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, they would arrive at the Lighthouse Base by this time tomorrow.
In arge section of the trainpartment, there were five Ascenders, including Tianyang.
Han Shu and Old Xu sat together, engaged in a conversation that Tianyang couldn''t hear, asionally bursting intoughter.
Ji Yu and Cang Du each upied a corner, having no interactions.
As for the soldiers of the other squads, they were in another section of the trainpartment.
A figure shed in the corner of Tianyang''s eye, and he looked up to find Han Shu approaching.
The captain beckoned with his finger, saying, "Come with me."
Tianyang was puzzled but followed him. As they passed through a trainpartment, they saw the high-ranking official from the Strategic Station.
He had already put on a full-body protective suit, but thepartment had a purification device, so he wasn''t wearing a helmet.
Chen Liu was holding amunicator and seemed to be talking to someone. When he saw Tianyang and Han Shu, he put down themunicator and looked out the window.
The dim colors of the Inverse Universe meant there was nothing picturesque outside the window. It was clear that this person was merely avoiding the two of them. More precisely, he was avoiding Han Shu''s gaze.
However, Raven''s Captain didn''t even spare a nce at him. Instead, Tianyang was the one who looked at him frequently.
After Tianyang and Han Shu left, Chen Liu nced at thepartment door behind him before picking up themunicator again.
On the screen of themunicator was an elderly man with white hair, dressed in the ck-green uniform of the Strategic Department. Crossed swords and a star emblem on his shoulder epaulets, the symbols of a general.
"Are you on the train?" the general asked from the screen.
Chen Liu nodded. "Yes, sir. I''m already on the train. Rest assured, this time I have brought the elite forces of the Storm Legions. With them, I am fully confident in proving to the people of the fortress that even ordinary individuals have the power to deal with the dark creatures."
"Very good. One or two attempts may not necessarily seed. But if incidents like this ur ten times, twenty times, then we can leverage the Ascenders'' position in time. At the very least, it will reduce Night Walker''s financial budget."
The general let out a heavy roar through his nostrils. "Those bastards have been riding on our heads far too long. It''s time to make theme down!"
Chapter 18 - Han Shus Guide
Tianyang followed Han Shu into an emptypartment, which was quite peculiar because it was extremely empty, even without seats. It was like an iron cage walking on the tracks.
"From the Lighthouse Base to the rear base takes a day. Sometimes, there are energetic fellows on the train who need a ce to vent." Han Shu''s hand rested on the wall of thepartment. It had multiple rough scratches on it that looked like they were caused by something sharp.
Tianyang noticed a few grayish patches and squinted slightly. They appeared to be dried bloodstains.
"Is this some kind of arena?" Tianyang looked at the captain, seeking an answer.
Han Shu shrugged, answering with a non sequitur, "Anyway, we can stretch our muscles here."
Tianyang was somewhat surprised. "Captain, is this for the unfinished punishment?"
Han Shu grinned. "Damn it, do I look like a pervert who enjoys punishing subordinates? Don''t worry, it''s not punishment. It''s just that Ling Feng asked me to guide you with yourbat skills."
In the young man''s mind, an image of a cold-faced man wearing sses shed by.
The captain began fiddling with his hedgehog-like hair once more. "I have no idea what he is thinking. A rookie like you should be sent to a training camp. It is a waste of my time. If it were not for the fact that I owe him a big favor, I would not give a damn!"
An urge rose in Tianyang to ask him how much money he owed Ling Feng but decided otherwise
Han Shu waved his hand. "Come on, let me see what you got. Behind you there is a sword; take it out."
Tianyang unsheathed his de without hesitation. The particlebat sword gave off a chilly gleam that made thepartment feel colder.
Han Shu rubbed his chin and whistled. "A particle sword, huh? Ling Feng has taken quite a liking to you. Old Xu and Cang Du only got standard-issue weapons made ofposite steel. Alright, give me a sh and show me your mettle."
Tianyang''s mouth twitched slightly. "Captain, are you sure about this?"
Han Shu loosened the cor of his uniform, revealing his bulging neck with a tattoo.
A shield, with the fortress emblem on it and the number below, 4!
"See that? I''m a Fortress Level; my defense is off the charts. Even if you''re holding a particle sword, even if I stand here and let you strike, you might not be able to kill me," Han Shu pointed at his chest. "Strike here with the determination to kill me."
"Alright, Captain, be careful."
Tianyang adjusted his breath and cautiously refrained from using Star Energy, then exerted his full force and dashed forward.
Locking onto Han Shu''s chest, he raised his hand and struck with the de.
The particle sword drew a trail of cold light as it cleaved toward Han Shu.
Thetter simply turned about half of his body and tripped Tianyang with his foot, causing him to lose his bnce immediately.
Just as he was about to fall, the young man swiftly executed a roll with agile movements, readjusting his posture. But before he could stand up, he received a kick to his backside and ended up falling to the ground again.
He felt a heavy pressure on his back, and in his mind, he envisioned Han Shu stomping down with his foot. Tianyang struggled desperately but to no avail.
Han Shu chuckled, bending over and flicking his finger against Tianyang''s head [ED: Author, don¡¯t steal the Sas*ke flick], "Kid, you''re dead."
Then he removed his foot, allowing the young man to climb back up.
The Captain leaned against the windowzily and asked, "Did you learn anything?"
Tianyang recalled the previous sequence of events and said, "Captain, you wanted me to strike your chest, so you calcted the angle of my attack. While I was attacking, you were able to evade in advance. Then you disrupted my bnce and took advantage of the human body''s characteristics to easily ¡±kill¡± me."
Han Shu nodded slightly. "Not bad; at least you''re not too dim-witted. If you were a fool, it would be a headache for me. How about this? If you tell me about your rtionship with Ling Feng, I''ll teach you everything I know."
Tianyang replied nonchntly, "We don''t have much of a rtionship. General Ling discovered me, perhaps thinking that I had the potential to develop."
Han Shu looked disappointed. "Is that all? I thought you were his illegitimate child."
Tianyang almost spurted out a mouthful of blood. The captain''s imagination was truly too much.
Han Shu changed to a serious expression. "What you said earlier was correct, but there''s one more thing you haven''t considered."
"I''m all ears."
Han Shu chuckled. "Have you ever thought about why I wanted you to attack a specific area?"
Tianyang was surprised. "Wasn''t it to calcte the angle of my attack and evade in advance?"
"That''s just one reason. More importantly, it was to exploit your trust in me. It turned an unpredictable attack into something traceable."
Tianyang paused for a moment, vaguely grasping Han Shu''s intention.
Han Shu said in a deep voice, "Listen carefully; I won''t teach you specific techniques because no matter how brilliant the technique is, it''s far weaker than discovering your own strengths. I will only impart to you the experience of dealing with enemies. In summary, it''s about utilizing all advantageous conditions to dismantle the enemy''s defense and then dispatching them using the most efficient method possible."
"In battles within the Inverse Universe, it''s neither apetition nor a duel. Sometimes, you may have to face more than one enemy. So, you should never exhaust all your strength and always keep something in reserve. And the condition upon which all of this is built is that you must understand the enemy as much as possible, including their habits, abilities, and physical structure."
The vague thoughts suddenly became clear, and Tianyang finally understood. What Han Shu taught him was strategy¡ªa strategy that would benefit him for a lifetime!
The captain, who had been serious for three minutes, smiled again. "But let me teach you some real skills so that Ling Feng won''t use me of beingzy."
"Next, I will teach you how to dismantle the enemy''s defenses."
"However, you should note that if the enemy is weaker than you, there''s no need toplicate things; overwhelming force is enough. If the enemy is stronger than you, attempting to dismantle their actions would be a joke. When faced with an opponent you can''t defeat, running away quickly is the right path."
"Therefore, my dismantling techniques can only be used against opponents of simr strength or those with a slight difference. Remember, don''t foolishly try to apply them to stronger opponents and me me if you end up dead."
Tianyang nodded vigorously and said, "Yes!"
"Good, now attack my chest with all your strength!"
"...Captain, again?"
"No time for nonsense; hurry up!"
Four hourster, Tianyangid on the ground,cking the strength to even hold a sword. His consciousness was fading, and he struggled to concentrate, feeling drowsy.
His body was covered in bruises and strains, with several wounds caused by his ownbat sword.
In Han Shu''s dismantling techniques, there were even techniques that involved counterattacking with the opponent''s weapon. Tianyang never expected that this rugged man possessed such delicate skills.
"How much do you remember?" The Captain''s big face approached, and he lifted Tianyang, carrying him on his shoulder.
He also picked up thebat sword along the way.
"Roughly eighty percent of it, but a few movements were too intricate and fast for me to recall." Tianyang hesitated. "Captain, let me rest here. I''ll make my way back to the carriageter."
"Nonsense!" Han Shu rudely eximed. "I''m taking you to the medical team now. Let them dress your wounds. This is the Inverse Universe, and even the smallest injury can be fatal."
Tianyang no longer resisted.
Chapter 19 - Xun
The Captain of the medical team was ady from Western Land. Her hair, eyebrows, and even eyshes were pure golden. Her blue pupils reminded one of the ocean, and she had a beauty akin to the vast sea.
As an Ascender, she didn''t need to wear the slightly bulky protective suits. Instead, she wore a white long coat, the uniform of the medical team, with a ck shirt and a fitted skirt underneath.
As soon as they entered, Han Shu fixed his gaze on thedy''s long legs wrapped in ck stockings and howled like a lustful tomcat, "Luo Shan, you''ve be even more beautiful. Especially in a forsaken ce like the Inverse Universe, it highlights your breathtaking beauty."
Thedy named Luo Shan put down the book she was reading. Her sexy red lips curved slightly, and she stood up, saying, "Captain Han, your mouth has be quite eloquent, but even so, I won''t agree to go on a date with you."
Han Shu showed no embarrassment or hesitation. He walked over, and his furry hand reached for her curvaceous rear.
Strangely enough, Luo Shan didn''t avoid it and let his handnd in a ce it shouldn''t have.
Tianyang quickly closed his eyes, sensing that he was witnessing something he shouldn''t be seeing.
Then he heard Luo Shan saying, "Did youe here specifically to touch my ass? And you even brought a kid along. Captain Han, your behavior is quite confusing."
Tianyang felt someone throw him onto a seat, and then he heard Han Shuugh, saying, "Technically, I came here to touch your ass and brought this kid along for bandaging. Darling Luo Shan, could you find a pretty girl to dress his wounds?"
Only then did Tianyang open his eyes and saw Luo Shan throw Han Shu''s hand aside, crossing her arms and smiling, "What do you think this ce is? Do I need to find a pretty girl for you? Should I personally dress his wounds?"
Han Shu attempted to put his hand on her fragrant shoulder again. "He doesn''t have that fortune, but if I get injured, maybe you could consider it."
Luo Shan reached out and lightly pushed Han Shu''s chest, pushing away this shameless guy before turning around and calling out, "Xun, can you do me a favor?"
Someone stood up from the back seat, moving gracefully and softly asking, "What do you need me to do?"
Her voice was gentle, carrying a touch of ethereal charm.
Tianyang turned his head and saw a girl standing next to Luo Shan, roughly the same age as him, with a height of around 165 centimeters. She was wearing a protective suit; she was clearly an ordinary person.
Her hair was as ck ascquer, and her skin was jade. Her eyes were clear and bright, resembling a cloudless blue sky.
Sensing Tianyang''s gaze, the girl named Xun looked back. Her expression was calm, like a sereneke without a ripple.
It was actually Tianyang who felt a bit abrupt. He nodded gently and then averted his gaze.
Luo Shan''s mouth curved into an imperceptible smile, and she pushed the girl next to her, saying, "Help him dress his wounds."
"Okay."
Xun went back and returned with a medical kit in her hand.
As she opened the box, she said, "Please take off your uniform."
Tianyangplied.
The girl worked silently, tending to his wounds. As for Han Shu, he was busy with Luo Shan on the other side, engaged in their own intimate conversation.
After a while, Tianyang''s wounds were bandaged. He looked at Xun, who was tidying up the tools, and spoke shyly, "Thank you."
Xun looked up, her clear eyes reflecting Tianyang''s figure. She gazed for a moment and then averted.
After cleaning up the tools, Xun stood up to leave. Just then, the train suddenly jerked, causing the carriage to shake violently. Xun immediately lost her bnce.
Tianyang quickly grabbed hold of her, and the girl sat on hisp, her back pressed tightly against his chest. [ED: Clich¨¦! Author-san?!]
The young man''s breath lingered by her ear, and a faint blush appeared on the girl''s fair earlobes.
Instinctively, she wanted to struggle and get up, but the inertia from the brakes kept her pressed against Tianyang.
It wasn''t until a few secondster when the train came to a safe stop, that Xun hurriedly got up and carried the medical kit back to her seat.
On the other hand, Han Shu had already picked up themunicator in the carriage and said, "What''s going on? Why did we suddenly stop?"
The voice of the train conductor came through themunicator, "We can''t proceed ahead, Captain Han Shu. There are prowlers! Those things are on the tracks, blocking our way!"
"Damn it!"
Han Shu put down themunicator and said to Tianyang, "Stay here. I''ll go and see what''s happening!"
Tianyang put on his uniform and said, "I can help!"
Han Shu didn''t insist, "Do as you wish."
The two of them left the carriage. As they passed through Chen Liu¡¯s section, a high-ranking officer from the Strategic Station stopped Han Shu and said, "Captain Han, what''s happening? Why did the train stop?"
"Prowlers are blocking the tracks. We''re going to deal with it now." Han Shu briefly exined the situation, pushed past the officer, and quickly walked away with Tianyang.
"Prowlers?" Chen Liu''s face showed a smile. "The opportunity for a performance has arrived."
Two minutester, Tianyang and Han Shu joined the other members of the Raven Squad outside the train.
This was a valley area where dim light prevailed and where wild ck nts were growing everywhere. When the wind blew, certain indistinct stone sculptures emerged from the grass, emanating a sinister and evil aura.
Several twisted trees with knots all over them grew in the surroundings. Their long and short branches intertwined like the twisted fingers of countless lepers, making one feel nauseated.
In the distance, arge bridge could vaguely be seen spanning across the valley. However, the bridge was broken in the middle, resembling a giant''s arm snapped in half.
Ji Yu, the hunter, ran over from the front with her bow and reported in a deep yet not at all hoarse voice, "A small group of prowlers has appeared ahead, numbering between seventy and one hundred. They are crossing the tracks, and if we force our way forward, we might risk derailment."
This was the first time Tianyang had heard her speak. It turned out she could talk...
Han Shu nodded and waved his hand, saying, "Let''s go and eliminate them; depart as soon as possible."
Approaching the front of the train, strange and sinister figures lingered on the tracks ahead. In the dimness where the light wascking, those things that should only appear in nightmares emitted a dim gray glow from their Will Cages, resembling the ghostly mes drifting in a graveyard.
They asionally emitted a string of meaningless sounds, as if resentful spirits were recounting their misfortunes to people.
Han Shu lit a cigarette and looked at the Ascenders, including Tianyang, and the Night Walker soldiers wearing helmets. "Weapons free."
Cang Du was the first to rush forward. As he ran, a faint glow started to emanate from the young man¡¯s whole body with a ponytail. Star Energy manifested externally; his long sword was unsheathed, turning into a cold sh of light under the dark night, sweeping across their Will Cages in front of three or four prowlers.
The cages shattered, and gray light scattered as the distorted figures immediately fell to the ground, finding eternal rest.
Chapter 20 - 5th Generation Armaments
The fortress had set a clear price tag for all known dark creatures. Taking prowlers as an example, killing them would earn you 1 contribution point.
Although one contribution point was hardly a motivation for Ascenders, Han Shu had now given the order. So, even if they didn¡¯t earn any contribution points at all, Cang Du and the others would still take action.
As War Gods, both Cang Du and Lao Xu used swords to deal with their opponents. Their speed was not particrly fast, but the force behind their strikes was substantial. With a single swing of their sword, not only did the Will Cages shattered, but even the bodies of prowlers were split in two.
As for Ji Yu, she demonstrated the characteristics of a hunter. She drew her longbow, and the bowstring emitted a faint blue light. The arrows were a form of energy.
Tianyang knew that the bow in Ji Yu''s hand was a Star Element weapon, using Star Element Energy to attack, which provided additional lethality against dark creatures.
Moreover, they could harness the abilities of Ascenders, whether it be arrows, bullets, or longswords and battle axes.
This was because Star Element Energy could resonate with the Star Energy within Ascenders'' bodies, making Star Element weapons distinct.
Star Element weapons could only be obtained through the exchange of contribution points with the military or by customizing them from weapon merchants within the fortress. Apart from that, they could only be obtained as rewards from the fortress'' military for exceptional contributions.
Tianyang pushed aside his thoughts and assessed the situation on both sides. The young man didn''t draw the battle sword from his back but instead took out the Assault Rifle.
Han Shu, who was observing the situation next to him, actually smiled when he saw Tianyang not using a sword but a gun.
A hint of approval was in his smile.
Tianyang assumed a shooting stance, keeping a sufficient distance from the prowlers, and aimed at their Will Cages.
He pulled the trigger.
Compared to conventional firearms, the energy rifle hardly had any recoil. The muzzle shed, and a bowl-sized cavity was sted into the chest of one prowler on the other side.
Around the cavity, there flickered a patch of blue, dotted with star-like lights, resembling constetions.
As the Will Cage shattered and the gray light dissipated, apanied by the surging of viscous corrosive fluid, the contorted figure fell straight down.
Cang Du, who was nearby, turned his head and looked at Tianyang''s gun, his eyes filled with disdainful light.
He turned around and struck with even greater intensity, splitting a prowler from head to legs!
Tianyang remained unfazed and continued to pick off the twisted shadows with his rifle, implementing the strategy taught by Han Shu and utilizing the advantages and disadvantages of both sides to fulfill the mission at a minimal cost.
In this battle, Tianyang didn''t showcase the advantages of being an Ascender. The only difference between him and the soldiers beside him was that he didn''t need to wear protective gear.
After 10 minutes, the prowlers had beenpletely cleared, and the soldiers were removing the bodies from the railway tracks.
Just as Han Shu was about to notify the train to depart, Ji Yu suddenly eximed, "There''s something at 10 o''clock! We''ve spotted something!"
Tianyang immediately turned his head, and the tactical electronic eye on his left side zoomed in, revealing a group of figures staggering toward them.
Lao Xu, standing nearby, said in a frustrated tone, "I knew it wouldn''t be that simple. Although prowlers don''t possess the five senses, they have a collective consciousness. When one of them nearby is attacked, the others could sense it. Now, they''reing for revenge."
Han Shu contacted the train conductor using amunicator, "Can we start the train now?"
The conductor responded, "When the emergency brakes were activated earlier, it triggered the train''s cooling protocol. To avoid engine overheating, we need to restart it, which will take approximately 5 to 8 minutes."
"Restart it now, and let''s buy some time." Han Shu put down themunicator and shouted, "Everyone, get ready! We can''t let those creatures get close to the tracks, or it will be endless!"
At that moment, the sound of rapidly turning wheels was heard.
The sound came from the back of the train, and Tianyang turned his head to see lights shining in the distance within the darkness.
The next moment, a sharply defined figure emerged from the darkness. It was a steel giant, about three meters tall, with predominantly ck armor. The machine lowered its center of gravity, and the high-speed wheels beneath its feet made it swiftly passed by Raven Squad, heading towards the nearby prowler cluster.
Then, mes burst out from the rail rifle in its hand. Two rails made up the rifle''s barrel, and high-voltage current was used to propel the bullets without causing friction on the rails, allowing them to move at a speed of 600 meters per second.
The power of a single bullet was capable of shattering the armor of a regr tank.
The result of using it to attack prowlers was that the bodies of the dark creatures, along with their Will Cages, were torn into pieces within those metallic storms!
Prowlers fell one by one under the bright mes. The speed far exceeded the performance of the Raven Team just now.
It was the first time Tianyang had witnessed the performance of three-dimensional armament on the battlefield. This humanoid weapon, developed to enable ordinary people to confront dark creatures, was showcasing its power with astonishing visual effects to the young man!
"The 5th generation Universal Shooting Armament!" Lao Xu once again demonstrated his knowledge. "This is a remarkable weapon. In addition to the standard rail rifle, it also includes sniper equipment designed to deal with high-ranking dark creatures. It uses Star Element Energy bullets, and each shot is worth 500 contribution points!"
"Hahaha, I didn''t expect to find someone so knowledgeable about three-dimensional armaments in Ascenders," Chen Liu said,ughing as he approached.
Behind him, there was another bulky-shaped three-dimensional armament holding a heavily armored shield.
"Same 5th generation Universal Heavy Armor!" Lao Xu eximed in astonishment. "This thing has incredible defense and is equipped with heavy firepower, including a heavy rocketuncher. It can be considered a humanoid artillery. Apart from its worrisome mobility, it has hardly any noticeable weaknesses."
"But the 5th generation armaments were not in mass productionst year. Howe there are operational models avable this year?" Lao Xu asked.
Chen Liu''s voice came from his helmet, "We are participating in this operation to verify thebat capabilities of the 5th generation models. Captain Han, if you don''t object, let us take care of this battle."
Han Shu chuckled. "I don''t object; why would I? With Officer Chen here to handle it, I couldn''t be happier."
"Great, let''s show them what we''ve got."
Chen Liu switchedmunication channels and transmitted his voice to the driver inside the mecha, "Wipe them out, leave none standing!"
"Understood, sir."
Chen Liu nced at Han Shu from the corner of his eye... Laugh all you want; there wille a time when you''ll be crying. It would be best if you all stayed out of the uing battle, showing that Ascenders were not irreceable.
No one knew that Chen Liu had already activated the real-time image transmission function. The recent battle of the Raven Squad and the current performance of the 5th generation armaments were being faithfully disyed on therge screen in the Fortress Military Command Center!
Chapter 21 - Budget Cut
|Military Command Center, Sky Tower|
"Military Command Center" was a generic term, its actual name being "Unified Management Department of the United Legions."
As a records officer in the Military Command Center, Cheng Xin felt his heart under tremendous stress that day.
Initially, his superiors informed him that an important meeting would take ce in the Command Center, and as a records officer, he assumed it was just routine.
However, when he saw his colleagues, including his superiors, gradually exiting themand hall, he realized that today''s meeting was far from what he thought.
Then, the former Minister of the Strategic Department, Wed, walked in. This elderly man, with one-quarter of Western Land heritage, though an ordinary person,manded immense respect. With a nce, he could make people tremble.
As the white-haired old general entered themand hall, Cheng Xin suddenly wondered if the central air conditioning had malfunctioned. Otherwise, why would the air be scorching?!
Fortunately, the old man didn''t look his way. He walked directly to the center of the hall and sat down at the round, multifunctional electronic table among the only five seats avable.
Before Cheng Xin could catch his breath, a refreshing floral scent wafted to his nose. Closing his eyes, he could almost envision a scene of pristine white snow and blooming plum blossoms.
Then, the rhythmic sound of footsteps made the records officer involuntarily look toward the entrance.
A tall and graceful figure walked in from the door, her long ck hair neatly parted and gracefully floating in the air. The cold and beautiful face made Cheng Xin momentarily forget to breathe.
However, soon after, the woman''s dark purple uniform and the golden stars on her shoulders elerated Cheng Xin''s heartbeat.
Because she was General Fei Mei of the Storm, a woman with a peculiar nature who possessed a noble status yet refused to choose a surname for herself.
The lightly adorned female general scanned the hall, and when her gaze unintentionally swept across Cheng Xin, the records officer felt a chill run through, as if he had been thrown into an ice cer. Although he had grown up without ever experiencing a true icy and snowy environment.
Fei Mei sat across from Old Wed, who nced up and simply nodded before busying himself with something on amunicator.
"Old man, what''s the matter that you had to call us over? Don''t you know I''m busy?" A loud voice boomed from outside the hall, and someone squeezed in from the entrance.
That''s right.
Squeeze!
Even though he was no longer young, his robust physique made many young people feel inferior. Wearing a Night Walker uniform¡¯s long ck coat draped casually over his body, serving as a dark cloak. With an eyepatch over his right eye and a mechanical arm on his left, it was none other than Night Walker''smander, Chu Yan.
He casually seated himself beside Fei Mei and eximed, "Little girl, you''re getting beautiful as you grow. How about considering that Ling Feng guy? I think you two make a great match."
A rare expression of helplessness shed across Fei Mei''s face. "Commander Chu, don''t waste your effort. I never even considered getting married."
Chu Yan sighed. "You''re too awing, too exceptional for any man to match you. But Fei Mei, a girl still needs to find a ce to belong; otherwise, you''ll find yourself in the future."
Wed, sitting across from them, raised his head and sneered. "You meddle too much in others¡¯ affairs, Chu Yan."
Chu Yan snorted. "Better than you, an old coot who''s always scheming."
The nearby records officer shrank back, fearing a possible quarrel between the two powerhouses.
"Sorry, you had to wait."
The fourth person to walk through the door was considerably younger than the two veteranmanders, a middle-aged man of less than fifty.
He wore the ck-blue uniform of the City Guards, Iron Wall, with neatly worn gloves, military boots, and a holster. The records officer felt he was about to faint. This was Commander Cao Gang of the Iron Wall. With his presence and apologetic words, all the important figures of the second tier in the fortress'' power structure had gathered.
Cao Gang took his seat and looked to Wed. "The City Lord couldn''t make it, Minister Wed. We can begin."
Wed nodded. "Alright, I''d like everyone to watch some footage."
He activated a control interface on the table, lightly tapping, and a set of holographic images appeared above the same.
Among them, one could see scenes of a Night Walker Squad in action.
Chu Yan eximed, "That''s our Raven Squad. Weren''t they supposed to recover the Pir of Star? How did they end up engaging with prowlers?"
Wed calmly exined, "They encountered a small group of prowlers on their way to the Lighthouse Base. They are currently in the process of clearing them out."
Chu Yan looked puzzled. "Old man, why are you showing us this? And who was filming it?"
Wed replied, "One of my subordinates. I had him participate in this operation. He brought a Storm Squad with him, as General Fei Mei should be aware."
Fei Mei nodded. "I''ve read the report. It said it was to test thebat capabilities of the 5th generation armaments."
"That''s right..." In the footage, a 5th-generation assault-type dimensional armament passed by nearby, and as the scene zoomed in, it could be seen engaging another group of prowlers with gunfire.
The Minister of Strategy nced at themunicator and confessed, "Unfortunately, there are prowlers in the vicinity. But it''s fine. Judging by the performance of this 5th-generation armament, annihting those ck scum is a piece of cake."
Indeed, the 5th-generation armament took only three minutes topletely eliminate a group of around three hundred prowlers.
The footage resumed.
Chu Yan seemed to sense something as his tone grew colder. "Old man, what do you wish to achieve by this?"
"Nothing much; I just wanted everyone to witness the power of technology."
Wed spread his hands with a smile on his lips. "As you all saw, the Raven Squad just wiped out less than a hundred prowlers in about five minutes, while the Storm Squad only deployed one armament, not only eliminating more dark creatures but also taking less time."
"Now let''spare the costs. As we all know, Ascenders... even the lowest-level Ascenders are a money-making machine. Based on iplete statistics, the resources we invest in these Ascenders every year are enough to produce three hundred 5th-generation armaments."
"A total of three hundred, and they can be maintained, with parts reced if needed, and a service life of at least ten to twenty years. Now, let''s look at Ascenders. How many new awakenings do they have each year? Twenty?"
Fei Mei shook her head. "No, on average, there are only around eleven new awakenings each year."
Wed mmed the table. "That''s right, less than eleven. And they consume too many resources, with a high casualty rate. Most importantly, the investment in them is not one-time but continuous."
"Think about it, with the same resources used for mass-producing dimensional armaments. Ten yearster, Storm could have over three thousand of them. What kind of formidable armed force would that be?"
Chu Yan snorted. "Wed, what are you trying to say? Just speak."
Wed cleared his throat, stood up, and said, "What I want to say is that the resources invested in Ascenders don¡¯t proportionally match their contributions. Of course, I''m not saying they arepletely useless. I''m just suggesting that maybe we can slightly reduce our investment in Ascenders and allocate those resources to more appropriate areas!"
The air in themand hall suddenly became tense. The records officer''s hand paused over the electronic board, afraid to record this statement.
Chapter 22 - Argument
"You must be crazy!"
Chu Yan''s voice rang out like thunder, with anger and astonishment clear in it.
The records officer in the distance was inclined to hide under a seat but naturally couldn''t and could only hold onto the electronic board tightly, trembling.
Fei Mei stood up and nced at the records officer. "You can leave for now. I''ll call you if needed."
God knows how grateful Cheng Xin was. Fei Mei''s words were nothing short of life-saving. If this elegantdy with ck hair allowed it, he would even kiss the ground beneath her feet.
After the records officer left, Chu Yan gasped for breath. If it weren''t for the fact that the electronic desk was toorge, the oldmander would have grabbed the cor of the person opposite him.
"How could you do such a treacherous thing? Have you forgotten who fearlessly rushed into the Inverse Universe when there were no human traces and gradually turned the tide for the fortress?"
Wed calmly responded, "I haven''t forgotten; of course, it was the Ascenders. But Commander Chu, let me remind you of something. The world is constantly moving forward, and you must admit that we now can develop war weapons that can rece Ascenders. Moreover, they have a higher cost-effectiveness."
"Forgive my bluntness, but the role of Ascenders is still significant, but that only applies to mid- to high-level Ascenders. Those low-level Ascenders are not much stronger than our soldiers. However, the wealth they can control far exceeds that of ordinary people."
"I believe you probably haven''t forgotten that three months ago, there was a protest in the fortress. People were protesting that Ascenders were consuming too many resources, which they considered unfair."
Chu Yan shouted, "Nonsense! Without us, do you think those ordinary people could deal with high-level dark creatures? Let alone the ck King; even the level 3 dark creatures, the new armament you admire wouldn''t stand a chance!"
Wed calmly said, "That''s why I mentioned a slight reduction, not aplete cut. For example, we can reduce half of the ie for low-level Ascenders. As for mid- to high-level ones, they can remain as they are."
Chu Yan decisively said, "No! If that''s the case, they will quit their jobs. They will flow to other fortress cities or simply join the prospectors, and we will lose a portion of the Ascenders for no reason."
"This will greatly weaken the deterrence of Sky Tower. Don''t forget, ck Star Fortress is only five hundred kilometers away from us. They have been eyeing our Clough Gate for more than a while now!"
The Minister of Strategy smiled confidently and said, "I have indeed considered this. If our deterrence is insufficient, we canpletely recruit two or three high-ranking individuals through employment. Their hiring cost should be less than half of the reduced expenses. Commander Chu, I understand your sentiment, but you also need to know that our investment in low-ranking individuals is already too much."
Chu Yan mmed the table forcefully. "No matter what you say, I still disagree with this matter."
Wed snorted, "Chu Yan, quit the righteous act. Seventeen years ago, you were still..."
"Minister Wed!" Cao Gang, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke in a low voice. "I advise you to choose your words carefully!"
Wed''s face slightly changed, and he nodded, saying, "I did lose control, but I still think it''s unnecessary to continue investing significant resources in low-ranking individuals."
Chu Yan stood up and said, "No matter what, even if it has to be brought up to the Lord of the City, I am firmly against it!"
With that, he left in a huff.
Wed looked at the young Storm Commander, Fei Mei, and asked, "Fei Mei, what''s your opinion?"
Fei Mei gently closed her eyes, and her long, curled eyshes trembled. "I reserve my opinion."
Cao Gang directly stated, "Measuring the value of Ascenders based on a single battle is not fair. Besides, the opponents in the battle were the lowest-tier prowlers among the dark creatures, which doesn''t prove anything."
"Moreover, the Inverse Universe is not static. Thousands of years ago, when the Clough Gate was discovered, people could enter the Inverse Universe for exploration without protective suits. But now, without protective suits, ordinary people can hardly move an inch inside."
"Every Inverse Universe is incredibly vast, and what we have explored is only a small part of it. We don''t know what lies deep within the Inverse Universe. But I do know that Ascenders'' power is indispensable tobat the dark creatures, especially the high-ranking ones."
"Therefore, I don''t think it''s appropriate to cut the budget. At least at this stage, it''s clearly irrational."
Cao Gang stood up, his voice calm. "I think we should end today''s meeting here. I apologize, but I have matters to attend to. Please excuse me."
Fei Mei joined, "I need to visit the armament factory and check the progress of the fifth-generation production. Minister Wed, please excuse me."
The two left together.
Wed didn''t feel particrly disheartened or angry; instead, he smiled faintly. "Let''s see how it goes, even if all of you are against it but if the public insists, I believe the Lord of the City will seriously consider it. As for the public, they are the easiest to manipte. As long as there are more incidents like the recent one, they will organize several more protest marches!"
With that in mind, the old man took out a pocket watch. Upon opening it, there was a photo inside the cover.
It housed the memory of a young man with facial features simr to Wed''s.
Snap.
The old man closed the watch, his footsteps more resolute than when he entered, and left themand hall.
"We have arrived at the Lighthouse Base. Passengers getting off, please line up outside the yellow line at the door."
The announcement suddenly sounded in the train carriage, waking up the dozing Tianyang.
After being impressed by the fifth-generation armament yesterday, the Ascenders of Raven Squad were somewhat in a somber mood, while Han Shu remained unfazed. He even asked Chen Liu to let his fifth-generation armament perform a few more times if they encountered a simr situation.
They regrouped and boarded the train, heading straight for the Lighthouse Base. This time, fortunately, nothing out of the way happened, and they arrived at the base smoothly.
After getting off the train, on the tform, Han Shu shouted, "Disperse now and gather near the main gate in three hours. If anyone dares to bete, watch out, I''ll kick their ass. Dismissed!"
With thatmand, everyone scattered. Han Shu and Old Xu discussed which drink to have at the bar; Cang Du and Ji Yu went their separate ways, but the soldiers were very responsible. They headed to the warehouse to take inventory of the logistical resources required for the operation.
Tianyang checked his assault rifle and found that the gas magazine was only half full, so he decided to pay a visit to the base''s armory and get two spare magazines.
"Oh, if it isn''t Tianyang?"
The quartermaster in the armory was a greasy middle-aged man whom Tianyang had dealt with when he was on the reconnaissance team. As a new recruit, Qin Wu assigned him many errands to run.
He had visited the armory several times before and had a good rapport with the quartermaster, who was also from a lower-ss background.
So as soon as the quartermaster saw him, he recognized Tianyang and said, "Hey, you''ve already transferred. Look at that uniform, so impressive. Oh, you''re a Second Lieutenant? How about that? Did you awaken, young man?"
Tianyang shyly smiled. "I got lucky. I found the Pir of Star on a mission, so..."
"Well, you sure hit the jackpot!" The quartermaster looked brighter than Tianyang himself.
Chapter 23 - Picking Faults
The young man picked up the pistol magazine from the armory and had a meal with the quartermaster. After that, the young man bid farewell to him and walked through the corridors of the base''s interior.
Suddenly, Tianyang stopped.
He saw Xun standing by the window, gazing outside at the dimly lit base.
A car passed by, illuminating the girl''s face. In that instant, her beauty shone like a flower in the dark.
Tianyang remembered the day before when they identally embraced each other, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
I should go and apologize to her... Tianyang thought.
Unexpectedly, another figure suddenly appeared next to the girl. It was a tall young man who Tianyang estimated to be a full head taller than himself.
His shoulders were broad, his body was sturdy like a bull, and his figure exuded strength.
His chiseled nose gave him a somewhat cold and aloof appearance. Despite smiling, there was a hint of arrogance in his eyes.
He also wore the ck uniform of a Night Walker, and the Lieutenant''s epaulets indicated that he was likely an Ascender as well.
The young man ced one hand on the polymer window next to Xun and said something to her. They seemed to know each other.
Tianyang could only dispel the idea of apologizing to her.
Just as he turned around to leave, he heard Xun gasped. When Tianyang turned around, she saw that the girl was about to leave when the young man grabbed her.
Not knowing what that man said, Xun suddenly pped him across the face. The man probably didn''t expect Xun to dare hit him and he was momentarily stunned. The smile on his face disappeared, and he raised his hand.
Without much thought, Tianyang''s silver-gray hair fluttered slightly, emitting a faint glow between the strands.
Within the depths of his eyes, a flickering light appeared. Tianyang''s view of the world suddenly became blurry and then cleared again; that man''s arrogant and angry face was now just inches away!
Even though the man''s eyes briefly lit up with surprise, Tianyang managed to catch his hand as it was in midair, halting roughly five centimeters from Xun.
The base personnel who passed by all stopped and gathered here.
The man shifted his gaze to Tianyang and coldly asked, "What are you doing?"
"Stopping you from hitting a girl," Tianyang calmly replied.
"Are you blind? Didn''t you see that she struck first? She is just a lower-ss citizen; when I show interest in her, she ought to be ttered and delighted, but she dared to reject me and even hit me!"
Tianyang still had no intention of letting go. "If that''s the case, then I think she was right to hit you. Arrogant ones like you sometimes need to be taught a lesson."
The man and Xun both looked at Tianyang in astonishment. The difference was that anger began to rise in the man''s eyes.
As for Xun, her expression seemed somewhatplex.
"Have you gone mad? Are you actually speaking up for a lower-ss citizen? Have you forgotten that we have the right topanionship, which the fortress allows? Are you defying the fortress''ws?"
Tianyang smiled and released the man.
The man sneered coldly, "I don''t think you would even dare."
He reached out to grab Xun.
Snap!
Tianyang pped his hand away.
The man was startled again, and a faint glow began to emanate from his body. A symbol flickered at the center of his forehead, resembling a magic formation. Symbols within it shed.
It was the emblem of the Heart of Elements, and the number 2 in the center of the magic formation represented that he was a Level 2 Ascender.
"You did it on purpose, didn''t you?!"
Tianyang raised his hand, blocking the young man in front of Xun. "You just said it yourself; we have the right topanionship. Unfortunately, I''ve taken a liking to her too. What do you suggest we do?"
Xun was initially startled, but then she seemed to realize something and calmed down.
The man, on the other hand, was taken aback, then raised his hand and said, "You''re asking for death!"
A pale radiance rose on his hand and condensed into the shape of a gun.
ng!
Before the pale light gun could be fired, a pitch-ckbat knife was already ced against the man''s neck.
The man''s pupils contracted, recognizing it instantly as a high-frequency particlebat knife! Not only his neck, but even the armor of a tank couldn''t withstand the cutting power of thisbat knife.
Tianyang held thebat knife firmly as if it were a rock. "The power of the Heart of Elements is immense. Putting it simply, you''re fragile."
A cold sweat appeared on the man''s forehead. "What do you want?"
Tianyang''s gaze fell on the long gun in his hand. "Put away your abilities. I don''t want to escte the situation. As for this girl, she''s mine now. I don''t think you have any objections, right?"
The particle de''s icy edge was still pressed against a major artery, and the man didn''t dare to object.
Gradually retracting the star energy, the light gun disappeared into his palm. The man snorted and said, "You satisfied?"
Returning thebat knife to its sheath, Tianyang pulled Xun and immediately left.
In front of the base cafeteria, Tianyang finally let go of Xun and felt a bit awkward. "Um, I intentionally said that earlier just as an excuse to intervene. I hope you don''t mind."
To his surprise, Xun replied, "I know, thank you for helping me out."
"It''s nothing. I''m sorry about what happened in the car yesterday."
Xun smiled and said, "It''s okay."
"Well..."
"Xun, where are you? Come back and help."
The voice of Ms. Luo Shan sounded from themunication device on the girl''s waist. She pouted and replied, "I''ll be there soon."
Then she bowed to Tianyang again and said, "Thank you once again."
Leaving these words behind, she moved with light and agile steps like a deer and quickly disappeared.
Three hours passed quickly, and ording to themand, Tianyang arrived at the assembly point in front of the base gate.
From afar, he could see the members of the Raven Squad, with other squads beside them.
Han Shu had mentioned that it was a joint operation, so Tianyang didn''t find it strange to see other squads participating.
However, as he approached, he felt a jolt in his heart. The man who had tried to make a move on Xun earlier was among them.
The other party also noticed Tianyang and immediately shed a smirky smile.
Later, Tianyang inquired with Old Xu and learned that the guy''s name was Zhou Wang, the fire support of the Grey Pigeon Squad!
They counted the personnel and checked the equipment. After everything was confirmed, Han Shu shouted, "Let''s go!"
Sitting in the Falcon high-speed reconnaissance vehicle, Tianyang looked at the gradually opening base gate, feeling excited.
He was finally about to embark on his first mission as an Ascender.
The Falcon vehicle used by the Night Walker performed noticeably better than the standard vehicles used by the Collection Team, despite being lightweight.
This type ofbat vehicle, with itsposite armor shell, boasted astonishing precision. It utilized "exhaust nozzle propulsion" to expel gas for speed changes, and its solid-fuel block storagepartment solved the problem of endurance. Equipped with a Star Element Energy cannon, it had the ability to intercept arge number of dark creatures.
Therefore, sitting in this type of vehicle, Tianyang felt at ease. He even looked forward to something happening along the way so he could witness the power of the energy cannon.
Unfortunately, the journey was uneventful.
Three dayster, Tianyang, who had previously explored as a member of the Collection Team with the codename "Metropolis," saw the city known as "Inverse Universe" ahead of the retrieval squad!
Chapter 24 - Disagreement
The convoy traveled on the road, the main route leading to the city, with a broken surface. However, the rough road surface posed no challenge for the fortress-like vehicles with high chassis, thick tires, and powerful engines.
The progress of the squad was slow, even though people had only explored one-third of the city so far.
The city, or rather, the distribution of dark creatures, was constantly changing. Therefore, no matter who themander was, they didn¡¯t dare to rush into the city.
Sitting in the Falcon vehicle, Old Xu looked through the window at the dim daylight and the distant, broken buildings resembled gigantic tombstones. He sighed. "Civilization in the Inverse Universe, City 127, is truly simr to ours. Look at the appearance and structure of these buildings. What''s the difference from our fortress?"
"This metropolis is muchrger than our Sky Tower," Han Shu said, stretching his legs and leaning back in his seat. "Moreover, the city of the Inverse Universe doesn''t require outer protection, nor can we see anything like artillery tforms. This indicates that before they turned into this ghost state, they were in a rtively peaceful and secure condition."
Cang Du murmured from behind, "A world without the threat of monstrous creatures? That''s truly enviable."
Ji Yu, who was driving, smirked. "What''s there to envy? Do you like it the way it is now?"
Old Xu chuckled twice, trying to mediate, "At least before it became like this, it should have been an enviable world. ording to the information we''ve gathered, the metropolis is equivalent to the size of our two Sky Towersbined. There''s a major fault line to the west that divides the city, and we don''t know much about that area."
"But in this part, the roads are well-connected, and there are no checkpoints. This suggests that the city''s residents in those days had the freedom toe and go as they pleased, it seems. They might have had social sses, but the hierarchy should not have been prominent. As for the buildings, the tallest ones reach up to 80 floors. It''s unimaginable how many people such a building can amodate."
"If nothing unexpected happened, the metropolis could have housed tens of millions of people. On our side, only the super-fortress cities like Glorious Bastion could achieve that scale."
Han Shu added, "Don''t forget they had automobiles too. We even found train-like vehicles beneath the city. It seems their transportation system was advanced, and they had some strange contraptions resembling steel birds. Some schrs say those things might have been some kind of aircraft. Ha! Can you imagine that? Such bulky things flying in the sky!"
"That''s nothing. The lunatics from the Azure fortress even wanted to fly to the moon. But that joke has been circting for a hundred years, and there''s no news of their sess," Old Xu said, unable to hold back hisughter.
Tianyang looked out the window of thebat vehicle and casually said, "If there were residents in the metropolis before it became like this, where did they go after it was destroyed?"
The atmosphere in the vehicle suddenly became tense. Tianyang paused, wondering if he had asked an inappropriate question.
Old Xu smiled awkwardly. "Tianyang, this kind of thing..."
"Dark creatures," Han Shu suddenly interjected.
Old Xu cleared his throat. "Captain?"
"It doesn''t matter; he''ll know sooner orter." Han Shu shook his head.
Tianyang waspletely puzzled by their conversation.
Then Han Shu continued, "Kid, what do you think dark creatures are?"
Tianyang was taken aback. He had read many books, but none of them mentioned the origin of dark creatures. Almost everyone assumed one thing, regardless of which numbered Inverse Universe it was, there were numerous evil and ugly creatures.
Those were the dark creatures.
The dark creatures in each Inverse Universe had different forms, but they shared onemon characteristic¡ªa Will Cage.
However, since the appearance of the Clough Gate, no schr has discovered the origin of dark creatures.
Could it be...
Tianyang suddenly had a terrible idea, and his fingers trembled slightly due to this horrifying thought.
Han Shu nced at him and lit a cigarette, biting it between his lips. "It seems like you''ve guessed it. Yes, the original inhabitants of the Inverse Universe have likely all transformed into dark creatures. This can exin why, in such a huge Inverse Universe, you can''t find a single living person, only those disgusting things!"
Old Xu gave a bitter smile and added, "The Azure fortress once submitted a report to the Golden Court, but I don''t know the exact contents. However, there are rumors that those lunatics believe dark creatures have the ability to reproduce. That''s why they can exist indefinitely, never-ending in their killing. Furthermore, based on themon characteristic of their Will Cage, they believe that all Inverse Universes may have originated from the same ce."
Tianyang was shocked. "How big must that ce be to create hundreds of Inverse Universes?"
Old Xu shrugged. "I have no idea. In any case, there are too many secrets in the Inverse Universe. Just thinking about them, even for a moment, will make you unable to sleep at night."
Han Shu blew a smoke ring and said, "Coward!"
Old Xuughed and didn''t argue.
Being afraid of the Inverse Universe was not a disgrace. To fear nothing was the utmost foolishness!
Beep beep beep¡
The control panel of the vehicle emitted a series of sounds. Ji Yu checked it and ryed, "Captain, we''ve received a distress signal."
"y it," Han Shu said, taking off his cigarette, his expression serious.
After a moment, a hoarse, blurry voice came from the speaker, "... Can anyone hear me... trapped... requesting support, coordinates are..."
The faint roars that apanied the voice made it instantly obvious that it was not made by humans.
Han Shu picked up the inte and said, "I am Han Shu, Captain of the Raven Squad. What squad are you? Please respond!"
Unfortunately, the other side seemed unable to hear Han Shu''s voice. The broadcast looped three or four times, and then the signal was cut off.
After the distress signal disappeared, the voices of other squad Captains sounded on the vehicle''s publicmunication channel.
"Captain Han, did you receive the distress signal?"
"The provided coordinates are nearby. Should we go there?"
Han Shu didn''t respond immediately. He pondered for a moment before saying, "Send the broadcast content back to Lighthouse Base and let themand center there dispatch additional personnel for the rescue. Our mission is to recover the Pir of Star. Let''s not distract ourselves with other matters."
"Well, that works too."
"You are the operationsmander; your decision matters."
Seeing that no one else had any objections, it was at this moment that Chen Liu''s voice spoke up.
"I object!"
Chen Liu firmly stated, "If we wait for the base to reassign personnel, the people who sent the distress signal may already be dead by the time they arrive. The Pir of Star won''t budge. What difference does it make if we go a little earlier orter?"
"On the contrary, the people currently trapped are the ones who truly can''t afford to wait. Regardless of how we consider it, I believe our priority should be to save lives!"
Chapter 25 - Rescue
Han Shu reluctantly picked up the inte. "Sir, you''re right. The Pir of Star indeed won''t grow legs and run away. But you may not be aware that there are some dark creatures, such as the Level 3 Propagator, that are not afraid of the light emitted by the Pir of Star. On the contrary, once they spot the Pir of Star, they will do everything in their power to destroy it."
"Furthermore, there are many exploration teams in the metropolis, and the base can make the most appropriate arrangements based on the situation and locations of these teams. I believe it won''t take us much longer to get there."
Chen Liu said with a disappointed tone, "Captain Han, has the cold and darkness of the Inverse Universe seeped into your bones? I never expected you would say such things. If your colleagues heard this, what do you think they would think?"
"Forget it, if you won''t go, I will! As an officer of the fortress, I won''t abandon anyone!"
Han Shu covered the inte and muttered softly, "Are those office workers thinking with their buttocks?"
A fewughs sounded in the vehicle.
Han Shu picked up the inte again and said, "Sir, we can''t confirm the identity of the other party. It might be a trap."
Chen Liu sneered. "Captain Han, not only do youck courage, but your judgment has also be impaired. A trap? Whose trap? Are you trying to tell me that those dark creatures can speak ournguage? Absurd!"
Han Shu habitually grabbed a handful of his hair. "Sir, we never know how many secrets are hidden in the Inverse Universe. Even if we know a lot, who can guarantee that those dark abominations won''t speak and learn ournguage?"
Chen Liu angrily said, "Enough! I truly doubt what the higher-ups of the Night Walkers are thinking, letting someone like you be the operationalmander. Captain Han, you can continue with your mission. After I save the people, I will naturally catch up with you. That''s all."
"Sir? Sir?"
Han Shu called a few times, but Chen Liu didn''t respond. He shook his head and muttered, "Idiot."
Then he picked up the inte and said, "Change course; we''re going to rescue the people!"
"Copy."
"Understood."
Putting down the inte, Han Shu sat back in his seat with a helpless expression on his face.
The young man with a ponytail in the back couldn''t help but speak up, "Captain, why do you care about that idiot? If he wants to show off, just let him go!"
Han Shu shook his head and said, "The Strategic Department has been dissatisfied with us all along. If their officer encounters trouble under mymand, it will implicate Commander Chu. Do you think I''m willing toply with him in his madness? I have no choice."
He shrugged.
In this way, the convoy turned at the next intersection and headed towards the coordinates of the distress signal.
A massive number of buildings appeared in front of the convoy.
The convoy stopped on the road, and to their left was a circr za. The ground of the za had intersecting curved patterns, seemingly some kind of decoration.
There were some pirs on both sides, and behind them seemed to be a green area, but those ces were now only filled with brown gravel, with no trace of vegetation visible.
In the distance, there were two spherical buildings, onerge and one small, and it was unclear what they were used for.
Han Shu got out of the car and looked at the za not far from the highway, feeling a sense ofmentation. "The residents of the Inverse Universe are truly fortunate. Look, they leave such arge area vacant. It''s not even a park!"
At this moment, the sound of the 5th Generation Armament activities rang out.
Having previously eliminated a group of prowlers, the shooting-type armed units moved at low power, propelled by rollers under their three-meter-tall bodies, slowly driving towards a passage leading to the spherical building in the rear.
Chen Liu and several soldiers followed behind the armed units, and at the end of the line was a Night Walker squad codenamed "Hignd Eagle."
Han Shu leaned against the car and opened a holographic projection. The image showed the squad''s progress.
The image was taken in real-time by a recording device on one of the Hignd Eagle squad¡¯s soldiers, giving the remaining personnel a chance to watch the entire rescue operation.
After bypassing the za, a parking lot appeared in front of the squad. The armored vehicles of the Inverse Universe were parked haphazardly. Most of the vehicles were nothing more than empty shells, and on many car wrecks, signs of destruction could still be seen.
The uneven ground was covered with peculiar fungi unique to the Inverse Universe, forming irregr patches on the road, some of which even engulfed the car wrecks.
Twelve minutester, the rescue squad arrived at a spherical building, the source of the distress signal. They passed through arge gate and entered a dpidated hall. Following the passage and passing through another door, they appeared on a tiered tform.
By the way, it was evident that the passage behind the hall had not considered the passage of three-dimensional armed units. The 2.5-meter height forced the shooting-type armed unit to turn back and find another entrance into the building.
In the holographic projection, Tianyang looked at the tiered tform and couldn''t help but say, "This can amodate thousands, no, possibly more. Look over there, there''s another identical tform. My goodness, is this an arena? I heard that the War God fortress has arge arena that can amodate up to three hundred spectators."
"Look below." Lao Xu pointed at the area beneath the tform.
Underneath the tform was an open space, the size of which already equaled a training ground in the Lighthouse Base.
Around the open space, there was a distinguishable area, paved with some material in a circr shape, with a circle of protrusions along the inner edge.
This area was divided into several sections, with Inverse Universe symbols appearing as markings.
Lao Xu said. "I bet the residents of the Inverse Universe lead a leisurely life; otherwise, they wouldn''t have built such a ce for entertainment. Obviously, this is where they kill their time."
Tianyang felt a simr sentiment and nodded.
Before the Inverse Universe turned to this ghostly state, perhaps the residents of this city had a better life than the Upper Citizens in the fortress.
A voice sounded from the holographic projection. "Captain Han, we have received another distress signal. We have locked onto the signal''s location and are now proceeding with the rescue."
It was Liang Sen, the Captain of the Hignd Eagle Squad.
"Be careful, Captain Liang. If anything seems amiss, report immediately," Han Shu said.
Liang Sen acknowledged with a "Got it." In the image, the rescue squadbegan to move.
They turned into a passage from the tform and proceeded cautiously until they reached arge door. Next to the door, there was a sign with a symbol¡ªa little person sitting on a chair, appearing to be resting.
Captain Liang Sen, wearing a ck uniform with a slightly receding hairline, raised his hand in a gesture of caution.
He gently pushed open the door, and in the projection, a creaking and squeaking sound ensued.
After a lot of effort, the door finally opened, revealing a room with several rows of chairs. As the rescue squad''s lighting equipment moved, Tianyang saw a row of iron cabs on the left side of the room, with many smallpartments that appeared to be simple storage lockers.
On the other side, there was a screen hanging on the wall. The surface of the screen was already shattered, revealing the electronic board inside. Below the screen, there was a cab.
Right next to the cab, a person was crouching. He had his back to the rescue squad and mechanically, hoarsely said, "...Can anyone hear me... trapped... requesting support, coordinates as follows..."
Chapter 26 - Mad Dog
In light, that person had their back turned to the rescue team, and had their head buried deeply, only revealing a hunched back.
He wasn''t wearing any clothes, not a single piece. So, it was evident that he was very thin, his protruding spine proving his thoughts right.
His skin had an grayish-white color, making him appear even more frail.
"Something''s not right."
Han Shu shouted, "Liang Sen, forget about him, let''s go. I have a bad feeling, a really bad feeling!"
At that moment, the hologram started flickering, as if the signal was being disrupted, and the captain of Night Walker, seemingly oblivious to Han Shu''s warning, didn''t hear it.
In the footage, Liang Sen could be seen shouting at the person next to the cab, "Which team are you from? Where are your teammates? Are you the only one trapped?"
The repeated voice stopped, and the person seemed to react, his body slightly moving to get on his feet.
Several rifles were immediately aimed at that guy, as the soldiers took necessary precautions.
In the footage, the person slowly rose, and as they stood up, it was then seen that he had a towering stature. Even before lifting his head, it almost touched the ceiling.
"Oh my god," Chen Liu eximed in terror, "What is this? What is this?"
This clearly wasn''t human. The height of a normal human couldn''t reach 2.5 meters, and no human''s limbs or joints would be inverted like that.
And then, he ¡ª no, it!
It turned around, and people finally saw its head, if one could even call it that-horn structure.
Ssshhh¡ª
Its chest suddenly split open, a fissure extending from the chest to the abdomen, followed by a violent opening from the chest to the lower abdomen. Underneath the exposed flesh and skin, one could see supporting white bones.
Deep inside its body were various indescribable and bizarre organs, and on the surface of one of those organs, a human face was discernible.
As for that gaping cavity, it resembled nothing short of a devil''s mouth!
"...Can anyone hear me... Trapped... Requesting support, coordinates as follows..."
The same words, magnified hundreds of times in volume, came from the person''s face that resembled the mouth of a devil. In an instant, severe interference disrupted the hologram, causing a dy of a full 5 seconds in image transmission.
When the signal was restored, in the footage, the dark creatures, never seen before, had already been pushed back repeatedly by seven or eight rifles, with bursts of blood blossoming from its body.
Finally, Liang Sen stepped forward. As the champion of War God''s Vocation, he sliced that thing in half with a single sword strike. From the cracked body rolled out an organ resembling a heart, emitting a faint yellow light, evidently the cage of that creature''s will.
Liang Sen''s sword stabbed the cage, shattering it. The body that had been split in two on the ground continued to convulse. However, as soon as the cage shattered, the movements abruptly ceased, and the body quickly dissolved.
Momentster, it had turned into a pile of decayed matter.
Han Shu shook his head. "Liang Sen, report back ASAP."
This time, Liang Sen heard it and gave themand for the team to retreat.
But as the camera angle shifted, Han Shu suddenly jumped up, startled because at the end of the building passage, there was a figure swaying.
Prowlers!
Those cursed creatures emerged unsteadily from both sides of the T-shaped passage. In the footage, those repulsive figures grewrger.
As if the troubles for Liang Sen and the others weren''t enough, at that moment, a venttion duct in front of the passage suddenly dropped, and a prowler slid out from it and fell to the ground.
Before it could get up, more prowlers slid down from the grill one after another. They climbed up from the ground and staggered forward.
Uttering meaningless cries from their mouths, they extended their twisted and grotesque limbs toward the camera!
Liang Sen shouted, "Fall back, retreat into the room!"
There were quite a few prowlers, but they weren''t enough to overwhelm a Night Walker squad. However, considering Chen Liu''s safety, Liang Sen didn''t dare take risks. Helpless, they could only retreat into the room and hold their ground, waiting for rescue.
"Damn it, I knew it was suspicious!" Han Shu yelled, "Night Walkers, move out!"
Tianyang also wanted to join them, but Han Shu pointed at him and said, "You stay behind!"
Then, he looked at the captain of the Gray Pigeon squad, a woman with a shaved head. "Lida, I''m entrusting this side to yourmand!"
After saying that, in a hurried manner, Han Shu led his team rushing toward the spherical building.
Tianyang faintly heard Han Shu instructing someone to contact the 5th Generation Armed forces. With that firepower, it wouldn''t be difficult to st open an escape route for the Night Walkers.
After the Raven squad left, the shaved-head woman who temporarily tookmand shouted with her astonishingly loud voice,
"Everyone, obey orders, retreat to the square! Recovery team and medical team in the center! Other squads assume a defensive formation and take action immediately!"
The convoy immediately moved ording to the orders of Captain Lida. Recovery and medical teams stopped in the middle of the square inside their vehicles, while several Night Walker squads''bat vehicles formed a defensive formation, protecting nonbat personnel.
They proceeded to set up a defensive line and arrange temporary cover.
Even the 5th generation heavy-armoredbat suit brought by Chen Liu stood in the middle of the formation, with all heavy firepower ready and prepared for battle.
Such caution was not without reason. Who could have imagined that there would be such monsters among the dark creatures? Clearly, they were living organisms, yet they could emit distress signals detectable by electronic devices.
As for humannguage, it was obviously rted to that person''s face!
Based on past experience, this trap might not be simple.
Furthermore, being in the Inverse Universe, it''s always good to be cautious. Better safe than sorry.
As it turned out, Captain Lida''s worries were justified. Not long after the Raven squad left, a red signal re suddenly shot up into the air on the dim road ahead of the square.
It was a warning from the team members on the alert line who had detected the enemy''s presence!
"Mad dogs! It''s a pack of dogs, at least a hundred of them!"
At the same time, through everyone''smunication channels, the panicked shouts of the guards could be heard.
The shaved-head woman immediately shouted, "Heavy artillery on standby, War Gods at the forefront, other levels and soldiers providing long-range support!"
Tianyang rushed to the front of the formation, forming a frontline defense line with seven or eight Ascenders at the War God level.
The young man''s left eye emitted a red light, a sign of activating tactical vision''s infrared mode. Tianyang looked in the direction where the red signal re had been lit, closing the distance.
A truly nightmarish figure appeared in Tianyang''s sight.
Witnessing that devilish figure, Tianyang felt a convulsion in his stomach, an almost nauseating feeling that almost made him vomit .
Mad dogs, monsters thatbined the features of human beings and dogs. With their tall, pointed ears and blood-red glowing eyes, their faces resembled those of humans but with protruding snouts, a single nce was enough to make one tremble in fear.
Their hairless and somewhat smooth bodies moved like dogs, as they raced with their four limbs.
The mad dogs had a slim physique, with the curved ws of a male dog and the ribs of a female dog protruding from their sides, folding under their bellies to support a mass-like growth.
ording to recorded data, when a female dog charges into a crowd, the mass-like growth would expand and explode. It would release highly toxic substances at high pressure, creating arge-scale weapon of mass destruction. That''s where the name "mad dog" came from.
As Tianyang watched the pack of dogs approaching the defense line through his electronic eye, he remembered something Old Xu had said before.
If the dark creatures were the transformed residents of the Inverse Universe, then what kind of life form had they be? Was it evolution or regression?
What had happened in the Inverse Universe to cause the original inhabitants to turn into the monsters they were today?
Chapter 27 - Leader of the Mad Dogs
The battle began with the 5th generation versatile heavy armor, when the driver boldlyunched a heavy rocket into the densest area of the pack, creating a bright orange fireball.
Fierce heat filled the air, and even 300 meters away, Tianyang felt like his hair almost caught fire.
A burst of cheers erupted from the defensive line, and indicated the power of that fire ball. The pack of dogs was immediately reduced by two-thirds, and the remaining frenzied dogs were impacted by the explosion, causing their bodies to sway.
After a while, the dogs resumed their charge, only to be met with heavy machine guns.
Behind the armor, two heavy machine guns were lifted by mechanical arms, muzzles pointing at the frenzied dogs as they roared with excitement.
Shell casings with almost the size of a child''s fist, continuously dropped to the ground, creating a dense ttering sound in everyone''s ears. [ED: By now I have given up trying to understand Chinese size references.]
Once a sprinting frenzied dog was hit, its body exploded, and even if the Will Cage was, albeit luckily, not crushed, the putrid body could only twitch helplessly on the ground, posing no threat to the defensive line.
In the end, this pack of frenzied dogs waspletely wiped out by the firepower of the 5th generation armor in under two minutes.
"That was amazing..." said a girl with a round face, soft features, and a lingering youthful aura. She was the neer of the Gray Pigeon Squad and had only participated in two missions so far.
Beside her, Lady Bald, Lida, looked calm and nced at the 5th gen armor. "In two minutes, it consumed about 2,000 contribution points worth of ammunition. If we can''t even take down a pack of dogs, the Armament Research Department might as well resign collectively and apologize."
The new girl stuck out her tongue, unable to believe that she had spent 2,000 contribution points in the blink of an eye.
In her two missions, she had only earned 800 contribution points!
The machine guns ceased roaring, their barrels still spinning, but people couldn''t rx yet as shadows loomed ahead. Then, on the left and right sides, packs of dogs appeared as well.
There were still around a hundred dogs in each pack, with four or five packs rushing from different directions.
This time, the packs of dogs had learned their lesson and spread out, advancing in a staggered formation like a gray torrent, surging towards the defensive line.
Lida''s voice sounded from everyone''smunicators. "The 5th generation armor will attack from front, and the others will deal with the packs on the left and right. Gunners, get ready to send Star Essence shells to the dense areas as much as possible. It''s still early to call it an end, don''t run out of ammunition just here!"
The star essence energy cannons on several Falconbat vehicles, under the control of the gunners, were aimed in different directions to maximize the coverage of firepower.
When the heavy machine guns of the 5th generation armor roared again, the energy cannons began to emit a humming sound as they charged up. Then, a blue light sphere streaked across the battlefield andnded among the packs of dogs.
The light sphere exploded, generating concentric waves spreading in all directions. As these water-like waves passed over them, the sprinting frenzied dogs suddenly froze. Their bodies then disintegrated, along with the Will Cages inside, turning into uniformly sized particles akin to sugar crystals.
Momentster, the soldiers'' rifles and other Ascenders skilled in long-range attacks joined the battle formation.
At this point, in front of the defensive line, a dense and magnificent firepower intertwined with guns and abilities, blocking the majority of the mad dogs.
Any remaining stray dogs were left to Ascenders, including Tianyang, to deal with.
With the particle battle knife in hand, Tianyang slightly lowered his center of gravity, focusing intensely ahead.
Suddenly, a dark figure rushed out from the firepowerwork. A male dog, charging straight towards Tianyang.
The young man could see its human-like head, with madness overflowing from its blood-red eyes.
The crazed dog leaped, attempting to catch the young man from a higher position.
Tianyang''s mind went nk, and driven by instinct, he rolled out from under the dog.
The particle battle knife drew a pitch-ck streak, cutting most of the dog''s limbs. However, the fallen creature continued to bite wildly, the dismembered limbs stirred and started crawling towards Tianyang.
A gleaming longsword pierced through, entering the top of the dog''s head and breaking out from its chin.
Then, the red re in the dog''s eyes began to fade.
A foot stepped on the dog''s carcass as the owner of the longsword withdrew the weapon and pointed to their own head, saying, "The cage for these things is located beneath the skull. You need to either cut off the head or directly pierce through the cage. Understood?"
Tianyang nodded, "Thanks."
The battle was intense but short. Five minutester, the battle was nearing its end. Just as the humans were about to reap the fruits of victory, screams and cries erupted from the square behind them.
Tianyang had just beheaded a dog when he quickly turned his head to see more dogs appearing on the square behind the defense line. One of the female dogs had just detonated a tumor bomb beneath its ribs, blowing itself up while sshing toxic juice onto several recovery team members.
The corrosive liquid quickly ate through the protective suits of the team members. Meanwhile, several male dogs rushed into the crowd, biting anyone they could, causing chaos among the recovery and medical teams.
A familiar figure appeared in Tianyang''s eyes¡ªit was Xun. She ran towards the defense line. However, in her haste, she identally pushed down a panicked man. To make matters worse, behind Xun, a male dog drooled with repulsive saliva, charging towards her.
A faint light drifted down through her hair as the scene in Tianyang''s eyes turned into flowing light and shadow. The figures of Xun and the dog rapidly upied his field of view.
Finally, within the girl''s helmet visor, Tianyang saw himself, radiating a hazy silver glow, and a particle battle knife transforming into a ck cascade of light, descending upon the male dog!
The dog''s hardened skull was unable to withstand the impact of the battle knife. Its head, along with the front half of its body, was split open by Tianyang''s strike. The "thread of connection" between the severed body parts resembled a bloomingrge red flower, falling lifelessly to the ground as a pool of blood quietly flowed past the young man''s feet.
Tianyang turned around and pulled Xun up, asking, "Are you okay?"
Xun nodded.
Tianyang pointed towards the direction of the defense line and said, "Hurry over there."
Then, he rushed towards the next target with his de raised.
This scene was observed by the bald woman overseeing the whole situation. "Should this be the speed of God War level?"
Lida''s eyes shed with surprise, then she shouted, "This attack by these bastards is organized. There must be a leader within the dog pack. Find it!"
As soon as the words fell, a Ascender of Hunter level shouted, "Commander, 1 o''clock 800 meters!"
The balddy picked up a telescope and looked in the direction pointed out by the hunter.
A devil appeared in her field of vision.
Arger and mutated mad dog!
As if a male dog and a female dog were sewn together.
Like its head was half male and half female.
It had two front limbs, four hind limbs, and dark red skin. On the sides of its body, protruded gray-white ribs that formed armor.
Its arched spine was adorned with three clusters of jet-ck short spines. Lida was willing to bet that they were definitely not for decoration.
Through the telescope, therge dog opened its mouth as if roaring, and then several male dogs around it scurried away as if following the leader''smand.
Lowering the telescope, Lida gritted her teeth, "Fifth-generation weaponry, aim and fire on the leader!"
"Understood!"
Chapter 28 - Special Mission
Inside the armored cockpit, aided by the built-in program, the driver was looking for the leader of the mad dogs on the screen.
When the devil-like figure appeared on the screen, the driver couldn''t help but inhale sharply. Even though it was just an image, that evil aura felt suffocating. Who knows what had happened in the Inverse Universe to give rise to these nightmares crawling out of the abyss!
Aimed at the lead dog, the driver pressed the fire button.
In the distance, the lead dog that was issuing a newmand suddenly perked up its two pointed ears.
Then, the strange face turned towards the direction of the human defensive line, he saw a dim light ignited the dark, followed by a deep howl resonating through the battlefield!
Almost in an instant after seeing the light, the lead dog leaped away from its original position and sprinted with all its might while bellowing repeatedly.
More than a dozen mad dogs dashed forward, charging in the opposite direction of the lead dog, leaping towards the light that traversed the battlefield.
Explosions rang out!
The orange mes engulfed the mad dogs in an instant, and the mes and shockwaves swept the surroundings. The sprinting lead dog was suddenly thrown out. A lighter-colored yet still scorching me wrapped around it.
But the lead dog quickly pounced out of the mes, swiftly rolling on the ground to extinguish any remaining fire.
Though there were traces of smoke rising from its body and even a few burns, for the lead dog, these injuries were nothing.
"Damn it!"
The balddy, who saw this scene through the telescope, almost smashed the telescope into pieces. The bomb she fired earlier was intercepted and detonated by the mad dogs before reaching the designated location, causing the lead dog to escape the most powerful st zone.
The peripheral shockwaves and mes inflicted minimal damage on it.
That thing was surprisingly cunning and crafty.
Lida contacted the driver again, "What other weapons do you have there?"
The driver smiled bitterly and replied, "Commander, the heavy-duty model is not proficient in precise strikes. You should leave that to the marksmen."
Lida nced in the direction of the spherical building and said, "If the marksmen were here, would I be so troubled? Forget it..."
She shouted loudly, "Don we have any Level 3 Hunters here?"
In the hierarchy of Hunters, Level 3 was a sniper master, possessing the abilities that themander currently needed.
Unfortunately, most of the Hunters here were only Level 1 or Level 2.
"Zhou Wang! What''s the maximum range of your elemental throwing spear?" With no response from anyone, the balddy had no choice but to look towards the "Firepower Specialist" in her own squad.
The arrogant young man who wanted to show off to Xun couldn''t be proud at this moment. "Captain, even if my elemental throwing spear can reach a farther distance, it won''t be able to hit something 800 meters away. Besides, you need precise hits..."
Lida held her bald head in her hands. "Are we doomed to be passive here? I refuse to ept it..."
"Wait, maybe we need an assassin."
Lida picked up themunicator and tuned it to a corresponding private channel. "Tianyang, your name is Tianyang, right? I''m themander, and I need you to do something."
A quick response came from Tianyang through themunicator, "Understood. What is it?"
............
Tianyangy on the ground, ufortable with the hard gravel scattered around.
But for an explorer in the Inverse Universe,fort was a privilege reserved for the dead. Tianyang didn''t want to die so soon, so he didn''t mind the sensation of the gravel pressing against his chest.
After confirming the absence of any traces of mad dogs ahead, he moved silently like a ghost, utilizing cover from trees, wrecked cars, streetlights, and other objects.
Assassin in Avenger Level 1, is a new level. Not even mentioning the Sky Tower, even the super fortress cities like Splendorous Fort wouldck detailed information about them.
So Tianyang needed to personally experience and grasp the characteristics and tendencies of each level.
Now, Tianyang felt that the Assassin level must possess abilities in speed and stealth. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to quietly bypass most of the main battlefield, advancing towards his target under the sporadic surveince of a few mad dogs at the edge of the battlefield.
Lida gave him a nearly crazy task: assassinate the leader of the mad dogs!
Themander promised that if he couldplete this mission, he would receive 500 contribution points.
Tianyang agreed, driven by the nature of a soldier, and he also wanted to test his own level abilities.
When acting alone, he could be more unrestrained and his actions could be more precise.
Moreover, despite the mission sounded crazy, Lida had made thorough preparations for him.
One of them was spraying Tianyang with a refinement mist extracted from the bodily fluids of several dark creatures.
The smell of it was suffocating with just one whiff.
However, the spray had a clear effect¡ªit deceived the heightened sense of smell of the mad dogs. Several times, those monsters passed by not far from Tianyang, mistaking him for one of their kind or some other dark creature.
In this way, Tianyang moved forward silently, almost instinctively, allowing himself to blend with the surrounding environment when in motion.
After a moment, he saw the lead dog. Despite themander''s description, Tianyang still had the urge to vomit when he actually saw this evil creature. The Inverse Universe is truly a terrifying ce. Tianyang reaffirmed this in his heart once again.
The young man didn''t act hastily. Around the lead dog, there were more than a dozen mad dogs moving about. Acting recklessly could result in a failed mission and even cost him his life.
Moreover, the cages of the other mad dogs were located beneath their skull. But Tianyang couldn''t be certain if the lead dog was the same.
As he stared at the evil figure, Tianyang observed it, hoping to find its weakness.
When his gaze fell upon the abdomen protected by rib bones, the young man had a sudden realization. The rib bones and belly of the lead dog faded in his eyes, revealing an organ resembling a centa that emitted a faint yellow light.
The Will Cage!
Tianyang snapped back to reality, and what he saw in his line of sight were still rib bones and belly.
But he was certain that the lead dog''s Will Cage was inside its stomach!
The young man made an effort to recall the scene from earlier, calcting the location of the cage and deducing the process of his attack in his mind.
Time passed gradually.
At this moment, the lead dog looked towards the direction of the defensive line and let out a long howl. Upon hearing the call, all the surrounding mad dogs dashed forward.
It was the signal for a full-scale attack. Under the relentless waves of the canine horde, the defense line of the convoy was nearing its limit.
Naturally, the lead dog wouldn''t miss this opportunity and sent out all the mad dogs it could spare into the battlefield.
As for itself, it cunningly stayed in the rear.
However, it didn''t anticipate that the rear might not be safe.
After the guards left, Tianyang knew his chance hade.
The young man held nothing back as the activity of his star energy instantly peaked. Faint light floated spontaneously, and his silver-gray hair slightly levitated as Tianyang disappeared from his original position.
The lead dog seemed to sense something and didn''t waste any time looking back. It suddenly curled up its body, while the ribs on both sides of its abdomen spread open, seemingly trying to protect its entire body from the iing attack.
However, this tactic only emerged in its mind when a pitch-ck battle knife pierced out from the void, precisely piercing through two ribs and prating the tough belly. It delved deep into its body, piercing through the centa-like organ.
The belly of the lead dog suddenly lit up with a bright yellow light, which quickly faded away. It remained motionless, curled up in its position.
Subsequently, the flesh rapidly decayed, leaving only the intact ribs and two preserved eyeballs.
Everything else, including the Will Cage, turned into a pool of ck mud.
It was only at this moment that Tianyang''s figure appeared in the air like a phantom, transitioning from ethereal to solid.
Chapter 29 - Slipped
Ch 29 - Slipped
Sublimation Progress: 28%
......
Tianyang sat down near the corpse of the lead dog. After killing the target, his whole body felt weak and sore. This was the result of the release of tension,bined with the excessive consumption of star energy and physical strength.
Through this battle, Tianyang had gained some understanding of the Assassin rank. He even wanted to summarize his experiences, but now was not the time.
However, after killing the lead dog, his sublimation progress had increased, but only by 4 percentage points, which puzzled him.
You see, when he killed Qin Wu, he gained a whopping 10 percentage points of sublimation progress. And now, after killing a lead dog, it only increased by 4 percentage points.
Could it be that Qin Wu was more formidable than the lead dog?
Of course not.
This may be due to the sublimation mechanism of the Avenger level.
Tianyang had a vague spection before, and now, his idea was further confirmed through the lead dog.
The sublimation mechanism of his awakened level should be rted to revenge; only this exnation made sense.
After informing themander of thepletion of the mission, Tianyang stood up and took out a set of material recovery tools from his portable toolkit to collect the lead dog''s two eyeballs.
After dark creatures die, their bodies quickly decay, but certain parts or organs can be preserved.
These preserved items possess certain special properties. ording to the fortress regtions, Ascenders who eliminate dark creatures have ownership rights over these remnants. They can choose to use them for themselves or exchange them for contribution points at the fortress.
After recovering the lead dog''s eyeballs, the voice of themander came through themunicator, "Tianyang, retreat immediately ording to the nned route. The dogs no longer have a leadermanding them. We have repelled them. Be careful not to encounter any stragglers. I have arranged personnel to assist you on the retreat route. Hurry back."
"Understood, Commander. I''m heading back now."
Ending themunication, Tianyang left the area and retreated ording to the route designated by Lida.
Before long, he could already see the lights of the defense line in the distance.
Just then, a group of mad dogs suddenly emerged from the bushes, with seventeen or eighteen human-faced monsters spreading out, surrounding Tianyang.
Tianyang inwardly sighed and drew his particle warde, preparing for a fierce battle.
At that moment, arrows formed from star essence shot through the air and swiftly struck several of the mad dogs.
The formation of the mad dogs immediately showed a gap, and Tianyang took the opportunity to break free.
Just as he escaped from the encirclement, a frenzy of roaring erupted behind him. Except for two monsters pierced by star essence arrows and no longer moving, the rest continued to bite onto Tianyang.
The young man picked up his assault rifle and turned around, firing a few shots to drive away the two closest pursuing mad dogs.
Just then, he heard a cry of rm, followed by a gleam in the corner of his eye.
When he turned his head, he saw a grayish-white elemental spear hurtling straight toward him!
Without time to think, Tianyang quickly stepped and sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the spear grazing past his nose.
As it hit the ground, a small elemental storm was created.
Strong winds blew, pulling at Tianyang''s figure until he backed away several meters before finally stabilizing himself.
Soon after, a Falconbat vehicle approached from the front, and the energy cannon on the vehicle lit up. One star essence shell obliterated the remaining mad dogs.
"Sorry."
Someone jumped down from the roof of the vehicle. Under the car''s headlights, Zhou Wang''s face wore a insincere smile. "I slipped just now, luckily I didn''t hurt you. You don''t mind, do you?"
Slipped?
Tianyang wasn''t foolish enough to believe that excuse. Looking at that smiling face, God knew how much he wanted to plunge his particle warde into Zhou Wang''s body.
That guy had clearly done it on purpose just now, even though a single elemental throwing spear wouldn''t have taken his life. But there was still a pack of mad dogs chasing after him!
If Tianyang had been affected by the elemental spear, there was a great chance that the mad dogs behind him would have taken his life.
"Don''t be like that, why are you looking at me like that? I''ve already apologized. Besides, I didn''t do it on purpose. Do you think I would go after my ownrade? That would be a serious offense." Zhou Wang''s tone sounded wronged, but his eyes shimmered with a mocking glint.
From inside the vehicle, another member of the Gray Pigeon Squad popped out. "That''s right, Tianyang. Zhou Wang wouldn''t do such a thing, I can vouch for it. It was just a misunderstanding."
"A misunderstanding, definitely a misunderstanding!" Zhou Wang walked over, patting Tianyang''s shoulder affectionately. "When we get back, I''ll treat you to a drink as an apology!"
"What''s going on?"
At that moment, Lida also approached. After all, Tianyang was part of the Raven Squad, and if something happened to him, the balddy was worried about how to exin it to Han Shu.
She never expected that as soon as she arrived, she could sense that something was off.
Tianyang remained silent, giving Zhou Wang a deep look, and calmly brushed off the hand resting on his shoulder.
With a stern face, he passed by Lida and walked straight toward the za.
Zhou Wang briefly recounted what had happened just now, emphasizing that it was a misunderstanding. Then he shook his head and said, "Captain, these young kids nowadays all have such big tempers. I''ve already apologized, yet he still gives me a cold look. He really doesn''t know what''s good for him."
Lida looked at him and said calmly, "Anyone would be unhappy if they were unexpectedly shot at. Zhou Wang, are you truly saying it was unintentional?"
Zhou Wangughed and said, "Could it be that you suspect I did it on purpose, Captain? We have no grievances with each other, so why would Iy a hand on him?"
Lida nodded. "That''s good."
The temporarymander turned around to leave but then turned back and said, "This time, I''ll consider it unintentional, but don''t let it happen again."
Zhou Wang tensed up all over, then gradually rxed.
When Tianyang returned to the za, he found that Han Shu and the others had alreadye back. The rugged man waved him over as soon as he saw him.
As he approached, Han Shu pped Tianyang''s head and said, "Damn it, where the hell did you run off to? I told you to stay here, not wander around!"
"C-ough."
Fortunately, the balddy arrived in time. "Captain Han, I''m the one who sent Tianyang on the mission. If you want to me someone, me me."
Unexpectedly, Han Shu pped again. "You fool, you do whatever people tell you to do. If anything happens to you, how can I... how can I exin it to your family?"
Lida finally understood why Han Shu didn''t take Tianyang with him for the rescue mission. It turned out that someone was looking out for this child.
Although Tianyang received two ps from this guy, he could feel the genuine concern this rugged man had for him.
He smiled and said, "I can take care of myself, and besides, I killed a leader of the mad dogs."
"Oh, very impressive, huh?" Han Shu wanted to p him again but ultimately refrained, pushing the young man away instead. "Hurry up and go get checked by the medical team. Although I only taught you a lesson, you''re still like half my student. Don''t embarrass me by dying for no reason."
Tianyang originally wanted to say that he didn''t need to get checked, but Han Shu widened his eyes, giving him a look that said, "If you don''t go, I''ll beat you."
Helpless, the young man could only force a smile and leave the spot.
Lida walked up to the man and whispered, "Who is this kid really? Isn''t he at the War God level?"
Han Shu nced at her. "Don''t worry about his background, and don''t spread it around."
The balddy furrowed her brow. "Why not?"
The rugged man silently pointed upward.
Lida nodded understandingly. "I see."
Han Shu sneered. "You understand shit!"
p! Lida kicked him in the butt, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Chapter 30 - The last stubbornness
Ch 30: Thest stubbornness
Lighthouse Base, Night Walker Headquarters Office.
On one screen, Zhou Wang''s arrogant face was framed. This was the image sent back through Tianyang''s electronic eyes. For the past half an hour, the young man''s participation in the defense of the line was faithfully presented on this screen.
Ling Feng sat in his chair, an electronic pen spinning in his hand. The adjutant next to him knew that Ling Feng made such movements when he was thinking about a problem.
The pen finally stopped and Ling Feng turned off the screen.
Only then did the adjutant Lin Yang say, "Should we inform Han Shu and ask him to kick this Zhou Wang out. It looks like he already holds a grudge against Tianyang, and he might even make a move against Tianyang in the next operation."
"No harm." Ling Feng said carelessly, "A person who does not go through trials and tribtions is not destined to be a great man, that is why I let him participate in the mission directly instead of throwing him into the training camp. He has to keep proving that he is worth investing in with his own actions. If he can''t even handle a clown like Zhou Wang, that means his potential is nothing more than that."
Lin Yang smiled.
Ling Feng looked at him strangely, "What are youughing at?"
Lin Yang said, "It''s been a long time since I''ve seen you expect so much from a young man."
Ling Feng took off his sses, "Did I act that obvious?"
Lin Yangughed, but then said, "However, if you throw him into Han Shu''s group, it won''t take long for the others to get suspicious. From the way Tianyang took out that lead dog just now, his ability is very different from that of War God Level."
Ling Feng agreed and nodded: "It is indeed very different, this is only level 1, and already shows a speed that is not inferior to hunter level. Moreover, it is able to target lead dog''s weaknesses with one hit. I don''t think he has simr experience, this may be an ability thates with the Assassin rank."
"There are so many more battles, even a blind man can see that he is definitely not any war god level. but, does it matter?"
Lin Yang seems to have figured out a certain key point: "If you say so, it seems that the city lord has already known about this matter."
"You guessed right, since the city lord knows, it will be much easier for us to block the news. In fact, the matter of the new level does not need to be hidden for too long, as long as after a period of time, so that Tianyang and Night Walker to establish a deep enough connection. When the timees, we can announce it, and we won''t be afraid of other legions grabbing people."
Ling Feng smiled, and then said solemnly, "More than that, the Commander''s flip-flop with Minister Wed at the military meeting yesterday is more on these I worry."
Lin Yang couldn''t help but rub his face with his hand: "I said how the Ministry of Strategy suddenly sent a high official together to Inverse Universe, it turns out to cut Ascenders'' resource input, it seems that Minister Wed still has a nagging grudge about that incident with his son back then."
Ling Feng leaned back: "In recent years, people have been so jealous of Ascenders'' resources and authority that they have be unbearable, and Minister Wed has a good chance of sess if he makes a move at this time. But now a Tianyang has emerged, and he will, most likely, be a huge obstacle for Minister Wed to implement the reform."
"As long as Tianyang can prove that Avenger level is a deterrent to some hostile bastion, then Minister Wed''s n will be difficult to achieve."
Lin Yang sighed, "Life would be much simpler if our battlefield was just in the Inverse Universe."
Ling Feng put his sses back on, the reflection of the lenses obscuring his eyes, "But then at the same time, it would be much less interesting, wouldn''t it?"
Lin Yang whispered, "At my age, being ordinary is much happier than being interesting."
.........
In the battlefield medical van, Tianyang sits quietly in the corner, waiting to be examined.
Like a small mobile medical clinic, the vehicle has an independent generator set, which can ensure that the power supply will not stop during the process of treating the wounded.
This one medical car has an operating room, intensive care unit and temporary shelter ward. Together with a well-trained medical team, it greatly improves the survival rate of Inverse Universe explorers.
However, it is impossible to equip a medical team for small-scale exploration, and only important operations like the recovery of Pir of Star will have such a luxurious configuration.
Not long after, it was Tianyang''s turn.
The young man was about to walk into the examination room when he bumped into the senior officer of the Ministry of Strategy who had a sterile bandage on his head.
Chen Liu''s rescue operation was intended to further discredit the Ascenders, but instead, the dark creatures got a big p on the wrist.
The first time they met, they had lost their arrogance, and their faces were gloomy.
Tianyang nodded slightly in greeting, Chen Liu also ignored.
The young man was slightly stunned when he entered the examination room, the person in charge of the examination, is Xun. A young girl with a beautiful face, but not yet fully grown, when she saw Tianyang, her lips curved up slightly, outlining a smile with good intentions.
"You don''t look like you''re hurt." Although she said so, Xun still patted the white as snow examination bed, indicating Tianyang to lie down.
Tianyang took off his uniform andy down on the bed wearing only body armor, saying somewhat helplessly, "I thought so too, but the captain had to let mee."
"Captain Han is quite concerned about you guys." Xun pulled down a piece of medical diagnostic, and just as he got close to Tianyang, his cute nose wrinkled slightly, "You, what did you step on?"
Tianyang remembered that on his own body, he had also sprayed DARK CREATURES'' quenching body fluid, and said awkwardly, "Why don''t Ie backter?"
Xun stretched out a slim but soft hand and gently pressed him: "We''re here, so don''t waste time."
She started the instrument and began the examination.
Lying on the bed, examining Xun''s sweet and lovely face, Tianyang could even see the fine fuzz under her earlobes, illuminated by the light.
"Why would you want to be a nurse and join Inverse Universe Medical System?"
Xun''s movements stopped slightly, yet did not respond and continued his work.
Tianyang thought to himself that he probably asked a silly question.
"There''s nothing wrong with you, just some parts are slightly strained, no need for medicine."
A few momentster, the girl who looked at the diagnosis said softly.
Tianyang got out of bed and took his uniform: "Thank you."
But as he was about to drill out of the examination room, the girl''s voice rang out behind him, "Inverse Universe Medical System pays well, my dad is sick and needs contribution points to save his life. There are easier ways to do it, but I don''t want to be tied down. You should understand that in the fortress, freedom is expensive."
Tianyang turned back to Xun, who was already busy organizing the instruments, and gave a silent look at the girl''s back, before The young man walked out of the room.
An easier way would have been to be the wife or lover of some Upper Citizen. With Xun''s condition, this should not be a difficult task.
But instead, she chose a more difficult path.
Tianyang read a book that said this: Life is a journey of constantpromise, but sometimes we should keep a touch of stubbornness for ourselves. Otherwise, what''s the point of life?
Perhaps Xun''s choice is thest bit of stubbornness she has reserved for herself?
Chapter 31 - Provoke
Ch 31 - Provoke
After the convoy set off again, it was obvious to anyone that Han Shu was in a bad mood.
He was in a bad mood, with some valid reasons. In order to rescue Chen Liu, two teams, Raven and Hignd Eagle, lost three soldiers. Those who remained in the square also lost a number of personnel.
Ammunition, star-energy, and medical resources were also depleted to varying degrees. Even now, in that medical vehicle, there is still an Ascenders who just underwent surgery and is lying in the intensive care bed.
And all of this could have been avoided.
So everyone on the road did not make a sound, even the most talkative old Xu, also sullenly smoking a cigarette.
Tianyang sat in the back of the chariot, silently reflecting on the summary of his previous battle.
Through the actual battle he found that the star energy in his body can reach the peak of activity in a very short period of time. This allows himself to have extremely strong explosive power, and extremely high mobility.
The biggest discovery, however, was the detection of weaknesses of dark creatures.
At that time when he observed the alienated body in that mad dog, LEAD DOG''s flesh appeared to fade, allowing Tianyang to directly [see] the prison of will inside it. And after that, the sh proved that it was not an illusion.
Now that he thought about it, this should be the specific use of the ability [weakness sensing].
Thinking of this, Tianyang peeked towards Han Shu in front of him ...... However, the fading phenomenon did not happen.
Could it be that this ability is not effective on humans?
The young man thought to himself, if only there was an instruction manual ......
"It''s a little strange."
Old Xu, who had been silent, finally spoke up.
Han Shu in front of him said, "Why?"
Old Xu tapped his finger on the car window: "Captain, look outside, it''s too quiet."
"I remember the mission report said that there are massive prowler out here, howe we haven''t seen any of them."
The convoy turned through an intersection, the lights were not a single ghost shadow.
Tianyang also looked out the window, as Old Xu said, the street can not see a prowler.
But when he was leaving, those dark creatures were massive.
Now, where did those things go?
Han Shu did not think: "Maybe they went somewhere else, prowlers are all over the world. Do you expect them to grow up in Metropolis?"
Old Xu muttered, "I hope so."
As a result, until they arrived at their destination, they did not bump into a prowler, so smooth that it was a surreal feeling.
Seeing the entrance of the tunnel with the Pir of Star growing again, Tianyang was touched by the fact that it was in that tunnel that his life was transformed.
The tunnel below can be seen as the crossroads of The young man''s fate.
Now that he is back again, I wonder what will happen again.
I hope nothing will happen.
The young man, who was satisfied with the current situation, said in his heart.
The team stopped at the entrance of the tunnel, two Night Walker squads teamed up to set up a perimeter, Raven squad went down the tunnel to check, to confirm that there is no danger, before allowing the recovery squad with equipment stepped into the tunnel.
Tianyang followed Chen Liu and the others and arrived in the tunnel when the recovery squad was already preparing to mine.
Such arge Pir of Star, naturally, there is no way to gather the whole thing. The ones that can be gathered intact are the smaller ones, like the one in Sky Tower Memorial Park.
But even if it can be gathered intact, after leaving the Inverse Universe, the Pir of Star will not continue to grow. Moreover, the star energy will be slowly lost, so far, there is no clear answer to this phenomenon.
"Okay, everyone, listen to me."
Han Shu coughed dryly, pulling the attention of the crowd: "ording to our tradition, all personnel except Ascenders will have the chance to touch Pir of Star once. Old Xu, you go and call down the medical team as well."
Old Xu agreed and was about to leave, but Chen Liu stopped him, "What kind of tradition is this, why haven''t I heard of it? Captain Han, what the hell are you up to!"
Han Shu said, "I didn''t do it, it''s our Night Walker tradition. Collecting Pir of Star is a dangerous and demanding job, they are fully entitled to a chance to change their fate."
"Nonsense!" Chen Liu shouted, "The Fort''s annual bar mitzvah at Memorial Park is for residents who have reached the age of 18 to get a chance to touch the Pir of Star. Now these people in the team, those who are adults have already touched Pir of Star, those who haven''t participated in the Bar Mitzvah yet, will also have the opportunityter, no need to do all these extra things!"
"Sir, there is something for everyone, you can touch it too. Anyway, it does not dy much time, besides, the one in Memorial Park hasn''t given birth to an Ascenders in years. If you want me to say, that thing should be reced."
Han Shu''s cheeky look makes Chen Liu want to punch him in the face.
Chen Liu said with a stern face, "I don''t agree anyway."
Han Shu scratched his hair: "How about this, let''s have a referendum, raise your hand if you are in favor, minority obeys majority. Sir, what do you think?"
Chen Liu shouted, "Then the majority must be in favor, what''s the point."
Han Shuughed dryly and looked at Chen Liu meaningfully, "Sir, since you understand that everyone wants to have a chance to change themselves, why do you have to stop it. It''s hard to disobey public opinion, sir."
Chen Liu looked around, although no one said anything, but from the eyes of those people, Chen Liu knew that they did not like himself.
"Whatever you guys want, but when I go back, I have to reflect to my superiors about your Night Walker''s so-called tradition!"
Han Shuughed out loud, not taking it personally, and even gave Chen Liu a military salute: "Thank you, sir!"
Chen Liu was super angry, but there was nothing he could do, so he simply walked away to sulk by himself.
Old Xu went to shout at people, Tianyang simply went deeper into the tunnel since there''s nothing to do with him anymore.
A few momentster, he saw a tform.
In front of the tform was a dark track, but no train-like carrier could be seen, so perhaps the train was now docked in some dark section of the tunnel.
Tianyang then realized that the residents of Inverse Universe had dug tunnels underground for the train to run.
How much do they hate the sun to put the trains under the surface...
Tianyang suddenly heard the sound of footsteps when his thoughts were scattered, and the lighting in his hand immediately swept in the direction of the source of the sound.
"Huh, what a coincidence." That was Zhou Wang''s voice.
Tianyang lowered the lighting tool, and sure enough, the youth with an arrogant face walked over, empty-handed.
Not wanting to waste words with such a person, Tianyang walked forward in silence, and as he passed by Zhou Wang, an arm stopped him.
Zhou Wang''s hand.
Resisting the urge to move his hand towards hisbat knife, Tianyang raised his eyes and looked at it: "What are you doing?"
Zhou Wang smiled and said, "Don''t be like this, are you still angry with me? I told you, that shot was just a slip of the hand. You wouldn''t be that petty, would you?"
"It''s none of your business what happens to me."
Tianyang squeezed down Zhou Wang''s hand and passed by him.
But as he was walking far away, Zhou Wang''s voice came from behind, "That girl, her name is Xun, right? What a coincidence, she is actually from the medical team. I''ve yed with a lot of women, but I''ve never touched a nurse. When I get back, I''ll have to y with her, I hope she''s still intact, then it''ll be more fun."
Chapter 32 - Luck
Ch 32 - Luck
Tianyang stopped.
Thinking of Xun''s words.
"You''re so forgetful." Tianyang didn''t turn around, just turned his back to Zhou Wang, "If I remember correctly, I told you that she is mine."
Zhou Wangughed: "No no no, I''m not forgetting, how about this, after I''ve yed, I''ll give her to you. You can y however you want, not bad, right?"
"Sorry, maybe I didn''t make myself clear. Please allow me to reiterate, Xun is mine. If you want to touch her, you have to ask if my knife agrees first." Tianyang''s eyes began to light up with a slight aura.
The dignity that girl was trying so hard to maintain should not be trampled on by such a person at will!
Zhou Wang smiled silently, and the crest of that elemental heart on his forehead vaguely lit up with a symbol.
"Is it necessary to go to this extent? Is it worth defending like this if it''s just an Lower Citizen?"
"Furthermore, do you have that ability? Although you are also Ascenders, but, you don''t have a family name yet, right? An Ascenders without a family shelter, life can be very short."
Tianyang gazed at the darkness in front of the tunnel, "No family is longsting, besides, even with a family shelter, it may not necessarily mean that life is long. What''s more, among the top-ranked families in Sky Tower, I don''t think I''ve heard of the Zhou''s."
"Unbridled!"
Zhou Wang turned around haughtily, and almost at the same time, Tianyang faced him.
And, the particle war knife had alreadye to hand!
In Zhou Wang''s hand, grayish elemental energy surged, and he said with a gloomy face, "With only your words, I have enough reason to kill you!"
Tianyang expressionlessly oh: "You want to try?"
"Zhou Wang, there you are."
A voice suddenly rang out, breaking the tense atmosphere on the tform where swords were tense.
The neer has a slightly round face and soft features. When she came closer, she saw Tianyang''s sheathedbat knife and the elemental energy slowly dissipating from Zhou Wang''s palm.
The girl asked with a nervous look on her face, "Did you guys run into a monster?"
Obviously, the girl did not think that she had just stopped a battle.
Tianyang left without saying a word, and a few momentster, the girl and Zhou Wang also returned to the scene.
The Pir of Star was still in ce, and in front of it, there were about ten people lined up to touch the Pir of Star, and Xun was among them.
Not far away, Chen Liu sneered: "It''s a waste of time, without this, maybe we can all be on our way back now."
Han Shu was smoking a cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring, did not speak.
It was Xun''s turn, and the young girl in the protective suit stepped forward and, like the others, extended her hand and gently ced it on the Pir of Star.
The moment Xun touched the Pir of Star, the strange tree-like substance suddenly lit up and glowed with a dazzling silver glow!
Han Shu''s cigarette fell to the ground.
Chen Liu opened his mouth wide, dumbfounded.
Zhou Wang''s eyes were filled with dismay, then shed with a hint of annoyance, rather like a sense of a miscalction.
As for Tianyang, he was first surprised and then happy for Xun. Pir of Star was responding, apparently inducing cells and genes in Xun''s body to evolve to a higher form of life!
Sure enough, the young girl''s protective suit began to light up, almost as if a river of stars had been packed into it.
The canopy of Pir of Star swayed silently, spilling bits of starlight from those crystal-like leaves.
The silvery glow illuminated the space, and the light grew brighter and brighter, and finally it was impossible to see straight.
Itsted for three or five seconds before the silver light faded away and Xun''s side, twisted with several starbursts.
Looking in through the transparent hood of her helmet, the girl still seemed unconvinced that she had been favored by the god of luck.
It was only when the captain of the medical team, Ms. Luo Shan, who had golden hair and blue eyes, came forward and knocked on the helmet that Xun came back to her senses.
"Take off your helmet." Luo Shan smiled.
Xun hesitated, then slowly took off the helmet, when contact with the air of the Inverse Universe, the girl''s face veins flowed through the silvery light, and then returned to normal.
She took a deep breath, and finally felt something different.
Luo Shan hugged her at once: "Good job, Xun. tell me what level you have awakened to."
Xun closed her eyes, and after a moment, said incredulously, "It''s the Glory Level."
"What!"
"It''s Glory Level!" Han Shu cheered, "This is really lucky, the little girl has actually awakened to the Glory Level, haha, we are so fortunate!"
He looked at Chen Liu and said with a smile, "How about it, sir? This tradition of ours is still quite good, right?"
Chen Liu grunted, trying to maintain his majesty, but from his gently twitching fingers it was easy to see that the fact that Xun had awakened to Glory Level still made him quite excited.
Of the known levels, there are two levels that are the rarest. One is Abyss, and the other is Glory.
The former is the most dangerous and uncontroble of all known levels. Ascenders who have awakened to the Abyss level are invariably extremely desperate people who tend to make very dangerous moves. And their abilities are also very frightening, restraining most of the levels.
As for Glory, it is simply the opposite of Abyss. Ascenders of the Glory level are able to use healing and purification abilities, especially in the Inverse Universe, and whether or not a team exists at the Glory level is apletely different matter.
It''s just a shame, that these two levels of Ascenders are very rare.
Of course, that was all before Tianyang awakened Avenger level.
Now, they are not the rarest anymore.
But even so, it''s a cause for celebration, especially since Tianyang''s new level is still under wraps.
The happiest of them all was Luo Shan, who announced right then and there that Xun was now her student. When she returned, she would give Xun a separate lesson.
As one of the top war doctors in the fortress, many medical students wanted to get Luo Shan''s favor. But Luo Shan had no intention of epting a student, now she decided that Xun would inherit her mantle.
Hearing these words, Zhou Wang''s face became even more ugly.
There are not many experienced field doctors in the fortress, and Luo Shan is not only a highly respected field doctor, but also an Ascender herself.
Luo Shan''s status in the fortress is only higher than his Zhou family. Now Xun, who is a Glory level, has be her student, and that girl, is not something Zhou Wang can get her hands on.
In this way, Zhou Wang''s resentment towards Tianyang grew even more. If Tianyang hadn''t stopped him at the outpost base, Zhou Wang would have gotten Xun.
If that happens, the Zhou family can now have a Glory level of Ascenders, and Zhou Wang can also use this to soar to greatness.
But all this is ruined by the boy in front!
The more Zhou Wang thought about it, the more angry he was, and he wanted to give Tianyang with an elemental shot right now.
But he never thought, even it actually happened, would the girl be willing to marry him?
Chapter 33 - Ghost Train
Ch 33 - Ghost Train
After receiving congrattions from the crowd, Xun was not overwhelmed by joy. On the contrary, Xun was surprisingly calm and simply asked whether there was a financial allowance studying with Luo Shan, as she still has to support her family and treat her father''s illness.
Luo Shan seemed to have known Xun''s plight for a long time and not only promised to apply for the subsidy from the fortress, but also promised to help Xun get her father to the hospital for treatment once the mission was over.
Only at this point, the girl smiled and had a relieved look of relief.
Finally, she followed Luo Shan out of the tunnel.
Next, the remaining people just did not produce a lucky winner, so Han Shu announced that the gathering work began.
Two hourster, Pir of Star hadpleted its gathering. It was cut and separated and properly stored.
When thest gathering team member left the tunnel, Tianyang followed Han Shu who was also ready to evacuate, just then, a dull sound rang out from the depth of the tunnel.
Tianyang then noticed that the silver hair scattered in front of his forehead, faintly brushed.
"There''s a wind." The young man turned back to Han Shu.
Han Shu''s eyebrows wrinkled, he picked up themunicator and said, "All vehicles, prepare to leave..."
Before he finished his sentence, the tunnel suddenly shook, and the violent shaking made Tianyang almost failed to stand on his feet.
A crack spread across the dome of the tunnel, and in the gap, pieces of sand and dust spilled down.
The ground even rumbled in sections, as if a wave had been set off!
"Run, this ce is going to copse!" Han Shu yelled, pulling Tianyang up and darting toward the exit.
Several people ran the road frantically, behind the tunnel came a loud rumble, and indeed a section copsed.
As they ran out of the tunnel, Tianyang looked behind them and saw dust and smoke flying from the inside of the tunnel. In the dimness of the depths, there were two glows, like the lights of a train.
Then the whole tunnel copsed and poured out a torrent, covering everything, and Tianyang had no way of knowing what she had just seen.
After he and Han Shu ran out of the tunnel, the ground was still crumbling, and the copsed area spread nearly a hundred square feet before it stopped.
Standing at the edge of the copsed highway, Tianyang gasped slightly and looked ahead to see that the roadway was fully sunken for nearly a block ahead.
The buildings on this area fell on the ground, just like blocks pushed down by naughty children, the dust flew, making the world, which was already not very visible, be more blurred.
Han Shu breathed: "Scared the hell out of me, I almost thought I was going to be buried alive just now."
Old Xu patted his shoulder andughed: "It seems the Lord of War is not ready to ept you yet."
Han Shu grunted, "I''m not one of His followers."
He sighed again, "With the road copsed like this, the original route is impossible, so it seems we can only go around here and..."
The ground began to shake again!
Three hundred meters ahead of the copse area, a small mountain-like pile of rocks suddenly rises. The next second, the pile of rocks exploded, and small andrge debris flew out in all directions.
At that moment, a huge ck shadow broke through the ground, crossed the mid-air and crashed into a building in front of the convoy.
In that instant, Tianyang vaguely saw dim headlights, stained carriages, and a long, long arm!
He had no way of knowing what it was, but instinctively felt fear and panic, which is the nature of human beings facing powerful creatures.
The young man is still good, those gathering team members and some soldiers, directly scared to sit down on the ground. Obviously just now that scene, they also saw.
The thing crashed into the building, a rumbling sound, several buildings in a row tilted.
Han Shu turned around and yelled: "Don''t stand still, hurry up and get on board. Get the energy cannons and stereo armament ready, and all Ascenders on alert, we may have a guest!"
The convoy reacted, and several soldiers got into the hunter chariot and activated the astromech cannon to standby.
The two Generation 5 Arms of Storm Squad got out of the transport, the pilot busily checking all functions and getting ready for the battle.
Several squads of Ascenders, on the other hand, with the remaining soldiers, set up a defensive formation and looked nervously at the copsed building.
The loud sound of metal scraping against the rocks came out of that building. Suddenly, an indescribably terrifying palm reached out from behind a building and pressed on the ground.
On that palm, we don''t know whether it was fluid or muscle writhing, from a distance, it was almost like a fat mass of maggots holding a piece and writhing continuously.
"All lights on, we need to see our opponent!" Han Shu yelled up.
The lights of all the vehicles, the gathering team''s vehicles, the three-dimensional armed transport vehicles and the field medical vehicles, were all turned on, illuminating the area where the hand was.
Then, it finally appeared.
Tianyang did not know how to describe this thing in front of him, it was like a huge soft body reptile, the body was covered with dense flesh tumors, those things like will cages, emitting a yellow glow.
The tail end of the reptile, like a hermit crab shrunk in a few metal carriages, yes, the train carriages.
Looking in through the window of the car, you can see its ck and green body. On the surface of its body, there are still some human bodies. These bodies are not even bones yet, with the surface wrapped in a thinyer of film.
That flesh membrane and the reptilian body connected together, looking like the passengers on the train, now turned into a part of it.
The reptilian body was wide in front and narrow at the back, with a dozen long arms growing on both sides, the arm structure was no different from that of a human, and you could even see the fingers, with nails!
We could not tell where was its head, and can not see the eyes. Rather, under the body of the bug, there was a horrible mouthpiece. When that mouthpiece waspletely open, people can see that there are threeyers of sharp teeth distributed inside and outside.
"What the hell is this thing!" Having been on several missions, but Cangdu had never seen such a monster, the ponytailed youth couldn''t help but shout.
Old Xu''s face then expression bitter: "It''s a Ghost Train ........ This kind of dark creatures live underground and especially like tunnels. They will shrink a part of their body into the train, over time, the train and their body fused together, has been difficult to separate."
Han Shu also cursed, then said, "Thest report of a Ghost Train encounter was eight years ago, when four Night Walker teams, only three survivors. Two of them were mentally disturbed, and the remaining one described the whole process of encountering the Ghost Train. But even him didn''t know where is the will cage!"
Chen Liu''s voice rang out in themunication channel, "Since we don''t know, let''s bombard with full fire coverage!"
Hearing the conversation between Han Shu and Chen Liu, Tianyang remembered how he dealt with the lead dog. With his ability [Weakness Sense], he could totally find out the will cage of the Ghost Train, and then focus his firepower to destroy it!
But at this time, a piercing whistle sounded, the reptiles named Ghost Train, each flesh tumor yellow light, alternating arm shes, actually headed straight towards the defense line ....
Chapter 34 - Fight
Ch 34 - Fight
"Get out!"
Han Shu yelled, then caught Tianyang and ran wildly towards the side of the Ghost Train''s path.
In front of such a huge thing, there was no point in defensive formation, Ascenders spread out left and right. The rear of the stereos, chariots and other vehicles, desperately evade to the sides.
Even so, when the Ghost Train whistled by, there was still a Falcon chariot was lifted off by the monster. That chariot was as unbearable as a toy in front of this huge reptile, bouncing up violently, flying more than ten meters and crashing into a building.
Falling down again, the vehicle almost fell apart and one tire flew out.
As for the warriors in the car, they simply could not survive such a collision, and the blood that snaked down from the carriage was the proof.
The Ghost Train rushed straight out for thousands of meters before stopping and then slowly turning around. The yellow glow emanating from those flesh tumors on the body was blinking, and the monster let out a haunting whine from its muzzle and began to crawl towards the team again.
Han Shu let go of Tianyang and pointed at the Ghost Train and yelled, "Fire! Fire! Don''t save your ammunition for me, use everything you can!"
At themand, the heavy cannons on the Falcon''s chariot buzzed with energy. Then a cloud of blue energy bombs whistled away ......
The two stereo-armed were not to be outdone, and the heavy armor spread its legs with armor support members, nailing itself to the ground, then the heavy rocketuncher behind it aimed at the Ghost Train. A ball of fire lit up and the bombs shot off with jets of orange me.
The tremendous recoil caused the body to sink slightly downward, and the heavy-duty machine didn''t stop there. All ammunition bins opened on both shoulders, chest, arms and both sides of the leg armor, activating all kinds of missiles and astro-beam weapons.
In a moment, the cannon fire from the heavy duty machine flew in the sky, outssed the Falcon''s heavy astro-beam cannon.
The shooting machine, on the other hand, lowered its row of pulleys under its feet, and the pulleys rolled, allowing the three-dimensional armament to run up at high speed. The electromaic railgun in its hand kept firing, sending a high-speed bullet toward the Ghost Train.
As for the Ascenders, the hunter level''s astral vein arrows, the elemental heart''s gray throwing gun, intertwined a low-profile, but never less powerful firepowerwork.
Tianyang looked to the obscure sky above the street, which was almost illuminated by the glow of the firepower assembled by the convoy. Soon, the attack fell on the Ghost Train, first the heavy rocketuncher sted a huge ball of fiery fire. Then a confluence of explosive mes of various colors, interspersed with heavy blows from physical munitions.
The dense coverage bombardment shook the entire street, and the smoke and gusts of wind from the attack pounded in the face, blowing Tianyang almost out of breath.
The attacksted for nearly 10 seconds before Han Shu signaled "pause".
After the pause, only to see the smoke in front of them, did not know whether the Ghost Train was dead or alive.
It may have taken only a few seconds, but for the crowd, it was like a very long time.
A few momentster, the dust curtain gradually dispersed, there was a vague yellow light from the smoke light up.
There was a long, sudden whistle, and a gust of wind kicked up from the street, blowing the rest of the dust away.
After the dust and smoke, the Ghost Train was opening its terrifying mouthpiece, and it turned out that the gust of wind just now was blown out by it. Although there were marks on this thing from the shelling, it didn''t look like it had been badly hit at all.
And around the body, there was also a huge diamond-shaped light curtain flickering vaguely. Only to see the scattered smoke and dust once close to the light curtain, it will twist and change direction, flying in other directions.
Han Shu cursed: "Shit, it''s a deflecting force field, this thing can still open the force field, damn!"
Old Xu suggested with a bitter face, "How about we retreat?"
"No way." Han Shu shook his head, "We have too many people, the target is too obvious. Besides, you saw the speed of that thing, retreating now will only give it time to catch up ...... Huh, that''s ......."
Before the rough man finished speaking, he saw a car break away from the convoy and rush like crazy into a fork in the road.
In the car, Chen Liu is pointing a gun at the driver, this high official of the Ministry of Strategy''s expression is twisted: "Hurry up, faster! That monster can''t be beaten, Han Shu and the others are dead, dead!"
The scenery on both sides was receding rapidly, and an intersection was approaching. Suddenly from the left side of a shopping mall building, a mass of yellow light lit up. Then all the portals and windows exploded at the same time, bursting a stream of debris sprayed to the road, like a rainstorm on the car.
The Ghost Train directly crashed out from the building, that one arm fiercely on the ground a support. The road sank in pieces, and the monster bounced off the ground, its mouthpiece wide open, pressing down on the speeding car.
Chen Liu looked at the front of the car, arge shadow suddenly fell, this officer could not help but mutter: "The Ghost..."
Then along with the car was swallowed by the monster into its mouth!
When Han Shu ran to the intersection, the Ghost Train had already turned a corner, and the mouthpiece under the belly closed, seemingly chewing on something. A few momentster, a tire fell out of the mouthpiece.
"Captain, this..." Cangdu, who ran after it, turned pale.
Han Shu expressionlessly said, "We have to thank Chief Chen Liu, who gantly and fearlessly lured the monster away for us. Now, War God Levels charge with me, our goal is to destroy those arms on the Ghost Train, we paralyze its ability to move first."
"The rest of you, and the Stereo Arms, fire to cover us, move!"
After saying that, Han Shu had the level crest lit up on his chest, it was a shield with the pattern of a castle on it. At this moment, the shield shone.
Han Shu reached out and grabbed it, and star energy spurted out from his palm, forming ance of stuttering star energy.
The rough man''s body lit up again with an earthy yellow glow, the glow flowing and outlined, vaguely forming the shape of armor, attached to Han Shu''s body surface.
Tianyang knew that the yellow light armor was the ability of Fortress Level - "Indestructible Armor", which could greatly increase Ascenders'' body strength and toughness against physical impacts.
As for the star energynce, he didn''t know what the name was, after all, he didn''t know enough details about the other levels.
Han Shu took the lead, carrying the star energynce and rushed forward.
Cangdu, Old Xu, and other Ascenders of the War God level followed closely behind.
Tianyang drew his particle battle sword and followed.
Behind, the other Ascenders and the stereoscopic armament, had started bombing to provide cover for Han Shu and the others.
But the firepower was nowhere near as intense as the first wave, especially the heavily armored machine. The attack just now had used up 70-80 percent of its ammunition reserves. Now it only relies on two heavy machine cannons, as well as the dual-shouldered star-souled beam guns to hold up the scene.
Even so, the Ghost Train still gave a dazzling bombardment, if it had eyes.
Soon there was less than a hundred meters between Han Shu and the monster. The rugged man yelled, lowered his body, extended hisnce forward, and suddenly elerated his run.
A circle of spiraling ripples appeared in front of Han Shu. Seeing them, old Xu, who had known Han Shu for years, immediately knew that his captain had unleashed one of the few attack-type abilities of Fortresslevel.
Vortex force field!
Chapter 35 - Upheaval
Ch 35 - Upheaval
The vortex force field was unleashed, Han Shu went forward, star energyncing over that spiral ripple, ramming into one of the arms of the Ghost Train.
The arm of Ghost Train was immediately pulled, torn and shattered by the spiral ripple, and finally turned into a spray of mud and powder. The spiral ripple was like arge drill, and was drilled into the monster''s arm in a moment.
Even the hard bones inside could not stop the advance of the drill, when the fleshy mud mixed with bone fragments began to spurt out. At most two seconds, the arm of the Ghost Train was drilled off!
The Ascenders at the back let out a cheer, this was the first time that the Ghost Train was substantial damaged!
Tianyang saw that the wrists of one of the Ascenders in front of him lit up, while a scarlet glow rose in his eyes. So much so that as he ran, the scarlet in his eyes left intermittent red lines in the air.
That was a squad leader, who carried a sword in his hand, with a bitter battle spirit, elerating.
The silver light on that wrist was the ability called "Silver Magnificent Wrist", which can increase Ascenders'' strength as well as the power of their abilities.
As for the red light of the eyes, it was the ability of rank 4 Shura, indicating that "Battle Intent" was activated. This ability stimted Ascenders'' fighting spirit, and with each attack, the killing power would be slightly increased, while significantly reducing the pain, allowing Ascenders to concentrate more on fighting.
Rank 4 was the watershed of each level, Night Walker has a clear rule that only Rank 4 can serve as a captain.
This was ountable for each team member, and also to acknowledge thebat power of the captain!
At this moment, the captain has already crossed Han Shu, the long sword in his hand swept up the mansion, sweeping across the second arm of the Ghost Train.
The arm was broken into two pieces, two arms in a row, and the Ghost Train lost its bnce and fell heavily towards the broken arm!
Every other Ascenders'' wrists were glowing with silver, or swords or knives, chopping at the other arms of the Ghost Train...
Tianyang did not join the attack headlong, frankly speaking, there was no shortage of such a low-level fighter.
Tianyang slowed down, focused on the Ghost Train, the sight of the monster gradually appeared fade phenomenon.
This means that the "Weakness Sense" has been activated, but Tianyang''s eyes are sore from staring, and he can only see the muscles and veins writhing under the monster''s skin. But he could not directly see the organs in the body of the Ghost Train, so that, he still did not know where the thing''s will cage in the end!
How could this happen?
The young man rubbed his eyes and looked again, still only faded ayer of skin, can not sense the monster''s internal situation.
Could it be that the level difference was too far, or that there was some kind of interference?
Tianyang looked, the Ghost Train body also opened around the deflective force field. Perhaps that thing was able to interfere with abilities in addition to attacks?
Suddenly, a sound of metal violently scraping against the ground rang out.
Han Shu, who had once again broken the arm of the Ghost Train, noticed that the tail of the monster was swinging. With that, his face changed and he shouted, "Get down!"
At the same time, he reached out, pressed his hand towards Cangdu''s head, who was right next to him, and lunged towards the ground!
Tianyang also immediately fell down with the people in front of him. The young man looked up and saw the metal structure at the bottom of the train. The Ghost Train swung its tail violently and swept over the heads of the people.
The two buildings next to the ghost train were swept by the carriage on the tail, sshing debris everywhere.
One Ascenders was toote to fall on his back, and was even jerked off by the ghost train and crashed into the wall of a building across the street, bloody as a mosquito that had been pped to death on the wall.
Han Shu sighed when he saw this tragic situation. Waiting for the long tail of the Ghost Train to retract, then attacked again.
In this way, the monster, which was held back by long-range firepower, quickly allowed Han Shu and the others to destroy seven or eight arms. The Ghost Train was finally unable to support itself andpletely lost its bnce, falling towards the broken arm.
Ascenders took the opportunity tounch a fierce attack on its body, but unfortunately the monster''s size was too big, even those wounds that seemed extremely terrible to humans. For the monster, it may be like a human identally let a knife cut a small cut.
However, due to the loss of too many arms, the Ghost Train was difficult to climb up again. Seeing it like this, Han Shu thought about the opportunity to retreat. The Ghost Train in this condition should not be able to chase the crowd.
Han Shu looked at it and saw that the yellow glow emanating from the flesh tumors on the Ghost Train''s body had turned scarlet at some point!
"Damn, run!"
The red light stung Han Shu''s eyes, and he shouted for the crowd to retreat. The next moment, those flesh tumors on the Ghost Train actually propped open, and from inside rose pieces of red crystals.
The temperature around the body of the ghost suddenly soared, and a wall of fire rose out of thin air. Two Acenders were screaming and rolling on the ground. By the time the mes were extinguished, their body had been extensively burned.
One died immediately, and the other one was dying.
The Ghost Train was curling up into a ball, its body regrly undting and bulging.
Not knowing what it was up to, Han Shu ordered the wounded to be carried off while telling the crowd to stand back.
In fact it was impossible to attack at this time, the temperature around the body of the Ghost Train was extremely high. Only the high level Ascenders can possiblely strike. As for Ascenders below rank 4, they simply can not even approach.
When the crowd and the monster pulled away from the distance of several hundred meters, the monster''s remaining arm actually burned itself, emitting a stench.
After the fire stick-like arm was quickly burnt and broken, from the sides of the Ghost Train''s body, there was another insect-like foot limbs stretched out.
The front of the two limbs shaped like sickles. the shell was made with some kind of unknown material, they were burned red by the high temperature force field.
From a distance, it looks like two burning red sickles!
Relying on these newly grown limbs, the Ghost Train held up, but the limbs, which were obviously slimmer than arms, were not strong enough to hold up the entire body of the Ghost Train. So the back half of the thing remained lying on the ground, unable to move.
Just when the crowd couldn''t figure out what the point of this was, the Ghost Train''s mouthpiece opened, and the three inner and outeryers of fangs were exposed to the air. After a violent convulsion of the body, the mouth actually spurted out of streams of ck water!
Fortunately, from a distance, the crowd was not sprayed by the ck water. After the Ghost Train spewed out this ck stream, the body was actually shrinking. Especially its tail, after the contraction, the train carriage set in the tail slowly slid off.
Finally, the tail of the Ghost Train slid out of the heavy carriage. In this way, the monster, whose body size had shrunk by at least a turn, was finally able to support its body by those slender foot limbs!
At this point someone eximed, "prowler, it''s a prowler!"
That person pointed to a puddle of ck mud in front of him, which was the product incidental to the ck water spat out by the Ghost Train. At that moment, in that ck mud, surprisingly crawled up a prowler.
The will cage on its chest was emitting a gray light.
The gray light, gradually became more and more.
Prowlers crawling out of the ck mud, like an army embracing a king, separating Ascenders and Ghost Train!
Seeing this, Tianyang finally knew where all the prowlers had gone before ......
Chapter 36 - Desperate Fight
Ch 36 - Desperate Fight
"Damn, I shouldn''t have eaten that much before!" Looking at those swaying figuresing out of the ck mud, Han Shu covered his stomach with an ufortable expression.
He was not the only one who felt sick, other people also felt disgusted, and even some people could not help but vomitted.
Attracted by the scent of humans and their warm flesh and blood, these prowlers, who had not been digested by the Ghost Train, staggered towards the Ascenders after stepping out of the ck mud.
In the open area, however, the prowler''s danger level was greatly reduced. As long as you don''t get caught up in them, they were basically not a deadly threat.
The real trouble was the Ghost Train -- the monster that [lost weight] sessfully. The temperature around its body was not that high anymore, but the body surface was still transmitting red light.
Tianyang observed with electronic eyes and got a set of data. The temperature of the Ghost Train body surface fluctuates between 150 and 180 degrees, a temperature that still cannot be easily approached.
On the contrary, the body temperature under the belly of the monster was only thirty-something degrees, which was perfectly eptable, but he had to face the threat of those mouthparts.
Moreover, the still glowing red, two scythe-like forelimbs were not for demonstration.
As the prowler began to getting close to Ascenders, the Ghost Train''s body dropped and both foot limbs sank so hard that the creature leapt up nearly ten meters like a grasshopper and climbed on a building.
Then like a crawler, it quickly crawled along the wall, passing over the heads of Tianyang and the others, and swept towards the fire position over the intersection.
"It''s bad, it''s bad, it''s bad, it''s bad!" Han Shu shouted and ran back, yelling as he ran, "Don''t stand still, hurry up and shoot it down!"
Without him saying so, the men in the fire position had already adjusted their direction and attacked toward the Ghost Train. But this time, the monster behind the thinning body was more than twice as fast as before, and it was a size smaller. So most of the artillery fire hit empty, and theynded on the buildings that the Ghost Train had crawled through, sting the buildings, which were already in a state of disrepair, to pieces.
It did nothing at all other than create an obstacle for Han Shu and the others who were turning back behind them.
The heavily armed machine still pinned itself to the road, relying on the 360-degree gimbaled wheels at its waist, the machine carried two machine guns without turning around and kept chasing the Ghost Trains.
Two torrents of zing metalshed the building like searing long whips and finally caught up with the Ghost Train. The heavy blows managed to press the Ghost Train into the building, but before the pilot could rejoice, the Ghost Train crashed out of the other side of the building again.
The monsternded on the ground and scurried back to the main road, moving in a zigzag pattern across the road.
The driver finally panicked, the monster was clearlying for him! Seeing that he couldn''t stop the Ghost Train''s advance, the driver decided to abandon the stereoscopic armament and tapped the escape button.
The Ghost Train''s foot limbs gave a lurch and the monster flew up and pressed down in the air towards this heavily armed type, its muzzle wide open.
The armament, switched to automatic mode, still sent the machine gun''s bullets into the Ghost Train''s muzzle frantically. At the same time the armor on the back of the armament came off and the driver along with the seat ejected from it.
The Ghost Trainnded and swallowed the 5th generation armament into the mouthpiece. The pilot, who was in mid-air, could not help but sigh with relief, finally escaping at thest minute.
Just then, one of the scythe forelimbs of the Ghost Train, violently broke the air ejection.
The air swept through a red light, red light shed through the driver''s body. The driver could not even react, he was immediately split in two!
The bombardment continued, people did not even have time to feel sorry for the pilot. Because as long as there was a second of negligence, the pilot''s encounter will be repeated in their own body.
The fire positions were being challenged tremendously, and after destroying the heavily armed type, the ghost vehicles connected and decapitated two Falcons.
As it rushed towards the medivac, an icy freezing fog suddenly blew in from nowhere, the dense gray-white frosty smoke wrapped around the Ghost Train. The temperature around the monster plummeted, those emitting red light crystals light color dimming, from the foot limbs, the Ghost Train quickly icing.
The monster only had time to crawl out a dozen meters, then it was frozen in the hard ice. The foot limbs that protruded forward had strips of ice on them.
On a chariot, Gray Pigeon Squad''s captain -- the balddy -- let out a long breath. As Ascenders of the elemental heart, Lida just released the ability [wither].
That was the terrifying ability to transform star energy into frost power, freezing things within tens of square meters instantly, but this ability has a distance limit.
So until the Ghost Train was close, Lida can not freeze it.
The fire position resounded in cheers, even Han Shu, who turned back, slowed down and looked in the direction of the balddy, the rough man hemmed and hawed dryly: "Good for you, Lida."
Lida looked, only to find the body of the monster under the ice, the red crystals are lighting up brightly. The ice began to melt, a wisp of water steam began to rise.
After a few moments, the ice suddenly exploded, the Ghost Train issued a sharp whistling sound, turned toward Lida, powering wildly.
"Damn!"
Lida hurriedly jumped off the chariot,nded, rolled, and just stood up. Then sound of metal being cut was heard from behind. She turned around and look, only found that the Ghost Train had cut the chariot into two halves. The monster''s body rolled back, mouthpiece wide open, let out a pleased chirp.
"We are doomed, such a monster is impossible to fight." Han Shu held the star energynce, a bitter smile.
Other people are also depressed, even the balddy''s withering can''t stop the ghosts, the other people go up was just t out to die.
The only one who didn''t think so was Tianyang, who was covering his left eye. In the sight of the remaining eye, the body of the Ghost Train was fading. After the creature had slimmed down, though it became even trickier, it can no longer use the deflective force field.
Even the stereo-armed heavy machine gun, as long as it hits, can easily st the monster into the building.
So now, Tianyang found his weakness sensing came in handy again. However he was still unable to directly observe the will cage of the Ghost Train likest time.
But at least, The young man vaguely saw that the in the Ghost Train body, located above the mouthpiece, there was a faint red light.
He went to Han Shu''s side and said softly, "Captain, I think I might know where that thing''s will cage is."
Han Shu could not help but look toward The young man, his eyes full of surprise.
A few momentster, the pilot in the shooting type machine received Han Shu''smunication, "Your machine, was it equipped with sniper equipment?"
The pilot immediately replied, "Yes, the 5th generation model was equipped with a sniper cannon [Falling Star], but I need to know where the will cage is, otherwise..."
"Hey, here''s your chance." Han Shu took themunicator and pointed at the Ghost Train, "Listen up, the thing''s cage was likely to be in the area above the muzzle, located roughly a third of the way up the body cavity. It''s best to give it a shot from underneath the mouthpiece, but that''s not realistic. So, can you take it out from the outside?"
The pilot had already started clicking on the screen to activate the sniper cannon: "No problem, if one shot doesn''t work, I''ll do ten!"
Han Shu dly said, "Let''s roll it out!"
Chapter 37 - Crossing Death
The back of the shooting-type armament, the armor opened, from which two mechanical arms poked out, each catching a sniper cannon''s hull.
The mechanical arms automaticallybined the cannon body, the 5th generation armed dropped the rail gun in his hand on the ground, reached back and took out the sniper cannon, which was almost taller than the body.
Crouch, aim!
Locking the Ghost Train body cavity one-third of the height, the pilot pulled the trigger, the gun immediately spewed out a long tongue of fire.
Tong! Tong! Tong!
Three shots in a row.
Three energy bullets,pressed by astro-energy, flew across the battlefield almost in the blink of an eye, heading straight for Ghost Train!
The monster seemed to feel it, and when the first shot was fired, the red crystals on the surface of the body lit up with a blood-colored glow, so that the whole body was covered with a high-heat force field.
The first shot whistled, before it touched the force field, the bullet''s appearance began to deform. It was changed by the thermal energy of the molecr structure, so that the phenomenon of stretching and twisting. Finally, when it came into contact with the force field, the already unstable energy was fully released and exploded into a tumbling silver me.
The second and third bullets that followed only set off two other mes, but could not prate Ghost Train''s high-heat force field!
"Damn it!"
When the mes dissipated, Han Shu saw that the monster with ayer of high-heat on the outeryer of its body, turned around and lunged towards the shooting-type armament.
Fortunately, the armed did not nail itself to the ground, and the maneuverability is not bad. When the monster moved, the armed immediately evaded, narrowly avoiding a blow.
The three-dimensional armed fell to the ground, sliding back with inertia on the ground, the back armor scraping the ground, creating a series of sharp sounds while also spewing out arge shower of sparks.
The sniper cannon in the armed hand fired again, but this time it didn''t even hit the monster, and the Ghost Train that leapt up in advancended in the air.
A red scythe foot cut through the sniper cannon, the gun was immediately cut off a section of the section of a red light, almost as if cut by a high-energyser general.
Ghost Train lifted the scythe foot and was about to stab at the cockpit of the weapon, but the cannon fire from the other side and Ascenders'' attack blew the monster off the three-dimensional weapon.
Then a new round of pursuit began.
Han Shu''s face was bitter: "This is really a dead end, even the sniper cannon does not work, this thing is simply insurmountable!"
"No, maybe there is a way."
The Huanglong captain who cut off the monster''s arm came with his sword: "I just observed, that thing''s high heat field does not cover the whole body, It only covers two-thirds of the body. In other words, we can attack from under the heat."
Han Shu was suddenly in high spirits: "Then leave it to me, War God levels are fierce, but you can not endure the heat. Fortress level like me has no problem with it, I will drill through its mouth and give it a breath of air."
In themunicator, the balddy''s voice rang out: "You don''t have to brag, Han. It''s true you are able to withstand the heat, but that monster is not so simple. Just now when my withering freezes it, I felt it. Its high-heat could actually extend into the body inside, thus dispersing the cold air that entered the body."
"The whole process takes no more than 10 seconds. So, even if you can sessfully drill into its mouthpiece and even destroy the will cage in time. But by your speed, which is not much faster than a snail, does not allow you to exit before the high temperature of the body cavity cooks you."
Han Shu actuallyughed: "I never thought of getting out in one piece, as long as I can finish this thing, I''ll fucking earn it."
Lida paused for a moment, then said, "Maybe Tianyang ...."
"No!"
Han Shu said immedately, "If anything happens to him, how can I face Ling. Besides, we, Night Walker, have no tradition of letting new recruits go to their deaths!"
"Captain." Tianyang also heard Lida''s words. The young man stood out and said, "I still have confidence in my speed, you can let me go."
"You shut up!" Han Shu shouted without even thinking, "As long as I''m not dead, you''ll stay honestly aside!"
Tianyang tightened his grip on hisbat knife and said loudly, "Captain, let me go and try."
He also had a concern, in case Ghost Train body cavity has another organ disguised as a cage, then Han Shu went to send death in vain. It''s better to go and try himself, if he can get into the monster, he believed the weakness sensing will be more urate.
Han Shu was thinking about whether to knock this kid out with a p, when Ling Feng''s voice came over themunicator: "Han Shu, let him have a try."
Han Shu was stunned and grabbed themunicator: "Are you sure?"
Ling Feng did not answer, but said, "Tianyang, have you thought about it? I can ask Han Shu to let you try, but if you fail, you won''t be able to cp,e back."
Tianyang thought about it and nodded vigorously, "I''ve thought about it, Chief Counselor Ling. Night Walker has never had anything to do withfort. Even if I escaped today, as long as I continue to work in this job, I will run into the same danger in the future. Even, more so than today."
"Since failure will kill me, I''ll cross it! Isn''t the meaning of sublimation to keep crossing over and challenging your limits!"
There was a moment of silence over themunicator before Ling Feng said, "Han Shu, do you have any morements?"
Han Shu sighed: "Okay, but even if I agree, Tianyang is not a fortress level, and we don''t have anti-high temperature equipment, how is he going to get close to that monster?"
Lida''s voice interjected: "This is no problem, I can use [Wither] again and control the concentration of star energy so that the mouthpiece area does not freeze. This way Tianyang will be able to enter the body cavity, but then the monster will recover even faster than before, maybe extending to the high heat inside the body will only take 5 seconds!"
Tianyang gritted his teeth and said, "That''s good enough, please, Captain Lida."
Lidaughed: "Brave boy, I start to admire you. If you can survive, do you want to consider being my little boyfriend."
Then without waiting for Tianyang''s response, she added: "I need time to prepare, it will take about 1 minute, you guys try to stall the monster. Tianyang, you turn on the private channel of yourmunicator, I will alert you when I activate my ability."
"Okay." The young man agreed and adjusted themunicator to the private channel so as not to be disturbed by the information on the public channel.
Next, under Han Shu''s dispatch, the Ascenders and Chariot used their firepower to attract Ghost Train''s attention, pulling the monsters away from the two nonbatants, the Recovery Team and the Medical Team, to prevent them from being caught in the crossfire.
Because Ghost Train can turn on the high heat field, so this battle, Han Shu and other Ascenders who are good at meleebat can not intervene at all.
Han Shu, while watching the battlefield changes, said to themunicator: "Ling Feng, what the hell are you thinking? Isn''t that kid quite important to you, why send him to risk?"
Ling Feng''s voice came a few momentster, "He is very important, although today he can retreat when he encounters danger, what about the next time, we can''t protect him every time he encounters danger in the future. Trust me, that kid is not reckless, he knows what he''s doing."
"That''s what you said, if he dies, you can''t say I didn''t warn you." Han Shu replied, then turned off themunicator.
At this time, another chariot was destroyed, but the monster''s body, quietly surged up a cloud of ice mist.
Lida''s withering, unleashed!
Chapter 38 - Instant destruction
The frosty fog that appeared out of nowhere quickly wrapped around Ghost Train, and just likest time, the monster didn''t even have time to open its high heat field before its body froze. The monster''s body froze in the blink of an eye.
At the same time, Tianyang, who had been alerted by Lida in advance, leapt out of his hiding ce.
The young man''s silver pale hair jumped in the air, dotted with shimmering drift, the body star energy in an instant reached maximum activity. The body leaned forward, a foot on the ground in the moment. In Tianyang''s vision, the world turned into a stream of brilliant light.
When he came to a halt, he had already reached the body of Ghost Train below.
As Lida said before, the iceyer spread to the vicinity of Ghost Train''s mouthpiece, leaving Tianyang a "passage" to enter and exit!
Lida''s rm suddenly came over themunicator: "Oh no, that guy''s body cavity is heating up!
The young man crouched down to the ground, palms gently touching the ground, fiercely straightened.
The whole person immediately shot towards the monster''s body cavity like a cannonball. After the threeyers of sharp teeth inside and outside, Tianyang looked up and saw that Ghost Train''s body cavity was filled with thick blood vessels and nerves, as well as a cocoon bubble the size of an adult''s head.
Those cocoon bubbles, like will cages, radiated a red light.
The temperature inside the body cavity climbed at an rming rate, Tianyang''s long ck uniform, suddenly spontaneouslybusted up. The young man was unaware of this, and his eyes became deep and distant.
In his field of vision, the things inside the body cavity are fading, except for one of the cocoon bubbles, still clear as day.
As if sensing Tianyang''s attention, the cocoon bubble suddenly split open and an eye actually emerged from it!
In that eye, floating with a ghostly red light.
Will cage!
Tianyang''s jacket had caught fire, and the mes quickly spread to his chest.
The young man''s eyes suddenly turned from distant to bitterly cold, and star energy whistled inside his body, passing along his arm to hisbat knife.
The temperature of the body cavity intensified and rose.
Tianyang''s hair began to burn.
The young man jumped above the eye in an instant, and the particle battle knife full of power shed down vertically!
A ck de hung in the middle of the eye, followed by seven or eight ck rays that staggered out from inside the eye.
The eye suddenly closed, and the next moment, shattered into tens of thousands of tiny particles.
Instantly destroyed in one shot!
At the same time, a red light suddenly came from deep inside the body cavity, and where the red light passed, Ghost Train''s internal tissues were turned into charcoal in pieces.
Tianyang fell towards the lower mouthpiece, he had taken off his burning coat and stepped on a passing blood vessel, elerating his fall.
Red light was like a tide, desperately chasing after him.
Tianyang''s hands, his back, and the soles of his feet, suddenly sprang up in hot mes.
The young man fell from the mouthpiece, he had been turned into a ball of fire. Afternding, Tianyang rolled desperately, and Lida, who was waiting nearby, arrived in time. Adjusting star energy, she released a cloud of ice mist to The young man.
This extinguished the fire on The young man''s body.
Once the fire was out, Tianyang immediately took off his body armor.
The raider''s defensive armor had already burned red, it burned Tianyang''s clothes and body.
The monster''s iceyer is falling off, but the red light on the body cavity and surface has begun to fade. Ghost Train''s insect-like limbs, slowly closing. Finally, the red crystals on the body surface burst into pieces, and then the body tissue began to vanish and melt...
Dead?
This monster is finally dead?
Seeing this scene, Tianyang was still in disbelief. Then a burning pain came from his palm, only to find that he still held the red-hot battle knife in his hand.
He can not hold it any more. The war knife fell to the ground.
The young man''s mind rxed and finally he copsed. Before his consciousness plunged into darkness, he heard Han Shu''s shouts and footstepsing his way.
A long time passed.
Tianyang regained consciousness and slowly opened his eyes to find himself lying on a hospital bed. Next to him was the sound of a life monitor at work, and the smell of antiseptic drops wafted around.
It took a while for Tianyang to realize that he was in the intensive care unit of the battlefield medical vehicle.
The sound of the automatic door opening rang out, and then Xun''s delighted voice came, "You''re awake?"
Tianyang instinctively tried to get up, but when he moved, his whole body hurt like hell.
"Don''t get up, your body is extensively burned, although it is no longer life-threatening, but it is better not to move around for the time being." Xun came over, the young girl pulled over a diagnostic board and began to scan Tianyang up.
"Is he awake?"
Luo Shan also walked in, this attractive battlefield doctor, her face was covered with weariness, but still smiled at Tianyang: "You have to thank Xun, although she is only a rank 1 sage now, her ability [Light of Compassion] has a very powerful healing ability. During the two days you were unconscious, she used her ability on you at least three times a day, which is not a light burden on the body for a novice."
Tianyang looked at the girl, "Thank you."
Xun showed a smile and shook her head.
The sound of footsteps came.
"How is it, how is the boy doing?" It was Han Shu''s voice, and then a magnificent figure walked into the custody room, and it was indeed Han Shu.
When he saw that Tianyang was awake, he immediately pped The young man on the shoulder: "I knew you were tough, you can''t die!"
Tianyang almost fainted again because of the p.
Xun also shouted: "Captain Han Shu, his body is still very weak, do you want to kill him!"
Han Shu was embarrassed and said, "Well, I wasn''t paying attention and..."
Luo Shan put her hand on the forehead and said with a headache, "You think everyone is like you, with a body as strong as a bison. All right, don''t make trouble here, hurry up and go out."
Han Shu caught his hedgehog-like hair: "OK, OK, OK, kid, you take care of yourself and get out of bed early."
For the next two days, Xun continued to cast [Light of Compassion] for Tianyang three times a day. Being illuminated by that sunrise like light, Tianyang felt his injuries were recovering rapidly.
During these two days, many people came to visit him.
Surprisingly, even Cangdu came with Old Xu, but he didn''t say a word, as if he was dragged here by Old Xu.
By the third day, Tianyang was able to get out of bed. When Xun untied the bandages on his body, Tianyang saw that the charred skin on his body was falling off, revealing the new pink skin inside.
After spending more than an hour cleaning the dead skin off his body and applying ointment, Xun announced, "You can leave the ward now."
This was the best news Tianyang had heard in days.
After changing into a new set of clothes, putting on the defensive armor again, and putting on a new uniform brought by Han Shu himself yesterday, Tianyang walked out of the care room.
Outside the guardianship room, the ponytailed Cangdu was leaning against the wall with her arms wrapped around her.
Seeing Tianyange out, she said coldly, "Follow me, the funeral is about to start, just waiting for you."
Tianyang was stunned, a funeral? Whose funeral?
Chapter 39 - Funeral
As he stepped off the medical cart, Tianyang realized that the team had not departed at all these days.
They were still stuck where they were.
Ghost Train seemed to be the most powerful dark creatures in the area, and now it was dead, but its body was too big.
So much so that for five days, the body was still notpletely dposed, and the smell it released made other lower-ranked dark creatures reluctant to approach.
Oh, prowler seemed to be an exception, that kind of dark creatures had no intelligence, so did not understand fear.
The other day Ghost Train "spit out" a lot of prowler, but from the current situation, it seemed that it should been cleaned up by Han Shu and others.
From a distance, Ghost Train''s body looked like a small mountain, still in its original position.
The recovery team in protective suits was out and about among its corpses, scavenging and recovering those valuable materials, a job they had been doing for five days.
From the looks of it, it seemed another day or two are required toplete the whole recovery work.
"What are you staring at? This way."
In the front, Cangdu called out in no good mood.
Only then did Tianyang withdraw his eyes from Ghost Train''s corpse and followed the ponytailed youth to an open area. The ce had obviously been cleared, and there was a small pile of stones on the ground.
On the pile of stones, there was a namete hanging.
Tianyang finally knew whose funeral this was.
In this encounter with Ghost Train, the convoy suffered heavy losses, and more than half of the soldiers died in battle. Even the Ascenders lost seven of them.
The more intact bodies are currently lying in the freezerpartment of the medical van and will be handed over to their families when they return.
As for those whose bodies are mutted, ording to Night Walker''s tradition, they are cremated and buried on the spot.
Tianyang had heard of this tradition, but it was the first time to attend Night Walker''s funeral.
Many people came to the funeral, basically, in addition to the work at hand, the other people were all present.
The men stood in the middle and the women stood on either side, all dressed in ck, and the women wore ck hoods. Now the atmosphere is solemn, gloomy, solemn and sad.
Han Shu stood in the forefront, looking at the pile of stones, bending down and bowing.
Someone began to chant the eulogy: "The night is long, I walk alone in the darkness, death is my home, the battlefield is my grave."
Someone else took over: "The night is long, I have not walked alone, my fellow soldiers are at my side, I do not feel alone."
Then all of them chanted out loud, "The night is long, we watch over each other! The sharp de helps me to resist the darkness, I will always look for the light of dawn. The road ahead is vast, the evil spirit is strong, we walk in the night and explore the other side."
The voice stopped.
Han Shu straightened his back and chanted in an iparably deep voice: "The night is long, I have buried my bones in another country. There is no need to cry for me, I will wait for the morning light on the other side of the dawn."
There was a silence.
Tianyang clenched his fists, and at some point, tears flowed down his face.
Night Walker''s eulogy made The young man feel as if he had seen generations of explorers, stumbling in the infinite darkness. They keep falling, getting hurt, bleeding and dying.
But it was because of these willingness to dedicate, not afraid to sacrifice the night walkers, to construct the splendor of the world outside the door.
Even though that bright world is not perfect, even though there were still many people struggling on the line of subsistence.
But at least, the fortress was able to build high walls, and people did not have to be disced.
The threat in the endless wilderness gradually became a legend, and no longer a nightmare that people must face!
A few momentster, thedies on either side, lit a smallmp, which was made of solid burningmps that could burn for a long time in the Inverse Universe.
They ced thesemps in front of each stone pile, and the firelight illuminated the metal nametes, praying that the dead would not feel lonely and cold in the darkness.
When thedies retreated, Han Shu raised his hand. The men in front of them, everyone raised their guns.
Three shots were fired to end the funeral.
A few momentster, the crowd gradually dispersed, and Tianyang had no intention of leaving. Instead, he walked up to one of the stone piles.
On the pile was a que with the name "Shattered Star" engraved on it.
Tianyang remembered that she was a hunter in the Yellow Dragon team, short hair, and loved tough. When resting, you can always hear her cheerfulughter.
Now sheid here. On the way back, we will not hear herughter.
The mood was sinking.
"Why didn''t you leave?" Han Shu''s voice rang out, while the choking smell of smoke came.
Tianyang looked up, the captain of Raven squad was smoking a cigarette. the red light on the cigarette was so obvious in the dim sky of Inverse Universe.
"What about you, Captain?" Tianyang asked instead of answering.
Han Shu took down the cigarette and exhaled a trail of smoke: "I''ll look at them again. Later, maybe I won''t see them."
Tianyang looked at the pile of stones: "Most of the people here, I do not know. Or, only said a word or two. Even so, I still have a hard time. Captain, you must feel even worse..."
Han Shu looked into the darkness overhead: "Get used to it, people like us, we often have to send off our friends and rtives. Maybe one day, it will be our turn."
"My only wish is to die a good death. It would be nice to have someone to collect my body again."
Tianyang was silent.
Neither of them spoke for the next few minutes until Han Shu''s cigarette was finished and the man turned to greet him, "Let''s go."
Tianyang followed behind him.
Han Shu hands in his trouser pockets: "Thanks to you this time, otherwise, I guess more people would have died. I will report this incident, and the top will definitely be rewarded. Also, your particlebat knife is ruined. But we found some good material on Ghost Train, I''ll see if I can get some, and help you get a material weapon."
The material weapon is a weapon forged from a part of dark creatures'' body.
This kind of weapon will usually continue to have some characteristics of the material itself, Ghost Train is undoubtedly very dangerous dark creatures. using its material forged weapons, certainly stronger than the particle war knife.
So The young man nodded.
Not far away, someone came out from behind a chariot, it was Zhou Wang.
He heard Han Shu''s words just now. Zhou Wang looked at Tianyang from afar with jealous eyes: "Why did you take all the good things! I also fought hard, why no special reward or material weapon!"
He grunted heavily and turned his head away.
Two dayster, the caravan departed. It left Metropolis and went straight to the lighthouse outpost base.
Han Shu was going to take a vacation, but Ling Feng gave him a new assignment, and the rugged man took it, even though he was cursing.
As for Tianyang, Ling Feng had no new assignments for the time being, so he stayed at the base for four hours before boarding the high-speed train back to the fortress.
Unexpectedly, Luo Shan was also taking Xun back and happened to be in the same carriage as Tianyang.
He thought he hadpany on the journey back, but Tianyang''s good mood disappeared in less than 5 minutes when he saw Zhou Wang''s arrogant face.
We didn''t know if he did it on purpose, but he sat down between Xun and Tianyang, and Tianyang had to turn her eyes to the window.
Even those depressing and distorted Inverse Universendscapes along the way were a hundred times better than Zhou Wang''s face!
Chapter 40 - Annoyed and Angry
Tianyang checked his status since there was nothing else to do.
When this thought rose, a set of data clearly surfaced in his mind.
Avengerlevel
Level 1: Assassin
Ability: weakness sensing, instant one-shot destroy
Ascension progress: 40%
Next level: Obliterator
.......
Well, the sublimation progress is improved by a whole 12%, it seemed that Ghost Train was indeed a very dangerous dark creature.
Through this period of time, Tianyang finally had some clue of the progress.
Except for thest time when he killed Qin Wu, which inexplicably boosted by 10%, the sublimation progress would only grow when he killed dangerous dark creatures.
The first time was killing lead dog, which boosted it by 4%.
This time, when killing Ghost Train, the growth rate is three times that of lead dog.
But this is not the same as saying that three lead dogs are equal to one Ghost Train. after all, the lead dog was hunted by Tianyang alone, while the Ghost Train was killed with the cooperation of many people.
In other words, if you can hunt Ghost Train alone, maybe the amount of sublimation progress will be quite amazing.
Of course, that can only be thought about.
Looking back, Zhou Wang''s repulsive guy was still there, so Tianyang had to close his eyes and doze off.
The young man was awakened by hunger. Counting the time, Clough outside the door should now be the night.
It was time for dinner.
Tianyang stood up and realized that there were not many passengers left around, Luo Shan and Xun were not in their seats and even Zhou Wang was not visible, so he should had gone to the restaurant for dinner.
The young man''s stomach rumbled as he thought of this, and he hurriedly left the carriage.
At the same time, Xun came out of the restaurant, her teacher had to drink a little wine before going back, so the young girl left early.
There was no rush to return to the carriage, the girl, who had just finished her meal, stood by a window in the aisle.
Looking out the window at the quietly receding Inverse Universendscape, Xun was a bit lost in thought.
When she went to the lighthouse base, she was still a small, obscure nurse. But now back at the fortress, she was already an Ascender. Moreover, Luo Shan told her explicitly that she would gain the status of an Upper Citizen.
The status of Upper Citizen corresponds to many privileges. Ascender in Glory level, she will obtain many resources.
The girl did not think about the long term goal, but the thought of her father being able to cure his illness and her brother at home being able to live a better life made her smile.
Suddenly a soft cough sounded behind her.
She turned around and saw Zhou Wang, a man she didn''t have a good feeling about, so turned her head and about to leave.
Zhou Wang hurriedly took two steps forward and stopped her, revealing what he thought was a [graceful] smile: "Miss Xun, can you give me a moment, I have something to say to you."
Xun said with a stern face, "I don''t want to hear it, please move aside, thank you."
Zhou Wang said in a self-condemned tone, "I know thatst time at the base, I scared you. But please believe that I was so attracted by your beauty that I did something so out of character. So today, I am here to apologize to you, and I hope you can forgive me for my abruptness."
"Good, I heard your apology, now can you make way?" Xun''s tone had be impatient, she could not see such a thing as [sincerity] in Zhou Wang''s eyes.
Zhou Wang still maintained his smile: "Actually, besides apologizing, I have another suggestion, I hope you can listen to it, Miss Xun."
Then whether people are willing or not, Zhou Wang continued: "I think we are very suitable, Miss Xun, I do not know if you have considered marriage. Please believe me, I would love to take care of a beautiful and gentle woman like you."
Xun shook her head and said, "I''m sorry, I haven''t considered marriage for the time being."
Zhou Wang said, "Then you can consider it. First of all, I am a rank 2 Elementalist, and at the level of Elemental Heart, I have full potential to grow to rank 5 Storm Messenger. This is undoubtedly true, my family has many people who have grown to this level, I can definitely do it."
"Secondly, my Zhou n has been established for more than 60 years, and I am currently the fourth generation son, yet I still manage to keep my family name. You should have heard that it is stipted in the right to establish a n that after three generations, the descendants of the fourth generation need to earn 10,000 contribution points every year to be able to retain their family name. So you see, this is no different from another side, showing the strength of my Zhou n."
"Therefore, if you are willing to marry me. You will be assisted by my Zhou n with all your strength, and you will for be the most dazzling star of the fortress. Honestly, this kind of opportunity doesn''te around all the time."
"How about it, Miss Xun. If you are willing, I can formally propose to you right now."
Xun refused without little thinking, "I don''t want to."
Zhou Wang was stunned, this wasn''t quite what he had imagined. A lower citizen woman, even if she got lucky and became an Ascender. She at most gained the status and rights of an upper-ss citizen. But if she was valued by a family like Zhou and received resources to cultivate, she could have a promising future.
Zhou Wang really can''t think of any reason for Xun to refuse.
What are the qualifications to refuse!
The young girl was already toozy to tell him to get out of the way and went straight past Zhou Wang, but unexpectedly Zhou Wang caught her hand.
"What are you doing? Let go!" Xun''s face changed slightly as he saw Zhou Wang''s face with a somewhat terrifying expression.
Zhou Wang was still smiling, but his smile was slightly hideous: "You''re still a lower citizen now! That is to say, I can still exercise the rights of the upper citizen."
Xun''s pupils shrank slightly, and he opened his mouth to scream.
A hand covered her mouth.
Zhou Wang hummed: "I''ll do whatever I want, Let''s see if you marry me or not!"
But at that moment, the door of the aisle opened and someone walked in.
Zhou Wang and the person came face to face, and they almost shouted at the same time: "It''s you!"
The person who came in was none other than Tianyang. Seeing the image in front of him, The young man''s face immediately turned gloomy: "What are you doing? Let her go!"
Zhou Wang just felt a fire burning in his chest, he just couldn''t understand why this boy would jump out and spoil his good deeds at every critical moment!
For this moment, he had nned for a long time.
Zhou Wang nned to get Xun before she returned to the fortress and made the Glory level announcement. There were families on the fortress who would be willing to throw an olive branch, and those families, the strengths were definitely above Zhou. So, he decided to use some dirty tricks.
Just like what''s happening right now.
But unexpectedly, at this moment, Tianyang appeared again!
"None of your business, I warn you, better stay out of ......" Zhou Wang could not say his warning in time, there was already a blur in front of his eyes, and then a fist was expanding in his vision.
Finally a ckness in front of his eyes, Zhou Wang screamed miserably and Tianyang smash by his fist.
Xun then sighed in relief and gave Tianyang a grateful nce, and then shrieked, "Watch out!"
Zhou Wang activated star energy, hand flowing elemental light, a gray-white elementalnce is taking shape.
Tianyang grunted, his body swayed, with a silver glow shimmer, dodged to the side of Zhou Wang, and punched the fist on Zhou Wang''s waist ribs.
Zhou Wang screamed in pain, thence light copsed, the pain made him unable to concentrate.
Once again raising his leg in a sweep, Tianyang put him down, followed by a kick to the back of Zhou Wang''s head. The violent shock knocked him unconscious.
Luo Shan, who just walked out of the restaurant, saw the scene and froze: "What''s this, Xun, are they fighting for you?"
Chapter 41 - Uneasiness
When Zhou Wang woke up, he felt excruciating pain in his ribs and the back of his head. When he tried to stand up, he realized he was tied to a chair. To his surprise, he found himself in an interrogation room on a train!
"Let me go! Who did this? Do you know who I am?" Zhou Wang shouted in shock and anger.
The door to the interrogation room opened, and Luo Shan and the train conductor walked in. When they saw him, Zhou Wang yelled, "What are you doing? Release me immediately!"
He tried to activate his Star Energy inside his body, but it didn''t respond. Then he noticed he was wearing a cor.
A Star Energy interference device!
This device could disrupt the Star Energy within Ascenders, and while it only worked on lower-level Ascenders, it was more than enough to deal with him.
What made Zhou Wang even more terrified was that such a device was usually used on criminals.
So, are they treating me as a criminal now?
Luo Shan looked at him coldly and said, "What we''re doing, you know very well. Zhou Wang, you have some nerve trying to vite Xun?"
Zhou Wang''s heart sank as he remembered his actions before he cked out.
"So what?" Zhou Wang, with bloodshot eyes, eximed, "That woman is not an Upper Citizen yet, and what I did was legal! It''s you who are illegally detaining an Upper Citizen, and one with a family. Aren''t you afraid of retaliation from the Zhou family?"
Luo Shan sneered, "The moment she became an Ascender, Xun became an Upper Citizen. She just hasn''t obtained the fortification certification yet. Even if she were still a Lower Citizen, she''s my student. That means no one can harm her. At least, neither you nor your family have that right!"
Zhou Wang shouted, "Shut up! You, the woman who came from the Western Continent, what makes you think you''re so special just because you know a bit of medicine?! I advise you to release me immediately, or after I be a High-Level Ascender, I''ll deal with you!"
Smack!
The train conductor pped Zhou Wang hard and said, "Shut your mouth! Even the City Lord shows respect to Doctor Luo Shan. Who do you think you are, daring to use such foulnguage with a doctor?!"
Luo Shan shook her head and told the train conductor, "He''s all yours."
The train conductor saluted and said, "Rest assured, I''ll hand him over to the Iron Wall Legion."
Zhou Wang was bewildered and shouted, "Why hand me over to the Iron Wall? I''m a member of the Night Walkers, what does that have to do with the Iron Wall?"
Luo Shan walked away, and the train conductor sneered, "Young Master Zhou Wang, your deeds have already be known to the Night Walkers. Under General Counselor Ling''s personal order, you will be immediately expelled from the Night Walkers. As for the crimes you''vemitted, the Iron Wall will take over. After all, they are more adept at handling fortification matters. Oh, by the way, this matter has already been reported to your family. Guess how the Zhou family replied?"
Zhou Wang couldn''t help but swallow hard and asked, "How did they reply?"
"Let it be handled, and offer a heartfelt apology to Miss Xun," the train conductor gave an answer that left Zhou Wang in despair.
Zhou Wang lost all his strength, and his family''s response indicated they were giving up on him as their descendant. This was likely done to appease Xun and Luo Shan.
Perhaps a single Luo Shan or even a Glory Level wasn''t enough to make the family make such a concession. But if both werebined, that might change things.
At this moment, Zhou Wang realized he had been too impatient and underestimated the Glory Level as well as Luo Shan''s influence.
If it weren''t for that white-haired kid, Xun might already be his woman, and the oue would bepletely different.
He was so close to reaching paradise, but now he felt like he was in hell!
I refuse to ept this! I won''t ept it!
With gritted teeth, Zhou Wang squeezed out the words, "Tianyang, you bastard, I''m not finished with you!"
¡
When Tianyang returned to the fortress, it was the following afternoon.
At three o''clock, the sunlight was just right.
Tianyang went to the transfer tform and took an electromaic motorcycle, heading towards the lower city area. The wind blew against him as he rode on the road, and the young man was in high spirits.
The Night Walkers were about to banish Zhou Wang and turn the case over to the Iron Wall Legion after Luo Shan reported the trouble he had caused.
For some reason, Tianyang noticed that his advancement progress had increased by 2 percentage points again, now reaching 42%.
Additionally, Xun had invited him to her home in three days, saying she wanted to personally cook a meal as a way to thank Tianyang for his help. Tianyang looked forward to that dinner because, in his entire life, he had never eaten a meal made by any woman other than his mother.
The ride back to the lower city was quiet. Afterward, Tianyang didn''t rush home. He went to a store and used 15 contribution points to buy bread, eggs, ham, and even fresh fish.
A fresh fish!
Tianyang began to imagine how his mother would react when she saw these ingredients. In his memory, thest time they had fish was ten years ago.
Since it was still early, Tianyang didn''t head home immediately. Instead, he drove to the "Volcano Bar." At this time, his mother should still be working there as a cleaner.
However, when he arrived at the bar, he found the front door tightly shut. Tianyang got off the motorcycle and knocked on the door, saying, "Kaidi, are you there?"
He repeated the call several times, but there was no response.
It was strange.
Tianyang walked up to the window and noticed it was covered in ayer of dust, as if it hadn''t been cleaned for several days.
This was impossible. Since bing a cleaner at the bar, Nanfei has meticulously cleaned every window. Tianyang couldn''t believe that she would ever bezy.
He knocked on the window, and not far away, a homeless man sitting on the ground called out, "Stop knocking. Kaidi hasn''t opened the door for several days."
Tianyang looked at him and asked, "What happened?"
The homeless man mumbled, "How should I know? Even if I knew, I wouldn''t tell you. What''s it got to do with me?"
Tianyang thought for a moment and then ced a piece of bread in front of him, saying, "Does it have anything to do with you now?"
The homeless man smiled and said, "Add a piece of ham, and it might."
After a moment, the homeless man discreetly tucked the food away and whispered, "I heard that a few days ago, Kaidi was beaten up. He nearly lost his life, but the cripple guy from East Street saved him. If nothing unexpected happened, Kaidi should still be there. You can go and check."
Tianyang immediately hopped on his motorcycle. He had a bad feeling about this. Kaidi was a bit of a local authority in the lower city, and it was rare for anyone to provoke him, let alone beat him half to death. He was also worried about his mother.
If something happened at the Volcano Bar, would his mother be affected?
The young man rushed home, and his anxiety grew when he saw theyer of dust on the door.
Chapter 42 - The Black Mine
His mother, Nanfei, was a diligent person. In Tianyang''s memory, during his childhood, every time he woke up in the middle of the night, he would see his mother crafting handicrafts under themplight. Those items served as their family''s ie for the next one or two days.
During her free time or breaks, his mother would diligently tidy up their shack. She had an almost demanding standard of cleanliness and had instilled a sense of cleanliness in Tianyang from a young age.
This was also why Kaidi hired her to work as a cleaner at the bar, though the main reason was that the retired veteran liked Nanfei.
If his mother had been at home these days, there would be no way that the door would be covered in dust. Tianyang took out his key, opened the door, and found that the shack was dimly lit, with the air feeling somewhat stuffy, as if it hadn''t been ventted for several days.
Tianyang turned on the lights, and when the lights illuminated the room, he saw tables and chairs overturned on the floor. The doors to both bedrooms were wide open. His bedroom appeared normal, but Nanfei''s bedroom looked like it had been ransacked, with various items strewn across the floor.
A nket hung off the edge of the bed, and Tianyang could almost recreate the image of his mother being pulled off it during her sleep.
What was going on? The young man couldn''t find any clues in the room, leaving him clueless about his mother''s whereabouts. However, a sudden realization struck him, and he dashed out of the shack without even bothering to lock the door.
He jumped onto his electromaic motorbike and headed straight for East Street.
East Street in the Lower District was a tumultuous ce, with even more chaos than the street where Tianyang''s home and the bar were located.
As Tianyang drove into East Street on his electromaic motorbike, all the eyes from behind doors and windows, in alley shadows, and in various other ces fell on his motorbike. These were eyes filled with greed. However, when they saw his ck Night Walker uniform and the Raider Rifle hanging at his waist, those eyes retracted with restraint.
People living in the Lower District, especially on East Street, weren''t good people, but they weren''t stupid enough to provoke Night Walkers, who were frequent visitors to the underworld. They understood that these ck-clothed figures were the real dangerous individuals.
Tianyang''s motorbike eventually came to a halt in front of an inconspicuous shop that appeared to be a grocery store. However, there was a medical room at the back.
The owner of the grocery store, whose real name was long forgotten, was referred to as "Cripple" due to a crippled leg.
Legend had it that Cripple used to be an upper citizen and worked as a surgeon in the fortress'' medical center. However, he offended a significant figure, so he lost his upper citizen status and had his leg crippled. After that, he was dumped into the Lower District.
Cripple now ran a grocery store and had set up a medical room at the back using various medical instruments he had scavenged from the garbage dump. His medical skills were quite good, and in this part of East Street, Cripple held a considerable influence.
The homeless man mentioned that Kaidi was being treated at Cripple''s ce, which was why Tianyang came there.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Tianyang knocked on the door of the grocery store, and a yellow light lit up inside. Soon, a figure limped over, muttering, "Herees trouble. Stop knocking, dammit! Knock my door down, and if I get sick, I won''t treat you!"
With a loud sound, the door swung open, revealing a short, middle-aged man. He was bald, wearing sses, and had a prominent nose. He wore a yellow shirt, and the scent of disinfectant wafted from him.
As he saw Tianyang, he eximed, "Night Walker, what brings you to my little shop? Kid, is this stolen clothing you''re wearing?"
Tianyang, annoyed, grabbed his cor and asked, "Where''s Kaidi? Is Kaidi here?"
"What are you doing? Let go of me; I don''t know any Kaidi!" the limping man yelled. "If you don''t release me, I''ll call for help!"
As a doctor in the Lower District, he had saved many lives and had some influence in this part of East Street. If he called for help, there were plenty of thugs willing to stand up for him.
Meanwhile, from the depths of the grocery store, Kaidi''s voice rang out, "Tianyang? Is that you?"
"Kaidi, you''re really here!" Tianyang pushed the limping man aside and rushed in. In a room filled with instruments, he found Kaidi.
Kaidi was lying on a bed, receiving an IV drip, and covered in bandages. His chest had a blood-soaked dressing, making it look particrly grim.
Tianyang was shocked at the severity of Kaidi''s injuries and gasped, "Kaidi, what happened?"
Kaidi struggled to sit up, even though it made the bloodstains more prominent. "Don''t mind me for now, Tianyang. Hurry to the ck Mine; Nanfei, Nanfei has been captured!"
"What!"
Tianyang eximed, "How could this happen?"
The ck Mine was located outside the fortress, about thirty kilometers away, and it produced a dark metal that could be refined into ck steel. ck steel was the primary material for train tracks in the Parallel World, making the demand for workers at the mine increasingly high.
Initially, most of the mine workers were residents of the Lower District, and the pay was decent as they had to work outside the fortress.
Later, in an effort to reduce costs and increase production, the fortress started sending prisoners to work in the mine. Prisoners at the mine had no rights, and the overseers treated them less than humans. They only provided the prisoners with the most basic necessities for survival. Many of the prisoners were beaten to death by the overseers or worked themselves to death.
Based on the situation at home, if Tianyang''s mother had been sent to the ck Mine, she wouldn''t be there as a worker but as a prisoner. This was what puzzled Tianyang the most.
After receiving the news from Kaidi, Tianyang rushed out of the grocery store, driving his electromaic motorcycle towards the fortress exit.
His mother had been taken to the mine for several days now, and in a ce like that, not only women but even strong men like Kaidi wouldn''tst long.
Thinking of this, the young man wished he could sprout wings and fly directly to the mine.
For now, all he could hope for was to arrive on time.
Normally, you needed identification to leave the city, but Tianyang was wearing the Night Walker''s uniform, and his ID card indicated his status as an Ascender.
So when he arrived at the exit, the two Iron Wall soldiers on duty saluted him and let him pass.
Under the vast night sky with stars hanging upside down, Tianyang pushed his motorcycle to its limits and headed toward the direction of the ck Mine.
Half an hourter, a minefield appeared below the highway. It was already night, but the minefield was brightly lit, with numerous heavy vehicles moving around.
Momentster, Tianyang arrived at the entrance of the minefield. Two searchlights shone on him from above the gate, and the guard''s voice rang out, "Who¡¯s there? What are you doing in the minefield sote?"
Chapter 43 - Conspiracy
Tianyang parked his vehicle on the roadside, raised his head, and looked at the guard standing on the ten-meter gate. He said, "I¡¯m Night Walker Lieutenant Tianyang! Imand you to open the gate!"
The guard was momentarily stunned, then burst intoughter, "Don''t make meugh, kid. Does a Night Walker Lieutenante to the ck Mine in the middle of the night? Do you think I''m a fool? Just because you''re wearing a ck coat doesn''t mean you can impersonate a Night Walker. Get lost, and get lost quickly!"
After saying that, the guard let out a belch from the cheap alcohol he had been drinking. The minefield''s security was quitex, and a couple of bottles of subpar alcohol had left his head somewhat fuzzy. As a result, he didn''t notice Tianyang''s electromaic motorcycle, which indicated it wasn''t just anyone who could ride such a vehicle outside.
In the light of the searchlights, the guard saw Tianyang turning to leave and thought, "That''s right, kid."
However, Tianyang walked a few steps, then suddenly turned around, raising his hand, which now held a uniquely shaped rifle. This rifle emitted blue energy beams that pierced through the heavy door bolts of the steel gate, melting theponents and parts inside.
After a moment, the entire door bolt fell to the ground with a resounding crash, creating a cloud of dust. What should have been opened by machinery nowid on the ground, allowing the gate to slowly slide open, revealing the minefield beyond.
It was only then that Tianyang raised his head, looking at the guard. He said, "I''m not asking you; I''m ordering you. Now, I''m giving you another order, take me to meet the person in charge of your minefield!"
The guard, taken aback, quickly climbed down from the gate. Now, without the influence of alcohol, he guided Tianyang into the minefield.
At that moment, the person in charge of the minefield happened to be leaving his office, nning to return to the fortress. Suddenly, he heard someone calling his name, "Mr. Yingqi, Mr. Yingqi..."
Turning around, he saw that it was the gate guard. He frowned and asked, "What''s the matter?"
Before the guard could answer, he was pushed aside by Tianyang, who was growing impatient.
Yingqi jumped in surprise, for Tianyang was holding a gun. He eximed, "Who are you? What do you want?"
"I''m Night Walker Lieutenant Tianyang. You''re in charge of the minefield, right? Very well, Imand you to check if a female worker named Nanfei was sent from the fortress a few days ago."
Yingqi took a step back and said, "There are so many workers in the mine. How can I..."
The rifle''s barrel pointed towards the person in charge as Tianyang''s voice, filled with restrained anger, interrupted him, "That''s why I told you to check!"
Yingqi swallowed hard and said, "Even if you''re a Night Walker Lieutenant, what you''re doing is illegal. If you want to check the identity of the mine workers, please provide an internal affairs permit issued by the Iron Wall Legion."
Tianyang suddenly lowered the barrel and shot it at Yingqi''s knee, creating a blue energy beam that pierced through it.
The guard let out a miserable scream, and the energy beam''s high heat even caused the wound''s edges to char, leaving no blood, only a finger-wide hole.
In pain, the guard fell to the ground. Tianyang looked at him, his rage apparent in his voice. "Shut up. Do that again, and next time I''ll aim for your head."
Seeing the ground perforated by the energy beam, the person in charge had nothing more to say and quickly opened the office door, taking out an information tablet. With quick fingers, he started searching for information about the minefield workers.
A momentter...
"I found it, Nanfei. She was brought from the fortress four days ago. Let me see... she''s working in the Number 3 work area of the mine."
Tianyang gestured with the gun, "Lead the way."
Yingqi shivered, not daring to resist. They entered the minefield together.
They arrived at the workers'' amodation area, which was extremely grim. Sewage covered the corridors, and the air was filled with a nauseating stench. Life''s garbage and food remnants were haphazardly strewn in the corners, attracting numerous flies.
Tianyang''s face darkened. Compared to this ce, the Lower District was like heaven.
"The female worker''s room is just ahead." The plump woman walking in front pointed to an open door not far away.
At that moment, a shadow emerged from the room. It was a burly man with a scar on his face, dragging something with him while cursing, "You damn prisoner, why pretend to be noble? You''re just a lowly bitch from the Lower District. Do you think you''re some delicate high-ss citizen? Don''t y dead; you''ve been lying there for a whole day. Get back to work in the mine, and don''t you dare ck off. I might give you a fewshes."
He pulled out a frail arm, and the owner of the arm was weakly dragged out.
With a wave of his hand, the man tossed the woman into the corner, into a pile of garbage.
The woman''s right shoulder looked dislocated, and it was highly likely she had a broken bone. However, there wasn''t a bandage in sight on her shoulder, indicating that the minefield had no medical care. Her clothes were tattered, and her back was covered in bloodstains, some already dried and others fresh.
Sheid motionless on the ground, appearing lifeless. Only her shoulder moved asionally, indicating a faint sign of life.
"Still pretending to be dead." The man who seemed like a supervisor walked over, and with his foot, he was about to kick the woman on the ground.
A blue beam of light pierced through his knee.
The man paused for a moment, then let out a scream of pain and he fell to the ground. Tianyang, with a swift kick to the man''s face, caused a sound like he broke his nose.
Tianyang pulled the woman onto her back. He gently brushed away the strands of hair from her face, revealing her pale, lifeless features.
"Mom... Mom, it''s me, Tianyang."
The boy''s words fell on Yingqi''s ears, causing the person in charge''s heart to constrict into a tight knot.
He could hardly believe his own ears.
The woman sent to the minefield as a prisoner¡ªwas she really the mother of a Night Walker Lieutenant?
The person in charge knew very well that anyone holding the rank of Night Walker Lieutenant had to be an Ascender!
How could the mother of an Ascender be a prisoner?
In an instant, the person in charge seemed to smell the scent of a conspiracy. A conspiracy rted to the Ascenders, and it was likely to bury him, a lowly minefield manager, right here.
Chapter 44 - Can I Trust You?
"Mom, it''s me; I''m Tianyang!"
Nanfei''s eyelids twitched. They were so heavy that even the slightest movement required all her strength. Nheless, she managed to open just a tiny slit, and even in that tiny gap, her eyes seemed devoid of vitality.
Nanfei''s view was filled with blurry images, and she faintly saw someone standing in front of her. She struggled to focus on the figure, but it was like trying to see through a hazy morning mist.
This reminded her of a distant morning when, in a simr mist, she saw him.
He had walked over from the garden, holding freshly picked flowers with dew-kissed petals.
He handed her the flowers. "For you, Nanfei, you''re as beautiful as a flower."
Ah, that smooth talker.
Her vision seemed to clear a bit, and she saw a familiar face, marked with concern. It resembled him but was notably younger, with a touch of innocence in his features. But what did it matter?
Nanfei struggled to lift her hand and gently cradled the young face. "You''re here, Lie... I''ve been waiting for you. I thought you had forgotten."
He opened his mouth as if to speak, but Nanfei couldn''t hear his words.
Her parched lips curved into a relieved smile. "I can''t hear you. Let me rest for a while. I''m... tired."
She closed her eyes again; they felt so heavy, and she had no strength left.
With her eyes closed, she felt an incredible sense of peace. It was as if all the pain had receded into the distance. She couldn''t feel the physical difort anymore.
And then...
She seemed to see Tianyang, her beloved son. The boy''s face was etched with worry and fear, and he was desperately shouting something, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Tianyang, what''s wrong?
Why are you crying?
Don''t be sad; Mom is here, and Mom will protect you.
She wanted to reach out to embrace the young boy when she heard a voice behind her. "Nanfei."
She turned to find a radiant light behind her. In the light, a man was biting a de of grass, smiling yfully. "What are you doing? Let''s go together. I know of a fun ce, and we''ll be very happy there."
"Lie..." She looked back at the weeping young boy. "But Tianyang is very sad."
The man walked closer and embraced her. "Don''t worry; he''ll get through it. Do you not trust our child?"
After a moment''s thought, she nodded with a smile. "Yes, I trust him."
The man took her hand, just like he did seventeen years ago on that golden beach. He whispered, "Let''s go; we''ll never be apart again."
She looked back one more time.
I have to go, my child. Don''t cry; Mom is very happy now.
A golden, warm light gently enveloped her, and the boy''s figure gradually faded away.
In the worker''s dormitory of the Number 3 mining area, Tianyang stared in disbelief at his mother in his arms, who had just passed away.
Hot tears fell like raindrops onto her face, streaked with dirt. Sheid there with her eyes closed, her expression peaceful, a faint smile lingering at the corner of her lips.
As if she had fallen asleep.
But her gradually cooling body revealed the harsh reality.
She would never wake up again.
Tianyang clutched his chest, feeling as if a thousand knives were cutting into his flesh and scraping his bones.
"Ah!" He let out a heart-wrenching cry, and his eyes, red with tears, turned toward the male supervisor standing nearby. He reached for abat rifle within his reach.
The icy barrel pointed at the man''s head.
Kill him!
Kill him!
Kill him!
His trembling hand held the rifle, and the mes of anger within him searched for an outlet. All it took was pulling the trigger to release the pent-up fury.
But at that moment, in his teary and blurred vision, he saw his mother''s stern face.
So, he slowly lowered the gun.
Gently cing his mother on the ground, Tianyang stood up and walked toward the supervisor.
"You should thank the woman you insulted a moment ago; she asked me never to let hatred rule me. Don''t take out your anger on innocent people. Obviously, she has nothing to do with you. So, you''ve been given a second chance at life."
The supervisor sighed with relief, looking at Nanfei''s lifeless body.
"But..." Tianyang continued, "the injuries on her back, were they caused by you?"
The supervisor stammered, unable to deny, "Yes... it was me. Please forgive me, sir; I didn''t mean it. I just... I just..."
"Which hand did you use to whip her?"
The supervisor hesitated but finally raised his right hand.
Thebat rifle was raised, and a beam of light shot through his shoulder, creating a hole that pierced through.
The man screamed in agony and fell to the ground. Tianyang, with a swift kick to the man''s face, left him with a broken nose.
Tianyang then turned to the person in charge.
"You are responsible for the minefield. You should know who sent her to the minefield, right?"
Yingqi, sweating profusely, said, "Listen to me, Lieutenant. I''m only in charge of managing the minefield, and as for who brought the people here, I..."
A beam of light pierced through his shoulder.
Tianyang aimed the rifle at the man''s heart. "I need answers. Think carefully before you speak next time."
Yingqi clutched his shoulder, wanting to argue, but the rifle''s menacing presence discouraged him.
Suddenly, Tianyang''smunicator rang, and a voice came through, "This is Ling Feng. Listen to me, Tianyang, put down your gun."
At that moment, in the Lighthouse Base office, Ling Feng held themunicator, looking at the holographic screen. On the screen was the pale face of Yingqi.
Tianyang''s voice came through themunicator, sounding agitated, "This is my own business, General."
Ling Feng spoke firmly, "As long as you''re a Night Walker, this is not just your business."
Tianyang''s voice suddenly turned urgent. "They killed my mother!"
Ling Feng nodded. "I already know. In front of you, it''s just a minor yer. Even if you kill him, he won''t know who sent your mother to the minefield. Now, put down your gun. If you don''t object, hand your mother''s body over to me. I will have a medical examination done to determine the cause of her death and establish responsibility."
"At the same time, I will have an investigation conducted. Within three days, I will tell you who did this. And I promise you, no matter who is responsible, the Night Walkers will get to the bottom of it."
There was a moment of silence from the other end of themunicator.
After a few seconds, the muzzle of thebat rifle aimed at Yingqi was finally lowered.
"Can I trust you, General Ling?" Tianyang asked.
Ling Feng picked up themunicator and said, "You can trust me."
"Alright."
After setting down themunicator, Ling Feng took off his sses and banged his fist on the desk.
The desk shattered into pieces.
He raised his head, his gaze like a de, and looked at Linyang. "Investigate and find out who''s behind this. I suspect I already know who did it, but we need concrete evidence."
The deputy officer nodded and saluted. "Understood!"
Chapter 45 - Regrets
Chu Yan''s recent mood wasn''t very good, and for this old man, it had been a long time since he felt truly at ease. Ever since he took on the position of Night Walker Commander, his mood has never been quite right.
After all, there were just too many issues to deal with¡ªexploring the Inverse Realm, fortress administrative duties, and interacting with all sorts of people to ensure that the Night Walkers received their due resources and budget.
If he had a choice, the old man would prefer to lead his team on expeditions into the Inverse Realm rather than dealing with the various individuals and their hidden agendas. He''d rather face dark creatures; at least they were straightforward, a matter of life or death.
Sitting in themander''s seat meant dealing with countless calctions of gains and losses, slowly wearing down his patience, which had never been abundant.
Chu Yan enjoyed the night.
During the night, there were fewer things to worry about. He could sit alone on the terrace of his home, feeling the breeze or tending to the nts and flowers.
So when his wife informed him that someone was calling him, Chu Yan merely grunted, "I''m not seeing anyone."
His wife, Song Qiao, had been with him for over forty years, and she knew her husband''s temper better than anyone.
"Oh, it''s from Ling Feng," Song Qiao deliberately mentioned, giving her husband a knowing look.
Sure enough, Chu Yan turned around and said, "What? If it''s Ling Feng, you should have said so earlier. Don''t waste time; it''s crucial. I only scold you because I care!"
Song Qiao covered her mouth, amused, and said, "I know, I know, you''re the Commander, and you can make anyone confess. I''m no exception."
"Hmph!"
Chu Yan entered his study, where a holographic screen disyed Ling Feng pacing back and forth.
"What is it? Must you call me in the middle of the night? Can''t you handle it yourself?" Chu Yan had only one daughter and no sons, and he treated Ling Feng as if he were his own. He knew the young man''s abilities well, and he wouldn''t have called him at this hour unless it was a significant matter.
"Commander, do you remember the young man who recently awakened a new ss?" Ling Feng asked.
Chu Yan packed his pipe with tobo and replied, "Yes, I remember. I''ve already discussed it with the City Lord. He approved the additional budget, and we should receive it within a couple of weeks."
Ling Feng shook his head. "No, Commander, it''s not about the budget. That young man, Tianyang, his mother just had an ident. She died in the ck Mine!"
Chu Yan paused, his tone filled with anger. "What? Was his mother deliberately harmed?"
Ling Feng sighed, "It''s highly likely. Although we don''t have solid evidence yet, it appears that she was brought to the ck Mine unexpectedly. Despite only spending a few days there, she didn''t survive. This has had a significant impact on Tianyang. I''ve already ordered Linyang to investigate and find out who is responsible. My concern is, if the culprit is who I suspect, given Tianyang''s temperament, this matter won''t end peacefully. If there''s a confrontation, the Night Walkers..."
Chu Yan seemed to understand and he stood up like an angry lion. "What? She was killed by someone?"
Ling Feng looked somewhat surprised but replied, "Most likely, Commander, although I don''t have concrete evidence yet. I''ve given orders to identify the mastermind. I just wanted to make sure you were aware of the situation."
Chu Yan seemed to understand. He sat back and lit his cigarette. "Are there many people who have objections to us Night Walkers? But after so many years, we are still standing today. Ling Feng, remember what I said, Night Walkers, the reason why we are so strong is because we treat every member like family."
"Understood, Commander," Ling Feng saluted and was about to disappear from the holographic screen.
But Chu Yan interrupted the general staff officer, "Wait, what is the name of Tianyang''s mother?"
Ling Feng''s eyes shed with surprise, but he still replied, "Nanfei, do you have any questions?"
"No." Chu Yan waved his hand. "That''s it. I''m tired. You can handle it from here. In short, find out the mastermind and tell me if you encounter any difficulties."
"Okay, Commander." He saluted again, and Ling Feng''s image disappeared.
Chu Yan exhaled a smoke ring. "Nanfei? Could it be that Nanfei... If so, this young boy, Tianyang, would be..."
With this thought in mind, Chu Yan opened a privatemunicator, sending a message, [Check and see how many women named Nanfei are in the fortress.]
Ten minutester, he received a response, [Understood.]
Finally, after a fruitless search in his office, Chu Yan called out in exasperation, "Olddy, where did you put those documents that Ling Feng sentst time?"
Well, searching for things had always been the Commander''s weakness.
...
When he returned home, it was alreadyte at night. Tianyang looked like a soulless shell as he mechanically dismounted from his electromaic motorcycle. He opened the door but didn''t bother to close it; he just slumped into a chair.
He stared at the ceiling, his eyes empty.
Half an hour after endingmunication with Ling Feng, a fortress hospital vehicle rushed to the ck Mine. They had taken his mother''s body away and said they would provide the autopsy report within a few days.
After the hospital vehicle left, Tianyang felt lost, and he couldn''t even remember how he got back home.
Even now, he had a surreal feeling as though his mother would walk through that door tomorrow and start nagging at him to process his Night Walker retirement papers.
But he knew that was impossible.
His mother... was truly gone.
The bewildered young man walked into Nanfei''s bedroom. He carefully folded the nket hanging over the bed, spreading it t on the pillow.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Tianyang saw a photograph.
A solo picture of Nanfei.
The photo was taken ten years ago, and he remembered it clearly. At that time, he had borrowed a camera from Kaidi and eagerly wanted to take a photo for his mother.
Nanfei had initially resisted, but she eventually allowed him to take a reluctant shot.
In the photograph, his mother, in her thirties, had a stern expression, and there were faint scars on her forehead and arms.
The scar on her arm dated back to when he was seven, as he had knocked over a ss, causing the shards to cut her when she shielded him from it.
The scar on her forehead was from when he was nine. A group of children nearby had been fighting with him, and although Nanfei had driven them away, he was still hit by a stone in the process.
Looking at the photograph, Tianyang suddenly realized how much his mother had done for him and how many wounds she had suffered for his sake.
But he had never apologized to her after theirst argument.
And now, there would be no opportunity.
Some things, once missed, could never be remedied, only remembered with regret.
In the dimly lit shack, with no lights, only the sound of choked sobs filled the air¡
Chapter 46 - Mastermind
A loudmotion woke Tianyang, who realized he had spent the previous night sleeping in his mother''s room. He got up from the floor, feeling a bit heavy-headed, his temples throbbing ufortably.
"Tianyang, Tianyang!"
Kaidi''s voice came from the living room, and indeed, it was him. The owner of the Volcano Bar was wearing a coat with bandages and gauze wrapped around his chest, assisted by a young man of simr age to Tianyang.
Seeing Tianyang, Kaidi cheerfully said, "Xiao Si told me your door was open, and there was a unicycle parked outside. I knew you were back. So, how was it in the ck Minest night? Did you find Nanfei?"
Tianyang''s expression was dim, and he nodded quietly.
Kaidi''s body trembled slightly, and he turned back slowly, facing away from Tianyang. He said, "Where did she go? Did she not like working at the bar? It''s okay; you tell her that she can do whatever she likes; I can change my career."
"Kaidi..."
"If she thinks I''m clumsy and wants to leave, it''s alright. I''ve earned some money over the years, and I can invest it in a business for her. With her frail health, where can she go? Don''t you agree, Tianyang?"
Tianyang shook his head forcefully. "Kaidi, my mother... she''s already..."
"Don''t say it!"
Kaidi shouted loudly, then his shoulders slumped. "Don''t say it; it can''t be... she can''t be gone."
Tianyang closed his eyes and spoke in a low voice, "She''s gone. When I arrived, she was severely injured. She took herst breath in my arms, and it''s hard to ept, even more so for me. But Kaidi, she''s gone... gone!"
"I told you not to say it!"
Kaidi suddenly pounced on him,nding a punch on the young man''s face. Tianyang stumbled back a few steps, hitting the metal sheeting of the shack, and causing the roof to buzz loudly.
The young man''s face slowly swelled on one side, and Tianyang lowered his head, with his silver-white hair falling over his eyes, concealing his lifeless gaze.
Kaidi gripped his shoulders tightly. "Who did this? Which scumbag did it? Tell me, I''ll..."
"What are you going to do?"
"Of course, I''m going to avenge her!" Kaidi roared like an angry beast, and flecks of spittle flew onto Tianyang''s face.
Tianyang looked at him and said, "You can''t do this."
Kaidi''s eyes were bloodshot. "Why not? I''ve liked her since I was a kid. Even though she never showed any interest, in my heart, she''s my woman. If anyone dares to harm my woman, I''ll make them pay!"
He pushed Tianyang away. "If you won''t tell me, I''ll investigate it myself. I don''t believe that I can''t even find a lead!"
A hand grabbed Kaidi''s shoulder.
"What are you doing? Let go!"
Tianyang shook his head and said, "I can''t let you go and get yourself killed."
Kaidi spun around like a whirlwind. "So, you want me to do nothing like you?"
The young man suddenly erupted, "How do you know I haven''t done anything?!"
"If I could, I''d smash that scumbag into pieces right now! You just like her, but she''s my mother!"
Kaidi hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to say.
Tianyang panted, leaning against the wall. "Someone is already investigating. We should have news in the next couple of days. But Kaidi, the people who can throw her into the ck Mine are not the kind you can mess with. She''s gone, and I don''t want you to get into trouble too."
"So, I''ll handle her case. I''m her son; her vengeance should be mine!"
The young man raised his head, a fiery ze burning in the depths of his eyes.
After making sure that he wouldn''t take any reckless actions, Kaidi left. Tianyang remained in the shack, staring at themunication device for the next two days.
Themunication device remained silent.
Until the evening of the third day, when themunication device rang and the voice of Ling Feng came through, "Tianyang, are you there?"
Tianyang immediately grabbed themunication device and said, "I''m here."
"We have news."
Ling Feng paused for a moment and then said, "Do you remember Qin Wu?"
A bolt of lightning suddenly struck Tianyang''s mind, and he breathed heavily, trying to keep his tone as calm as possible. "Is it Qin Wu''s family who did this?"
"Yes, his father is Qin Jie, the director of the Third Public Security Office in the Upper City. Lin Yang found that when you were on a mission, he used framing tactics to ce fortress-controlled items in your home and falsely used your mother of breaking thew. He even bribed an inspector and bypassed the inspection procedures, sending your mother to the ck Mine in half a day."
Tianyang''s breathing became heavy, and the veins in his hand bulged as he clenched themunication device, almost crushing it.
"Listen to me, Tianyang. Leave this matter to us. Qin Jie is not only an upper-ss citizen but also holds an official position. You can''t act impulsively. I can assure you that he will face the consequences he deserves. Do you hear me, Tianyang?!"
Tianyang exhaled a hot breath and gently turned off themunication device. He stood up, found the eye mask he had used before, and put it back on to cover his tactical eye.
He went into the kitchen, gathered all the ingredients he could find, and cooked them. He didn''t care about the taste; the young man silently ate.
This was the first meal he had eaten in three days.
He didn''t eat quickly; he even chewed slowly, ensuring that every bite of food could be converted into energy.
After finishing his meal, Tianyang put on his armor and took his rifle. He didn''t go for the Night Walker uniform hanging on the wall. He left like that, driving to the Volcano Bar.
The Volcano Bar wasn''t open, but the lights were on inside. Tianyang knocked on the door.
The door opened, and Kaidi looked at him.
Tianyang calmly said, "I need a knife; the sharper, the better."
"Come in."
Kaidi pulled him inside, then disappeared into the back warehouse. There was a sound of heavy objects being moved, and after a while, the bar owner returned.
In his hand was a knife.
He ced the knife on the table and said, "This is a good one. I got it from East Street, and I regrly maintain it. Give it a try."
Tianyang swung the knife a few times; the feel was not as good as his previous particlebat knife, and the quality was also not as high, but it was more than enough for the purpose of cutting.
He slung the knife over his back and turned to leave.
Kaidi watched him go, then took out a bottle of strong liquor from the cupboard and took a deep sip.
Then he grinned.
He knew what Tianyang was about to do, and Kaidi chuckled. "She''s the woman I liked, and even her son has this much courage!"
Chapter 47 - Dissuasion
Dun, dun, dun¡
On the stove, a high pot emitted a fragrant aroma. Next to it, a boy about eleven or twelve years old looked at the potatoes and chicken in the pot; his mouth was watering.
He looked at the girl wearing an apron and asked, "Sister, when can we eat?"
Xun was in the process of turning off the fire and preparing to te the food from the high pot. She replied, "I''ve already told you, we have important guestsing tonight. We can eat once they arrive."
The boy wore a worried expression as he gazed at the table not far away, filled with many delicious dishes. Steamed fish, stir-fried meat and vegetables, cold dishes drizzled with sesame oil, and now this potato and chicken dish.
The boy had never had such a sumptuous dinner in his life.
Since returning from the Inversion, Xun, now an Ascender, has gained significant attention from the Fortress.
Her father, who had been bedridden, was taken to the medical center in the Upper City the day after her return. A caregiver was even arranged for him. Even though Xun hadn''t gone to the hospital, her father was receiving excellent care.
Luo Shan had also granted her 2,000 Contribution Points, which was a substantial amount for Xun.
Furthermore, as a perk of being an Ascender, her Upper Citizen identity had already been processed. An application for an apartment in the Upper City was in progress, and when it was ready, Xun could allocate two slots to move into the Upper City apartment.
Everything was progressing positively.
The more this happened, the more grateful Xun felt toward Tianyang. If it weren''t for him, she might have suffered humiliation from Zhou Wang, and her life could have taken a different turn.
So, Xun proactively invited Tianyang to her house for tonight. She had even taken a day off and began preparations early in the morning.
After cing the potato and chicken dish on the table, Xun checked the clock. It was gettingte, and she wondered if he had arrived yet.
Seeing a table full of delicious food but being unable to eat, the boyid on the table and said, "Sister, why isn''t your boyfriend here yet?"
Xun''s face turned bright red, and she scolded, "Xiao Jie, don''t talk nonsense, or I won''t give you any food!"
The boy named Xiao Jie immediately covered his mouth, afraid of saying anything that might cause him to miss the sumptuous meal tonight.
Xun took off her apron, walked out of the house, and looked around the street.
Near the street, there were two men, disguised as beggars, and a drunkard. However, Xun knew they were the guards arranged by Luo Shan.
Every Ascender, as part of the shining elite, was worth the Fortress''s full attention, especially after the incident with Zhou Wang. Luo Shan didn''t dare to take any risks.
Apart from these two guards, the street was unusually empty, and Xun gazed at the intersection, expecting that the figure she was waiting for would appear any second.
But she didn''t know that Tianyang was currently driving to the Upper City. So, their evening appointment was bound to be missed.
In the Upper City, at Qin Residence, Qin Jie stood on the balcony, looking at the clean and well-kept streets below. The green belts on both sides were a sight the Lower Citycked, and the tranquil environment was a symbol of luxury.
As a family established for over 50 years, they had reached the fourth generation. Except for the first-generation patriarch, there had been no Ascenders in the Qin family for the past two generations, including Qin Jie.
In Qin Wu''s generation, Qin Jie didn''t have high expectations. He just hoped that his son could secure a minor official position. Father and son struggled, aiming to earn ten thousand Contribution Points each year to maintain the family''s standing and rted rights.
However, just half a year after sending his son to the mining team, trouble arose.
Not only did his son die, but the one who killed him was just a newly awakened young kid!
Qin Jie couldn''t swallow this indignation.
It wasn''t just the death of his son that bothered him; it was the looming possibility of the Qin family''s decline.
Therefore, despite Lin Yang warning him not to seek revenge, Qin Jie acted.
At the thought of throwing that kid''s mother into the ck Mine, a cruel smile crept onto Qin Jie''s lips.
He knew very well that no woman could survive in a ce like the ck Mine, especially since he had bribed the ck Mine''s management. As he expected, the woman had died three days ago.
Later, he heard that a youth named "Tianyang" had infiltrated the ck Mine at night. Qin Jie was somewhat surprised, but he had anticipated this situation.
Paper couldn''t cover fire, and sooner orter, the truth woulde out.
Qin Jie wasn''t worried that Tianyang would seek revenge. On the contrary, he was waiting for that kid toe and meet his doom.
Yes, meet his doom!
In the seemingly calm Qin Residence, eight experienced, cunning, and ruthless Prospectorsid in ambush. These were people who had ventured into the Inversion and survived¡ªtrue desperadoes.
They were willing to do anything for the right price, and most importantly, they were willing to risk their lives and dared to do so!
In addition, Qin Jie had hired a Level 3 Ascender, despite the man''s infamous reputation. Hiring him damaged Qin Jie''s reputation when the news got out, but he couldn''t care less about that now.
But Qin Jie''s trump card wasn''t the Prospectors or the Ascender; it was his position as the head of the Third Security Division!
Yes, he wasn''t an Ascender, but he was, after all, a government official, and the Security Division itself was a violent institution. So, when necessary, Qin Jie could mobilize personnel from his division. If Tianyang showed any signs of aggression, Qin Jie could openly take thew into his own hands!
Thinking of this, a wide smile spread across Qin Jie''s face.
"Come on, kid. I''ll make you realize that a freshly awakened Ascender is actually nothing. You will pay a steep price for your recklessness!"
Suddenly, footsteps sounded from behind, and an elderly man who appeared to be a steward spoke softly, "Master, we''ve just received a message from the city checkpoint. The young man is driving alone and has already entered the Upper City."
Qin Jie''s eyes shone with excitement, and he rubbed his hands eagerly, speaking with a voice that only he could hear, "Son, did you hear that? That kid is on his way. You just wait; I''ll send him to apologize to you!"
...
After entering the Upper City, the number of streetlights suddenly increased, providing ample illumination and allowing Tianyang to see every corner clearly.
He switched to autopilot mode, opened the navigation system, and entered Qin Jie''s name.
Soon, the location of the Qin Residence appeared clearly on the interface. He set the destination for the Qin family, and the motorcycle made a turn at the next intersection.
Then Tianyang saw them.
Ling Feng! Han Shu! Lao Xu! Cang Du! Ji Yu!
Tianyang had to stop the motorcycle because they had blocked several cars,pleting the blockade.
Soon, two more cars arrived from behind, sealing off the route.
Tianyang''s gaze fell on Ling Feng. He hadn''t expected that Ling Feng, who was far away at the Lighthouse Base, would especially return.
"Director Ling, please make way." Tianyang''s tone was calm, but the moreposed he appeared, the more it conveyed the sense that beneath that calm exterior was a volcano about to erupt.
Ling Feng adjusted his sses and took a few steps forward. "Tianyang, it''s not toote to stop now. Compared to you, Qin Jie is just a minor yer. You don''t need to take risks for someone like him. I''ll say it again, let the Nightwalkers handle it. We can go through the proper legal process to bring him to justice."
Chapter 48 - No Compromise
After hearing Ling Feng''s words, Tianyang''s expression remained unchanged. "I have to go, Director Ling."
Ling Feng seemed to have anticipated this response and didn''t react much. However, Cang Du, the man with a ponytail, had a change in his expression and seemed ready to scold Tianyang for his apparent stubbornness.
On the other hand, Han Shu raised his hand and shook his head, restraining the ponytailed young man''s about-to-be-uttered words. Cang Du reluctantly held back his words.
Ling Feng lightly adjusted his sses and began to speak slowly. "Do you know what I¡¯ll do? Allow me to extrapte the likely course of events for you. If I allow you to go, you will face an ambush by eight experienced Prospectors. They are all seasoned professionals who have no qualms about killing. Even if you can get past them, you will encounter a level-3 Ascender."
"A level-3 Ascender may not be invincible, but they are not pushovers either. They may not have an overwhelmingly advantageous position, but they still pose a significant threat to you."
"But the danger doesn''t stop there. Qin Jie is the head of the Third Security Division. If I were him, I could easily use my authority to mobilize personnel from the Security Division. While they don''t have Ascenders, they are well-equipped, with over 30 members in their team. When you''re exhausted, they can easily take you out on the spot."
Ling Feng continued, observing the young man''s expression. He found that Tianyang remained unfazed.
Furthermore, Ling Feng said, "Even if you manage to defeat Qin Jie under these harsh conditions, what''s next? You would have openly attacked a Fortress official in the Upper City. Even if Qin Jie provoked you first, ording to Fortressws, you would still face consequences. Of course, no matter what, the Night Walkers would have your back. But do you know what kind of price we would have to pay, especially with the growing voices against us within the Fortress?"
Ling Feng paused and then said in a serious tone, "Even with all of this in mind, are you still determined to go?"
Tianyang lowered his gaze, showing a contemtive expression. After a moment, he unslung his assault rifle and started removing his defensive armor. "I must go, but tonight, I am not a member of the Night Walkers. I am just an ordinary Fortress citizen from the Lower City."
"Nonsense!" Ling Feng naturally understood that Tianyang''s actions were his way of taking personal responsibility and not dragging the Night Walkers into this. However, he had said so much not to dissociate the young man from the Night Walkers.
"Tianyang, why must ite to this? Just give us one more week, no, just three days! With three days, I can guarantee that Qin Jie will end up in prison, spending the rest of his life in the ck Mine. For him, that would be even worse than death."
"So, you see, he''s not worth what you''re doing."
Tianyang stopped all his actions and looked at Ling Feng. "But for me, I just want him dead. Besides, Director Ling, it''s not a matter of worth. It''s a matter of necessity."
"My mother was an ordinary woman. Do you understand how difficult it was for an ordinary woman to live in the Lower City, especially when she''s principled?"
"But it''s this ordinary woman who raised me for seventeen years! Seventeen years! Can youprehend how hard her life has been? She gave me everything, her youth, her time, everything. But I couldn''t even provide her with a decent meal. Now, this is the only thing I can do for her."
"So, no matter what, I have to do this."
Ling Feng suddenly felt a sense of frustration. He had always believed in his predictions and in the idea that every action had an equivalent value. But now, the young man in front of him was overturning what he believed in.
And he couldn''t find a solution!
Behind him, Han Shu and the others were deep in thought, and Tianyang''s words had a profound impact on them. The young man didn''t have many big words or considered gains and losses like Ling Feng. He was simply doing something very straightforward, which had almost been forgotten at this age.
This was an age of transactions where almost nothing was beyond measurement andpromise. Yet this young man, even though he knew that his journey could exact a heavy price even if he seeded, refused topromise.
Perhaps to many, his approach might seem too reckless, even foolish. But when did we be so concerned about being clever in everything we do?
At this moment, Ling Feng''smunicator buzzed, and then a hoarse voice said, "Let him through."
With just this sentence, themunication signal disappeared.
Ling Feng''s mind went nk for a few seconds, then he shook his head. "Bring your armor and the Assault rifle with you. Otherwise, you''re not going for revenge; you''re going to your death!"
Tianyang was somewhat surprised and looked at Ling Feng.
Ling Feng took a step back, giving Tianyang space, and said, "The Ascender hired by Qin Jie is named Qu Gao, a Hunter, a level-3 master sniper. Don''t expect him to engage you in a fair duel. That guy has a terrible reputation and is capable of anything. He will definitely make a move from the shadows, either the moment you step into Qin''s residence or during your struggle with the Prospectors. If you want revenge, don''t let him take you out."
After re-donning his armor, Tianyang removed the knife that Kaidi had given him from his back and tossed it to Cang Du. "Keep this for now, and I''ll swap it when I return."
With the knife secured, Tianyang started his motorcycle and passed by them. He switched to autopilot mode and let the EM carry him to the Qin Residence.
Cang Du held the knife in his hands, expressing a sense of disdain. "Who cares about your piece of junk?!"
*EM- Electromaic Motorcycle
Chapter 49 - Formulating a Plan
As Tianyang traveled on the road towards the Qin Residence, he observed his surroundings. Surprisingly, there were fewer vehicles and pedestrians on the road, especially as he approached the Qin Residence. While it was typical for the Fortress to have fewer people out at night, it seemed unusually sparse.
This situation was likely a result of the Night Walkers'' intervention. Perhaps they had already started implementing road control measures out of sight. The young man''s thoughts began to wander, and hismunicator rang.
He checked it and received two images; one was a picture of the sniper master, a man named Qu Gao, who was surprisingly short in stature. He looked like he had used various parts to modify his rifle, not aiming for simplicity and portability like the usual Assault rifle. It appeared to be a custom job, likely assembled from variousponents.
If there were no surprises, this rifle might not even be aplete factory-made product but rather a custom creation by Qu Gao.
Tianyang carefully examined the sniper''s appearance in the image, bald, thin lips, small eyes, and, notably, six fingers on his left hand. These characteristics were easy to remember, even without looking at the notes under the picture.
The other image was of Qin Jie, a middle-aged man nearing fifty. He was dressed in a neatly tailored dark uniform, and his facial features resembled Qin Wu to a significant extent. With just one look, Tianyang knew that he was his target for the night.
Tianyang received a text message, [Delete after viewing.]
The young man memorized the appearance of Qu Gao and Qin Jie, then deleted the information and photos.
His motorcycle''s navigation system signaled that the next intersection would lead to the area where the Qin Residence was located. Before reaching the intersection, Tianyang stopped, drove his bike to a nearby small square, parked it, and surveyed his surroundings.
This ce was no longer the central area of the Upper City, but it was surprisingly spacious, with hardly any high-rise buildings in sight. Only the circr skyline of the Fortress loomed in the distance like a night sky. Tianyang knew that this area was reserved for the families affiliated with the Fortress. Each family was allocated residence space based on its influence or power, and the smallest house in this ce came with a garden and a garage. The size of these residences could easily amodate ten households or more from the Lower City.
Despite such spacious living areas, the buildings here didn¡¯t exceed three stories at most. Most of them were two-story houses. This illustrated the extravagance of upper-ss citizens, especially those with family affiliations.
Using his tactical electronic eye, Tianyang observed the distribution of buildings in the vicinity. In this open area without many obstacles, it was dangerous for both snipers and their targets. As a target, entering the sniper''s hunting range would almost guarantee discovery. Likewise, for a sniper, without cover or obstacles, if the opponent found their sniping position, they would likely have only one shot.
Of course, even in this situation, the sniper still held the upper hand. After all, for someone to attack a sniper, they needed to withstand the first shot and have sufficient speed to threaten the sniper.
In conclusion, despite therge difference in power between the two sides, the main goal was to eliminate the most significant obstacles. Only then would Tianyang go all out to kill his primary target without wasting energy on other individuals or issues.
Tianyang stared at the street in the distance and thought about where Qu Gao might be hiding. He realized that it was likely within the Qin Residence. It was the only way to ensure that the battle wouldn''t involve other families'' residences.
Tianyang scanned the environment of the Qin Residence through his electronic device and identified several potential sniper positions outside the residence. However, considering visibility and transfer issues, he selected several locations that might serve as sniper positions.
But this was the Upper City, and it was within a family''s territory. If Qin Jie had anymon sense left, he wouldn''t let this battle spread to other families. Otherwise, other families would demand responsibility, even if Tianyang didn''t take him out.
In that case...
Tianyang''s gaze returned to the Qin Residence. He noted the parked cars in front of the main building, the guards walking around with dogs, and the various elements within the estate.
He didn''t spot Qu Gao, even though he had activated thermal imaging mode. This suggested that Qu Gao had countermeasures against thermal imaging or was wearing equipment to inste heat.
However, Tianyang did notice a red figure seated in a small living room on the second floor of the main building. Unfortunately, the thermal imaging couldn''t reveal the person''s identity, so he couldn''t be sure if it was Qin Jie.
Tianyang retracted his gaze, closed his eyes, and began to envision the uing actions.
Ten minutester, he slid down from the sculpture in the square.
Chapter 50 - Sniper Master
Qu Gao sat on the cold and hard terrace floor, leaning against the terrace''smp post. His camouge suit blended him almost seamlessly with the surrounding vegetation, effectively preventing his body heat from leaking out. This way, even if the enemy had thermal imaging equipment, they wouldn''t see him.
Qu Gao had carefully selected this sniper position. Snipers usually aimed for the most concealed spots. However, Qu Gao had his own sniper philosophy, such as this position in the light, which most people would instinctively ignore. Most people blindly believed that an ambusher would never expose themselves in in sight. Qu Gao exploited this psychological blind spot, which was why he chose this location. This practice allowed him toplete many nearly impossible missions.
At this moment, Qu Gao held his customized sniper rifle, breathing steadily. He had been in this position for nearly two hours, and he showed no signs of impatience. Patience was a fundamental trait for every sniper, and Qu Gao excelled in this regard.
At the age of 49, he was considered old among Ascender individuals. When he awakened as a Hunter at the age of 18, he was full of youthful enthusiasm, believing he could conquer the world. It took him three years to umte enough progress to advance to a Level 2 Hunter. During the same period, some achieved Level 1, and others reached Level 3 in their third year.
Qu Gao finally realized that, while he was lucky to awaken, his innate talent was abysmal. It took him three years to progress from Hunter to Level 2 Hunter.
To be a Level 3 Sniper Master, he spent a whole twelve years. Yet, even now, he remained a Sniper Master. Although he had reached the maximum progress for his current level, every advancement beyond Level 3 required an "Ascender Medium."
Each level and tier of advancement required different Ascender Mediums,posed of multiple materials. To elevate his rank, Qu Gao began topromise his principles, bing ruthless andpromising his integrity. This rapid decline in reputation was unfortunate, but as a Level 3 Ascender, he didn''t possess much reputation to begin with.
In any case, despite using any means necessary, Qu Gao was still missing two Ascender Mediums. One of them was the Star Substance Crystal, a strategic resource in almost every fortress. To obtain one, there were a few options:
- Join a Fortress system, serve, earn contribution points, and exchange them.
- Be recognized by a Fortress system for outstanding contributions and receive rewards.
- Purchase from the ck market without any prerequisites, as long as you could meet the seller''s price.
Regrettably, Qu Gao didn''t meet any of these conditions. As a person who had lost all reputation, he couldn''t gain recognition from any Fortress system. Moreover, he couldn''t meet the sellers'' demands in the ck market. When he arrived in Eastern Bay Fortress City as a Prospector, he learned about the job offered by Qin Jie.
Normally, no one would ept this job against the Ascender members of the Night Walkers. They were the official Ascender group of the Qianghai Bay Fortress, and opposing them meant risking being banned from the fortress. However, for a person like Qu Gao, this didn''t matter, as he had no intention of staying in the fortress.
The Eastern Bay Fortress City had more than thirty fortresses, even if he lost one, there were over twenty more to explore. However, the young man named Tianyang had yet to appear. Not exactly anxious, but Qu Gao wanted to end this as soon as possible. Lying on a soft bed was much better than sitting here. Just then, without any warning, a beam of light shot from the street outside the Qin Residence.
The beam prated the virtually defenseless perimeter wall, hitting a vehicle parked in the front courtyard of the main building. The vehicle''s fuel tank exploded, creating a vibrant orange fireball. Fragments of the vehicle scattered violently, causing the windows of the main building to shatter in quick session.
The sudden explosion made Qu Gao''s heart skip a beat. The opponent had used this method to start the attack, far beyond his expectations.
What was even more surprising was the following attack. Energy beams struck the Qin Residence at a high frequency, aiming at the second floor of the main building. From the rate of fire from the energy beams, a certain type of Star Substance firearm came to Qu Gao''s mind.
Assault rifle!
This was a rifle capable of full-auto fire with a high rate of fire, making it a useful tool against low-level Citizens. Using it to attack a building, especially a high-end residence like the main building with minimal defenses, was incredibly straightforward.
The exterior wall of the Qin Residence, covered in beautiful tiles, couldn''t withstand the high-frequency fire. Within seconds, the energy beams broke through the exterior wall. The second floor of the main building was exposed to the threat of the energy beams. Qu Gao, situated on the terrace, could feel the main building shaking. He felt like he was sitting on a volcano.
Although Qu Gao knew that Qin Jie had prepared a decoy on the second floor to lure the intruder further into the mansion, he had positioned himself in a safer location. However, the focused assault by the intruder put the main building at risk of copse. If Qin Jie got buried, Qu Gao wouldn''t receive his payment.
Thinking of this, Qu Gao quickly crouched on the ground and extended his sniper rifle through the bushes. His electronic device easily spotted someone on the other side of the street behind themppost, propping up the assault rifle toward this direction.
However, due to the angle, Qu Gao couldn''t see the person clearly, and even the rifle was only partially visible. But behind themppost, Qu Gao noticed a piece of clothing.
He smiled. Just amppost wouldn''t defeat him.
To ensure sess, he loaded an armor-piercing round into his sniper rifle. He adjusted his aim, locking onto the position of the person behind themppost, and fired.
In the dark night, a faint red line traced the bullet''s trajectory. The armor-piercing round easily pierced themppost, silencing the assault rifle immediately.
Qu Gao breathed a sigh of relief, but just at that moment, he heard a loud, booming sound as an object tore through the air at high speed!
Chapter 51 - Miscalculation
War God Level individuals, even the highly ranked Ascender individuals, might possess exceptionalbat prowess, capable of taking on an entire army single-handedly. However, War God Level individuals were never known for their speed, and the sudden burst of speed that produced that roaring sound indicated something far beyond ordinary¡ªsomeone had transitioned from a standstill to an incredible speed in an impossibly short time.
Among the known Ascender tiers, Hunters were generally considered the swiftest. But even they couldn''t elerate to top speed in the blink of an eye.
Qu Gao''s heart raced as he rose to his feet, all the while cursing Qin Jie in his mind.
"Damn it, this is no War God-Level! Qin Jie, that bastard, had inurate intelligence!"
In the corner of his eye, a sh of light descended, and the fine hairs on Qu Gao''s neck bristled. He rolled, feeling a sudden chill graze his scalp.
He hadn''t even had time to see what the opponent looked like before he was able to pull the trigger, but then he found himself in a predicament. The barrel of his sniper rifle had been sliced off, rendering his handcrafted sniper rifle into nothing more than scrap metal.
Amid the glimmers of silver, Qu Gao finally saw a silver-haired youth holding an oddly shaped sword. The youth emitted a silvery glow from the visible outeryer of Star Substance, and as he stood on the ground, his figure blurred.
Reaching behind him, Qu Gao retrieved a tactical knife from his belt, and with a sense of touch, he thrust it forward.
Did it hit?
Qu Gao felt a hint of surprise, but then he felt a sudden coldness around his neck, and his eyes widened.
The blurry figure of the youth became clear, and that was when Qu Gao realized that the headless body he saw was his own. It was hisst moment of consciousness...
It was only then that Tianyang exhaled, taking a step back and covering the area where Qu Gao''s de had struck him.
Fortunately, the knife didn''t seem to be poisoned; otherwise, he would have been in trouble.
Qu Gao wouldn''t know that the assault rifle behind themppost was firing without anyone controlling it. Tianyang had merely fixed the trigger to keep it firing in full-auto mode.
For the sake of making Qu Gao believe he was hiding behind themppost, Tianyang even took off his clothes and let a piece of fabric peek out from behind themppost to create the illusion.
The purpose of this act was to pinpoint Qu Gao''s location. When the assault rifle continued its relentless attack on the main building and, presumably, Qin Jie''s potential location, Qu Gao would definitely shoot to protect his employer. However, in doing so, he would expose his sniper position.
At that moment, Tianyang, who had already moved to a different location after setting up the rifle, would have the opportunity to strike Qu Gao while he was in the open.
As expected, Qu Gao, the master sniper, was also skilled in closebat. To avoid any future surprises, Tianyang opted to trade a wound for Qu Gao''s life. He lunged at Qu Gao, who barely had time to raise his gun, and their des shed.
Qu Gao made a miscalction here. His location limited his mobility. He underestimated Tianyang''s speed, allowing the youth to get dangerously close. Furthermore, he underestimated Tianyang''s determination, leading to Tianyang having a chance to strike him down.
If the location and timing were different, it might have been Tianyang lying lifeless at this moment. Unfortunately, in this world, there was no room for "what ifs."
Tianyang briefly tended to his wound and then picked up his sword, named "Springwater," and headed for the entrance to the terrace.
Through his tactical eyes, he spotted a shadow lurking behind the door.
Tianyang raised Springwater, using it as a makeshift javelin, and hurled it with all his might.
The sword, with its astonishing length, tore through the air and easily pierced the door, impaling the ambushers on the other side, who were employees of Qin Jie.
At this moment, Qin Jie was in his study. The long table in front of him was covered in dust from the recent barrage of gunfire that had shaken the mansion.
Hasty footsteps could be heard, and the butler pushed open the door, breathless, and said, "Sir, it''s bad news. Qu Gao... Qu Gao is dead. His head was severed!"
"You useless fool!" Qin Jie shouted. "That guy promised me that nothing would go wrong, and he was the first to die!"
He opened a drawer and took out amunicator, sending a message to his deputy in charge of security, [Act immediately!]
At that moment, gunshots could be heard continuously outside. It sounded like the shots were getting closer to his study.
Panicked, Qin Jie couldn''t wait for the deputy''s response. He grabbed themunicator and directly contacted his deputy.
This time, the deputy answered quickly.
Qin Jie practically yelled, "Bai Fei, hurry with your team! Do you hear me?"
However, on themunicator, a stranger with a calm tone responded, "He heard you, but I''m afraid it''s toote. The security team won''t be deployed."
Qin Jie was taken aback and shouted, "Who are you? How dare you use a fortress officer''smunicator?!"
The person chuckled softly. "I am Ling Feng, and if Sir Qin can''t remember for a moment, I can remind you¡ªI am the Chief of Staff of the Night Walkers. Unfortunately, because you abused power, which falsely incriminated a rtive of an Ascender individual, leading to her death in the ck Mine, the higher-ups in the fortress have decided to dismiss you from your position as the director of the Third Security Department."
Qin Jie couldn''t help but shudder; he knew that Ling Feng was right in his assertion. The Night Walkers had no jurisdiction over the City Garrison Legion, but Ling Feng had made the decision to take effect immediately.
"Furthermore," Ling Feng continued, "you do have the right to receive protection. So, I have already ordered the security team to set out. Please, Mr. Qin, hold on until the moment they arrive."
With that, themunication was cut off.
Qin Jie, like a man who had lost his soul, slumped into his chair. He knew that while the security team might have already been dispatched, by the time they arrived, his mansion would likely have already fallen.
Qin Jie mmed his fist on the table, crying out, "Why? Why? Who is that kid, and how could he make the Night Walkers act like this? It doesn''t make sense; it doesn''t make sense at all!"
Chapter 52 - Favors
The gunshots outside the study grew louder, and the butler looked at his master with concern, saying, "Sir, perhaps we should find a safe ce for now?"
Qin Jie snapped back to reality, his expression grave, and nodded. He reached under the desk and found a button.
He pressed it.
The bookshelves in the room shifted to the left, revealing a hidden passage behind them. Qin Jie and the butler entered the passage, and the bookshelves returned to their original position, sealing the exit.
Qin Jie took each step with a heavy heart, as this oue was far from his expectations. Even though he had hired a level 3 Ascender with formidablebat abilities, the fact that the Ascender was eliminated so quickly was beyond his anticipation. He had lost a significant advantage due to Night Walker''s interference. He felt fortunate that he had sent his wife and other family members away in advance; otherwise, the losses tonight would have been even more severe.
The secret passage led to the ground-floor garage. When Qin Jie pressed the button, the guards waiting in the garage had already started the car''s engine.
Qin Jie and the butler got into the car, and as the garage door began to open, two figures suddenly dropped in front of it.
Inside the car, Qin Jie''s pupils slightly contracted as he saw the two individuals. One was a silver-haired young man radiating a fierce aura, and the other was one of the eight Gold Prospectors. Qin Jie recognized the man, who was now kneeling on the ground, clutching his injured shoulder. The man was bloodied and in a precarious state.
The man looked at the young Ascender with a fearful expression and stammered, "Did I... Did I lie? This Qin fellow has a secret garage on the first floor. Can you let me go now?"
Qin Jie let out a disdainful snort. It seemed that he couldn''t trust any of the Prospectors. These individuals had no professional ethics.
Qin Jie said, "Drive and ram them!"
The driver nodded and floored the gas pedal. The armored car sped towards the garage door.
The car''s headlights illuminated Tianyang''s face as he released the wounded Gold Prospector. The longsword, Springwater, was held high above his head, and he spun it around as he rotated to the side, barely avoiding the car as it charged past.
While half-crouched on the ground, he swept his longsword horizontally, slicing through the car''s headlight and then cutting through the armored vehicle. The de''s path continued to destroy variousponents inside the car until it exited through the taillight.
This action sent a spray of metal fragments into the air, and inside the car, the butler let out a harrowing scream. His legs had been severed by Springwater, and blood was spurting out profusely.
The impact jolted Qin Jie, almost sending him flying out of the car. He was experiencing a level of disarray he hadn''t felt in his life before. Even though a Night Walker saved him, he would be the one without legs if their roles were reversed!
Due to the damage inflicted on the car by Springwater, the skilled driver couldn''t control the car anymore, and it crashed heavily into amppost. The rear of the car lifted off the ground before mming back down.
The entire car shuddered violently, and Qin Jie barely managed to crawl out from under it. He saw that the car''s other upants, the butler and the driver, were unconscious.
Qin Jie was aplete mess. He had never experienced such a chaotic situation in his life. Now, he was realizing that his once-powerful card was worthless due to Night Walker''s interference.
Frustratingly, the Gold Prospectors were not asmitted to protecting him as they were to their payment. Despite the high reward, it seemed they valued their lives more.
Qin Jie, jolted by the realization, raised his hand, holding a small and delicate pistol. Though this type of firearm had limited power and a short range, it could be lethal if it hit a vital spot. Unfortunately, Tianyang didn''t give him a chance to pull the trigger.
In a burst of lightning-fast movement, Tianyang was next to Qin Jie. He thrust Springwater into Qin Jie''s abdomen, and both the man and the sword crashed against the car.
Qin Jie screamed in agony, dropping the pistol, and the de punctured the car''s frame like a nail, pinning the fortmander to the car.
Tianyang retreated, retrieved the dropped pistol, and looked at the gasping man. He said in a low voice, "You should not have involved her. This has nothing to do with her."
Qin Jie managed to raise his head, his expression twisted into a sinister grin. "Naive. Ever since the moment you targeted my son, anyone rted to you is inevitably tied to this. Come on, kill me! But don''t expect to live an easy life!"
"Even though I''m no longer the fortmander, you attacked a family residence in the Upper City openly. The fortress will have to exin this. You''re not going to live to see it, though..."
Tianyang reached down and pressed his hand against Qin Jie''s major artery in the abdomen, confirming that he had died. Afterward, he pulled Springwater out of the car''s frame.
Without the sword''s support, Qin Jie''s lifeless body slowly slid down the car, leaving a trail of thick blood.
Tianyang looked back at Qin Jie''s house. The building would still be there tomorrow, but its owner was no longer the Qin family.
Tianyang sheathed his sword and jumped over the wall to get the sniper rifle that Qu Gao had broken. He then headed back to the square.
The streets remained eerily quiet. Despite the massive disturbance, the nearby families seemed to be turning a blind eye. Not only did they not intervene, but they also didn''t even bother to take a look.
This indicated that either the Qin family had many enemies and no one was willing to help, or Night Walker''s intervention had effectively rendered everyone blind and deaf. Tianyang was more inclined to believe thetter.
He couldn''t help but sigh. "It seems like I owe someone a big favor."
Chapter 53 - Dissatisfaction
In the small square, Tianyang retrieved his electromaic motorcycle and began to drive away. Not long into his journey, he spotted a medical vehicle parked on the roadside. Han Shu was leaning against the car, smoking a cigarette, while Cang Du paced nearby.
Upon hearing the motorcycle''s approach, both of them turned their attention toward Tianyang. He slowed down and eventually parked the motorcycle nearby.
Han Shu nced at him and opened the car door without a word, saying, "Get in!"
Tianyang didn''t resist andplied, holding Springwater in his hand. He handed it back to Cang Du, saying, "This is a good sword."
Cang Du snorted lightly through his nose and replied, "Of course."
He took Springwater and tossed Kaidi''s knife to Tianyang. With a flick of his ponytail, Cang Du turned and left.
Tianyang, holding the knife, suddenly felt that Cang Du wasn''t as unpleasant as he once thought.
"Hurry up, get in the damn car. Thanks to your mess, I''ve had a tiring night. Otherwise, I''d be rolling in bed with a beautiful woman by now!" Han Shu urged impatiently.
Tianyang quickly got into the medical vehicle. He feared that if he moved too slowly, Han Shu might take matters into his own hands.
The next day, in themand hall of the fortress, the record keeper, Cheng Xin, trembled in his seat. When he heard about the emergency meeting being called, he had a bad feeling. Indeed, besides the Storm General, several powerful figures within the fortress, including Minister Wei De of the Strategy Department, Commander Chu Yan of the Night Walkers, and Commander Cao Gang of the Iron Wall, were present once again.
Just a short while ago, these influential figures had met to discuss an issue, and now, only a few dayster, they were back. Cheng Xin couldn''t understand why these important individuals were converging again.
He cast a worried nce toward the door, silently wishing he could leave through that exit.
Bang! A fist mmed onto the table.
The old Minister of Strategy stood up, pointed angrily at Commander Chu Yan of the Night Walkers, and shouted, "Chu Yan, don''t you think you should exin to us? Last night, a Night Walker Second Lieutenant, openly attacked a family residence in the Upper City. This is a tant disregard for the fortress''ws!"
The Commander, who had a mechanical arm, idly cleaned his ear and blew air into his fingertips before responding leisurely, "Old Wei De, perhaps you have too much free timetely. Is it necessary to convene an emergency meeting just for a personal grudge?"
"Personal grudge?" Old Wei De roared like an angry lion. "This is an open challenge to the fortress''sws, Chu Yan. If the fortress can''t protect the rights of the families, why would they continue to serve the fortress?"
Chu Yan nced at him. "However, the fortress''sws also stipte that Ascenders and their families are entitled to protection. In reality, that Night Walker''s mother was thrown into the ck Mine by that Qin guy and eventually died. I don''t think the Second Lieutenant is at fault for seeking justice."
Old Wei De was fuming, but his anger was met with a calm response from Chu Yan. "Speak carefully, old man. I believe your intention in calling this meeting is to suppress the Night Walkers and implement your n to reduce the rights of Ascenders, isn''t it?"
Old Wei De sat up straight. "I may have spoken out of turn, but don''t you think that the Night Walkers have too much power? Today they can openly attack family residences in the Upper City. Who knows what they might do in the future?"
Cao Gang of the Iron Wall spoke up, "To put it simply, Minister Wei De, are you using this incident to mp down on the Night Walkers as a means to carry out your reform to reduce the rights of Ascenders?"
Old Wei De reluctantly conceded, "I may have spoken too freely, but I am aware that Ascenders upy too many resources. Don''t you think they have taken too much?"
Cao Gang pulled on his white gloves and replied calmly, "As an Ascender myself, I don''t entirely agree with your n. Each fortress city must have a certain number of Ascenders to maintain a level of deterrence. This ismon knowledge, and I believe Minister Wei De is aware of it."
Old Wei De nodded, saying, "I understand that, but I also realize that the majority of deterrencees from Ascenders with a rank of 4 or higher. I n to elevate the rights of Ascenders with a rank of 4 or higher while reducing the rights of those below that level."
"Since Commander Cao is also an Ascender, then you should know. Ascenders below rank 4, their roles are not irreceable. But the resources they consume and the power the fortress grants them have already exceeded their intrinsic value."
"This point is also a key source of dissatisfaction among ordinary people towards Ascenders!"
Chapter 54 - Sublimation Node
"To be honest, as long as there is a Cravat Gate and a counter-world in this world, whether ordinary people are dissatisfied with Sublimators is not a big issue. People have a herd mentality, especially those without opinions. Unfortunately, these people make up the vast majority."
Cao Gang calmly exined, "So, if you want to change their minds, it''s not difficult. Just show them the irreceable side of Ascenders and let them know that only Ascenders can ensure that they can continue to have the life they have today. This way, even if there is dissatisfaction, they will continue to endure it or redirect it to other aspects."
Lao Wade''s gaze slightly darkened. "So, Commander Cao, are you a firm believer in the supremacy of Sublimators?"
Cao Gang''s lips curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile. "I''m just stating a fact. As for the Minister, I neither agree nor deny. However, the arrogance of the Night Walkers needs to be restrained. They have already intervened in our city defense system''s internal affairs, which is uneptable."
Lao Wade''s eyes suddenly brightened. "Commander Cao, are you suggesting..."
Cao Gang stood up, adjusting his clothes. "Later, I will visit the Minister at his residence, and then we can talk more about it."
Lao Wade stood up. "Understood."
"I''ll take my leave then." Themander of the Iron Wall Legion nodded slightly and left themand hall.
After he left, Lao Wade snorted. "Cao, as the Lord''s confidant, if he also wants to suppress the Night Walkers, does that mean... Huh, Chu Yan, it seems you won''t be happy for long!"
Outside themand hall, as Cao Gang stepped out, a man in his forties approached him.
This man was also dressed in the ck and blue uniform of the Iron Wall, with a golden shield emblem on his chest. Although he was not old, his ck hair already showed some white strands, and there was an X-shaped scar on his left cheek.
"Did you get the information about that Night Walker Lieutenant?" Cao Gang casually asked.
"It''s all here, butst night, the video footage at Qin''s mansion..."
Cao Gang interrupted, "What happened? Was there interference?"
"When I tried to ess the data this morning, I was informed that the security level of the relevant footage had been set to the highest."
Cao Gang paused, furrowing his brows, then changed the topic, "Dong Fang, you were transferred from the Night Walkers. What do you think of Commander Chu Yan?"
The man named Dong Fang answered without hesitation, "Commander Chu Yan is very strict with subordinates, but he also protects them fiercely. Commander Cao, you should be well aware of this. Seventeen years ago, in the incident involving someone named Su, Commander Chu Yan had a falling out with the generals because of it."
"Yeah, not long after that incident, you were transferred to mymand." Cao Gang walked with his hands behind his back. "Chu Yan does protect his own. For the sake of a Lieutenant today, he nearly fought Lao Wade. It''s not that surprising, don''t you think?"
Dong Fang smiled but didn''t answer.
...
Waking up, Tianyang saw the snowy white ceiling, realizing he was in the medical center.
After being caught by Han Shu and taken to the medical vehiclest night, he was directly sent to the medical center. Dr. Luo Shan was in charge of examining him, and after being tossed into the smart surgical pod to deal with the wounds, he was transferred to a regr ward in the middle of the night.
Currently, his injuries were basically stable. The more troublesome part was the cut on his waist made by Qu Gao.
This wound would require at least a week of rest. However, Dr. Luo Shan mentioned that after Xun came in the morning for treatment, he could be discharged in three days at most.
Thinking of Xun, Tianyang remembered the missed appointmentst night and decided to apologize to the girl if he saw her.
At this moment, he felt a slight change in his upational information.
upation Level 1: Assassin
Abilities: Weakness Sensing, Instant Annihtion
Sublimation Progress: 61%
Sublimation Nodes: 1
Next upation Level: Eradicator
¡¡
The young man called out and sat up in the hospital bed, but his movement was too abrupt, causing pain in his waist wound. He quicklyid back down.
The Sublimation progress increased again, this time by a significant 21%! This confirmed Tianyang''s spection that the Avenger upation seemed to gain a substantial boost in Sublimation progress with eachpleted revenge, including contributions from a Level 3 Ascender.
In addition, there was now one additional Sublimation Node in the upational information. What could this be?
A Sublimation Node was a random essence of starlight generated during the Sublimation process. It could be infused into the domains of the mind, physical abilities, and wisdom, significantly enhancing one of these areas!
This information flowed through Tianyang''s mind like gentle water.
The young man couldn''t help but be surprised. The difference between Sublimators and ordinary people was closely rted to starlight. The energy awakened by the contact with the Pir of Star Nucleus filled the Ascender''s body.
It endowed Ascenders with various upational abilities while constantly transforming their bodies from the inside out, allowing life forms to continuously evolve.
Tianyang didn''t expect that, during the Sublimation process, random starlight essences would be generated and they could be infused into three different domains.
Due to the randomness of Sublimation Nodes, even Sublimators of the same level with equivalent external conditions could have different advantages if one had more Sublimation Nodes.
However, what could be strengthened in these three domains?
When pondering this question, no corresponding information appeared in his mind. Tianyang decided to temporarily reserve this Sublimation Node. He would figure out the benefits of strengthening the mind, body, and wisdom before deciding where to allocate it.
ng!
The door of the ward suddenly pushed open, and a figure entered¡ªit was Han Shu.
He saw Tianyang sitting up and eximing, "You¡¯re awake! Damn, I have to say, you''re really lucky, you bastard!"
Tianyang looked puzzled.
Han Shu pulled over a chair and sat down beside the hospital bed. "Just got the news. The Fortress won''t hold you ountable for what you didst night. But, for the next year, the entire Night Walkers will have 15% of the financial budget deducted. So be prepared; many people might be angry with you because of this."
Tianyang smiled wryly. "It''s unavoidable. After all, I caused trouble for everyone."
Han Shu snorted, "As long as you know, because of you, I''ll have to drink fewer bottles of good wine this year. Also, we''ve watched the footage of your attack on the Qin mansionst night. You actually managed to deceive Qu Gao and expose the sniper position. It''s indeed clever. A Level 3 Sniper Master is no ordinary person. Luckily, you didn''t give him a chance to unleash his full strength; otherwise, I''d be visiting you in the morgue now."
Captain, are you praising me or mocking me¡
Chapter 55 - Examination
Han Shu habitually took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, then nced at the ¡°no smoking¡± sign on the wall and reluctantly put the cigarettes away.
"Anyway, the matter with the Qin family ends here. But this incident serves as a lesson for some short-sighted individuals, preventing them from thinking they can do whatever they want just because they hold a tiny bit of authority. Hmph, the Night Walkers are not to be trifled with!"
"Oh, by the way, this is for you."
Han Shu took out a set of keys from his pocket and tossed them to Tianyang. "Your apartment application has been approved. This is the key. The address should be sent to yourmunicator. You can move in whenever you''re discharged. Also..."
"Regarding your mother, her medical examination isplete. ording to the report, she was injured in the ck mine, received no treatment afterward, and was even subjected to overseer abuse..."
Tianyang''s breath immediately became heavy.
Han Shu nced at him and continued, "This matter is being dealt with. When I arrived, the responsible person at the mine and several executives had already been taken by the Iron Wall. I''ve heard rumors that there will be a cleanup of the ck mine and factories in the lower district. From now on, workers and prisoners must receive timely medical treatment after injuries. The Fortress will increase supervision to ensure simr incidents won''t happen again."
"In addition, your mother''s body is currently preserved in the morgue of the medical center. After you can get out of bed, you can go see her. Themander has already applied for a plot in the Fortress cemetery for her. You can bury her there when the timees."
Tianyang nodded and said, "Thank you."
Han Shu patted his shoulder heavily. "Are you okay?"
"Saying I''m okay would be deceiving. But I can get through it." Tianyang lifted his head. "I''ll manage, somehow."
Han Shu smiled.
Tianyang thought of the Sublimation Node and asked, "By the way, Captain Han, I have a question, and I''d like to seek your advice."
Han Shuughed. "What is it? Falling for a girl? If you want advice on emotional matters, you''vee to the right person. I have rich experience in this area!"
Tianyang''s mouth twitched, about to ask, when the door of the ward opened, and someone outside asked, "Excuse me, the Night Walkers'' Lieutenant... Oh, it''s Captain Han Shu. It seems I don''t need to ask; I''m in the right ce."
A middle-aged man in his fifties walked in, his body upright like a javelin.
He was dressed in a ck and blue uniform, with intricate golden patterns on his shoulder and a dark gold shield-shaped badge on his chest. Everything indicated that this man, with a warm smile on his face, was a high-ranking figure!
Han Shu saw his appearance, and his expression changed. He stood up.
He opened his mouth to speak, but the man gestured, and Han Shu had to swallow the words he was about to say.
It was the first time Tianyang saw Han Shu being so "obedient," and he couldn''t help but scrutinize the middle-aged man in front of him.
The man also looked at Tianyang and said, "A hero emerges in troubled times. I didn''t expect you to be so young. Not bad; daring to storm the Qin mansion alone shows courage."
"Come in, Dong Fang."
Another man in his forties with a scar on his face walked over and ced a gift box on the cab beside the bed.
"I just happened toe here to visit an old friend. I heard you were here, so I came to take a look." The middle-aged man with white gloves smiled, patting Tianyang''s shoulder. "Take good care of your injuries. In the future, you young people will be needed to support the Fortress'' future."
He nodded slightly to Han Shu before leaving the ward with his subordinate.
Only after he left did Tianyang turn to Han Shu and asked, "Captain, who is that?"
"Cao Gang!" Han Shu said in a low voice. "Themander of the Iron Wall City Defense System. Why would hee here? No, I have to find someone with the surname Ling. Cao Gang definitely didn''te to visit a Lieutenant for no reason."
He left this remark and ran out of the ward. However, it seemed like he bumped into someone outside, and a soft exmation reached the ward.
Then, the voice of Luo Shan sounded, "Han, you''re an adult. Can''t you walk more carefully?"
Han Shuughed. "I didn''t bump into you. Why are you so nervous? Nothing''s wrong, little girl. Came to visit your boyfriend?"
"Han... Captain Han, what nonsense are you talking about?" This was Xun''s voice.
Han Shu chuckled. "You young people have thin skin. When you reach my age, you''ll understand that life is short. If you meet someone you like, just go for it. Drink a bit of wine in the evening and sleep together."
"Han Shu, you better leave now; don''t corrupt Xun."
"Okay, okay, I''m leaving. Luo Shan, will youe to my dorm tonight? I''ll treat you to some drinks."
"If you don''t leave, I''ll give you a shot that will keep you soft for the rest of your life. Do you want to try it?"
"Don''t, don''t; I''m leaving. Goodbye."
After amotion, Luo Shan and Xun walked into the room. Thetter''s face still had a hint of blush, probably due to Han Shu''s teasing.
Luo Shan nced at Tianyang, smiling. "Xun, treat him."
The girl in a pink nurse outfit today obediently agreed, walked to Tianyang''s side, and ced her hands on the wound on his waist.
At the corbone, a hexagram-shaped pattern lit up, with the number "1" in the center and golden light scattered from the edges.
Xun''s palms emitted waves of warmth and bright light, like the morning sun lit up in the center of her palms. Specks of light floated down, entering Tianyang''s wound.
Tianyang immediately felt an itching sensation at the wound, and the injury was rapidly healing.
"Sorry, I didn''t gost night..."
Tianyang nced at Luo Shan, who was busy checking his physiological data and didn''t pay attention to their side.
Xun gently shook her head. "It''s okay. I know everything about your situation. I''m sorry about Aunt. You... don''t be too sad."
Tianyang smiled and nodded. "Thank you."
Xun thought for a moment and said, "When you''re discharged, I''ll cook you a delicious meal to celebrate. But this time, you can''t stand me up."
"Okay," the young man readily agreed.
The treatment was over.
Luo Shan, holding a data tablet, said to Xun, "You can go busy yourself; I''ll check on him again."
After Xun left, Luo Shan closed the door to the ward and even locked it!
Tianyang looked at her in confusion, not knowing what this physician was up to.
Luo Shan took off her sses and let down the golden hair piled on her head. Then suddenly, Tianyang seemed to see a golden fringe.
Then, the physician took off the white coat, revealing a ckce-trimmed blouse inside. The blouse, puffed up by the twin peaks and cinched into the skirt,id t against her abdomen.
The two straight, long legs extending from the skirt disyed their charming curves under the sunlight, making Tianyang feel a bit dry in the mouth.
Tianyang wasn''t Han Shu; he quickly shifted his gaze to the cold instruments on the bedside. Unexpectedly, a fragrant breeze blew, and then Luo Shan used two slender fingers to bring his face back.
So, that devastatingly beautiful face appeared in front of him. The two noses were almost about to touch each other.
"Doctor Luo Shan, what are you..."
Luo Shan''s lips slightly parted, and she smiled ambiguously, "It''s time for a check-up, young man."
Chapter 56 - Stroke of Luck
Tianyang instinctively shifted backward; the impact of that face was too powerful. He muttered, "Didn''t we just checkst night? How should I cooperate with you, Doctor?"
Luo Shan smiled, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and then dropped a bombshell, "It''s simple; take off your pants!"
"What?"
Tianyang almost jumped out of bed, genuinely startled.
Luo Shan burst intoughter, shaking like a flower in the wind; even the corners of her eyes became slightly moist withughter. "It is okay, I could not resist teasing you; I have not encountered a shy guy like you in a long time. Look at how scared you got."
After controlling herughter, Luo Shan said seriously, "There is no need for a physical examination, but I must talk to you."
Curious, Tianyang asked, "About what? Are you going to provide me with psychological counseling?"
Luo Shan shook her head. "No, I want to talk to you about the Avenger rank."
Tianyang was puzzled; how could she know about this?
Then Luo Shan pulled out a document and handed it to Tianyang. "This is a letter of appointment, approved by the Night Walker Command and the upper levels of the fortress together. I am your personal doctor as of right now, and in addition to taking care of your health, I must gather information and consult with you in order toprehend your Avenger rank, its traits, and even the ability diagram, to the greatest extent that is feasible."
Looking at the document, which indeed contained the information Luo Shan mentioned, Tianyang nodded. The document even had the official seals of the fortress military and the Night Walker Command, so it shouldn''t be forged. Moreover, very few people knew about the new rank.
Returning the document to her, Tianyang nodded. "How should I cooperate with you?"
He subconsciously adjusted his pants.
Luo Shan, noticing his gesture, chuckled. "Don''t worry; there''s no need to take off your pants."
"Back to the topic,st night, the Night Walker Command sent me all your recent body data, especially the information from thest recovery mission."
Luo Shan picked up a data pad, reading as she spoke, "From these data alone, it''s evident that the current Avenger rank is 1. Assassin exhibits high mobility. Your movement curve far surpasses the Hunter rank, known for its agility."
"In addition, your Star Essence activity reaches its peak in a very short time, indicating a significant burst in your attacks. Overall, at this rank, you show characteristics of high mobility and explosive power."
Luo Shan lightly bit her thumb, looking at the young man. "However, the disadvantages are also quite apparent. Your physical endurance and Star Essence consumption rate are almost as high as the Elemental Core''s full output. Due to this, youck the ability for prolongedbat. Moreover, your physiquecks significant enhancement, and your body strength is even slightly inferior to the War God rank of the same level, not to mentionpared with the Fortress rank."
"In future battles, pay attention to these two points. Avoid prolonged battles and major injuries."
Tianyang remembered everything she said, "I understand, Dr. Luo Shan."
Luo Shan nodded, put down the data pad, and leaned forward slightly. "So, can you tell me what abilities you currently possess?"
"I have two in total, Weakness Sensing and Instant Annihtion." Tianyang didn''t hide anything, offering some exnation, "Weakness Sensing allows me to feel the vulnerabilities and weaknesses of a target. When I gaze at a target, its image fades, and its weaknesses are highlighted in my sight. However, this ability can be disrupted. For example, with the Ghost Car, initially, I couldn''t sense its weaknesses at all. Only after it disabled the deflective force field that I could roughly sense it, and it became more pronounced when entering its body."
"As for the second ability, it''s somewhat simr to the War God''s Silver Gauntlet. It enhances my attacks. The difference is that it has obvious destructive effects. When this ability hits, the target is shattered into particles from the inside. It feels like the Star Essence transforms into some kind of energy, conducting high-frequency cutting in a short period."
Luo Shan activated the recording function of the data pad, meticulously documenting Tianyang''s words. "I understand. Your descriptions are precise, saving me a lot of effort. These two abilities,bined with your mobility and explosive power, basically only end up getting hit as long as you have the opportunity. No wonder you could take down that sniper masterst night."
The physician stood up and said, "Alright, let''s end today''s discussion. Rest well..."
"Wait." Tianyang interrupted her, "I have one more question to ask."
Luo Shan smiled. "If it''s about Xun, sorry, I won''t answer."
Tianyang coughed a few times after being choked by that statement before saying, "No, it''s not about Xun. Dr. Luo Shan, in fact, I obtained a Sublimation Node, and it seems like it can be allocated to the heart, body, or mind domain. I don''t know which area to strengthen, so I''d like to hear your opinion. Dr. Luo Shan, what''s wrong..."
Suddenly, the young man realized that Luo Shan seemed frozen, as if she had heard something unimaginable.
Rapidly, she pounced over, grabbed Tianyang''s shoulders somewhat rudely, and whispered, "What did you say? You obtained a Sublimation Node. This... you have such incredible luck!"
Tianyang''s mouth twitched; he heard this phrase for the second time today.
"Sorry, I lost control."
Luo Shan released his shoulders, stepped back slightly, and forced a bitter smile. "You lucky kid, I think you should know what a Sublimation Node is, right? Anything rted to Ascenders, we can always find answers from our brains, as if when we be Sublimationists, something directly stuffs relevant data into our heads. Unfortunately, up to now, there''s no reasonable exnation for this phenomenon."
"Back to the point, the generation of Sublimation Nodes is random. ording to current statistics, most Ascenders obtain their first Sublimation Node at around rank 3, and some even spend their entire lives without getting one. Someone like you, getting a node at rank 1, is simply enviable!"
Tianyang shrugged. "Hopefully, my luck won''t run out all at once."
Luo Shan snorted through her nose, showing that she was quite unhappy. Still, she exined, "Before deciding which domain to enhance, you need to know the benefits of the heart, body, and mind domains."
"First is the mind. Strengthening the mind domain will make you more resilient. Your psychological endurance will far surpass others, but is that the only benefit..."
Chapter 57 - Not What You Think
Tianyang looked at the beautiful physician with anticipation.
Luo Shan nodded solemnly. "Yes, that''s all. Investing in the mind domain will grant you a resilient heart."
Tianyang had an impulse to vomit blood. "Just this? Strengthening the mind only brings this benefit?"
A smile quietly bloomed on Luo Shan''s serious face. "Little Tianyang, it is getting easier for me to tease you. Haha, okay, so ording to the information other fortresses released, there is an Ascender who invested three nodes in the mind domain and acquired a unique talent."
"He developed a marvelous mental sensitivity, able to sense the inner thoughts of people around him. The reason it''s called a talent rather than an ability is because this talent can¡¯t be freely controlled; its randomness is too great. Nevertheless, this talent has brought many benefits to the Ascender, including saving his life several times on the battlefield."
"Some schrs believe that the mind domain is the most unpredictable. If you invest a significant number of nodes in this domain, you might gain various mysterious talents. Some of them might even make youparable to deities."
Tianyang listened in astonishment; strengthening the mind domain could yield such rewards.
"However, I don''t rmend strengthening this domain. It''s too unpredictable. You might invest ten nodes and not gain a single talent. For lower-ranked individuals, it''s more reliable to use the nodes to enhance physical fitness or wisdom."
Unable to resist, Tianyang asked, "Dr. Luo Shan, what are the benefits of these two domains?"
Luo Shan sat down decisively. "In the physical domain, each node significantly enhances your physical qualities, including body strength, power, reaction speed, and more. Every three nodes trigger a qualitative change, giving you a unique physique. The specific type of physique varies from person to person."
"Generally speaking, sses like War God, Hunter, and Fortress choose to strengthen this domain."
"As for the wisdom domain, it makes you smarter, enhancing your agility of thought. Its most important function is the keen perception of energy and precise control. Therefore, sses like Elemental Core, Harmonizer, and Radiant choose to invest in this domain."
"Simrly, every four nodes trigger a qualitative change, giving Ascenders a super-magic characteristic that adds special effects to their mastered abilities. Of course, these super-magic characteristics also vary."
"After conducting extensive research and long-term observation on these three main domains, various fortresses have concluded all of the above."
After listening, Tianyang already knew which domain to strengthen.
Clearly, the benefits of enhancing the physical domain were the highest. Luo Shan had mentioned his obvious shorings in physical abilities during the analysis of his rank just now.
Stretchingzily, Luo Shan stood up, saying, "Well, if there are no other questions, I''ll leave now. But I have to remind you, even if you want to strengthen, you should wait until you''re fully recovered. Otherwise, unexpected incidents might ur during the enhancement process because the first time is quite painful. Don''t increase my workload!"
With herst sentence, Luo Shan''s aura skyrocketed, and Tianyang didn¡¯t oppose her this time.
For the next three days, the nurse and Luo Shan''s student, Xun, woulde to the ward every day to administer Healing Light.
Three dayster, Tianyang received the discharge notice.
The first thing he did was retrieve his mother''s body. With the assistance of Han Shu, hepleted the cremation.
On that day, they buried her in the fortress cemetery.
During the simple funeral, Han Shu and Lao Xu came, as well as Luo Shan and Xun. They brought flowers, wishing the deceased eternal peace.
The next day, Tianyang alone packed his belongings in the shanty in the Lower District.
The apartment in the Upper District had already been assigned, and Han Shu had notified the household registration office. They would send someer to help Tianyang pack and move his things to the new home.
After neatly storing a few photos from his mother''s room, Tianyang heard a knock on the door. When he opened it, surprisingly, it was Xun and Cang Du outside.
The girl smiled. "I heard you''re moving today. Teacher and I took half a day off toe and help."
"Th-thanks." Tianyang looked at Cang Du.
The ponytailed young man turned his head and said, "Don''t look at me. I didn''te to help. I just happened to meet Miss Xun on the way, so I came over with her."
"Then, what are you..."
"The Captain asked me to inform you that General Ling has transferred you to our squad. Remember to report to the barracks tomorrow. That''s it, I''m leaving!"
Cang Du turned and left, muttering as he walked, "What the captain is thinking, just casually sending someone to notify would have been enough. Otherwise, sending a message through themunicator would also work. Why did I have toe over in person?!"
"Making me run errands as if this kid is so important!"
Watching Cang Du leave, Tianyang invited the girl into the room and poured her a ss of water.
After taking a sip, the girl stood up and said, "Alright, tell me what needs to be packed."
Tianyang smiled. "Actually, there''s not much to organize."
This was indeed the truth. The apartment was furnished, and daily necessities wereplete. Tianyang only needed to bring a few sets of clothes and some items with sentimental value.
Originally, in the homes of Lower District residents, there weren''t many valuable possessions.
Although Tianyang said so, Xun skillfully began to pack up his clothes. It was evident that this girl had done a lot of housework at home. With swift movements, she neatly organized Tianyang''s room in no time.
"By the way, how''s Uncle?" Tianyang asked casually.
Xun nodded vigorously, her face showing genuine happiness. "Teacher took him to the medical center. It should take about a year to cure him. Unfortunately, my current ability can only heal injuries, and I''m powerless against my father''s illness. Otherwise, the treatment period should be shorter."
"By the way, we will also move to the Upper District in a few days. The fortress has allocated an apartment to me, and I can move in with my father and brother."
"Also, Little Jie can finally go to school. He has always wanted to study mechanical knowledge and ns to develop a new type of three-dimensional armor in the future. Now, his dream can finallye true..."
Speaking of this, Xun stopped, about to say something to Tianyang. Suddenly, there was another knock on the door.
"Quite a few guests today."
Tianyang smiled and opened the door. As soon as the door opened, a figure squeezed into the room.
"You brat, moving and not telling me. nning to leave without saying goodbye?"
The one entering was Kaidi, the bar owner, who held a bottle of wine in his hands and mmed it on the table with a snap. "This is a gift to congratte you on your new home. Come on, let''s finish it today!"
Tianyang smiled bitterly. "Can I drink something else?"
"Nonsense, a man who doesn''t drink is no different from a woman!"
At this moment, Xun walked out and asked, "Tianyang, do you n to take those books with you?"
Kaidi was stunned, thinking he was seeing things. He rubbed his eyes vigorously before pping Tianyang on the shoulder. "Sure, you can take them. You''ve got a girlfriend now, and Nanfei will be thrilled to know."
The room suddenly fell silent. Both the young man and woman blushed, and in unison, they said, "It''s not what you think!"
Chapter 58 - Farewell
Xun left.
Looking at the neatly packed and categorized items in the boxes, as well as the markings on the boxes, Kaidi once again marveled at the girl''s diligence. He then asionally hinted to Tianyang to seize the opportunity and not miss out on a good match.
The young man felt a headache; if possible, he really wanted to kick Kaidi out.
After the personnel from the household registration office came to take away the packed items, Tianyang could finally rest. However, Kaidi started incessantly advising him. He mentioned building good rtionships with neighbors, interacting more with superiors, and maintaining friendly rtions with colleagues, almost like an overly concerned old mother.
"...and also, that girl is really nice. You should put in more effort, young man."
"Kaidi!"
Tianyang finally couldn''t help but interrupt him, "Can you say less? It sounds like we won''t see each other again in the future, non-stop talking."
Kaidi stopped, looked at him, took a sip of wine, and said, "Well, we might not see each other again."
Tianyang was startled. "Are you ill?"
"Get lost!" Kaidi retorted. "I''m in good health. Ill? Do I look like it? It''s just... I''m leaving, Tianyang."
The young man couldn''t believe his ears. "Leaving? Where to?"
Kaidi raised his hand and gestured, "Leaving this ce, going to another city, maybe continuing to run a bar, who knows?"
Tianyang opened his mouth, but in the end, he didn''t ask the three-word question, "Why?"
He knew the reason.
"The wilderness is not peaceful, and you alone..."
Kaidi pped the back of the young man''s head. "What are you thinking? I''m not thinking of dying. How could I leave alone? In a few days, a trade convoy is heading to High Mountain Fortress, and I''m going with them. Don''t look at me like that. I can cook quite well. I showed off my skills to the convoy leader a few days ago, and they asked me to be their temporary chef."
Tianyang covered his head. "Can the things you cook be eaten? You''re not buying ready-made and pretending, are you?"
"Get lost!"
Tianyang chuckled, but as heughed, he fell silent again.
"Kaidi... forget it."
The man took a sip of wine and asked, "Can you forget her?"
"That''s different; she''s my mom."
"She''s a woman I loved," Kaidi pointed to his chest. "Engraved here, unforgettable."
"...Cheesy."
"You don''t understand a thing!"
Putting down the wine bottle, Kaidi staggered to his feet and said, "I''m leaving; there are still many things to pack. Unlike you, I don''t have such a diligent good friend."
"Well, I won''te to see you off, so you don''t cry."
Kaidiughed. "Who knows who might cry, but two grown men crying is indeed unsightly. It''s better if you don''te."
Walking out of the door, the man turned his back to the young man and said, "Tianyang, don''t die; otherwise, your mom will be heartbroken. Thest time you went on a mission, I saw her hiding in the kitchen crying. A brat who makes his own mother cry is truly a wimp!"
"Well, rest assured, I won''t let her cry again." Tianyang picked up the wine bottle, took a sip, and coughed a few times. "It''s terrible, like horse urine."
Kaidi burst intoughter and said, "You''ll understand its goodnesster on."
Patting his butt, the bar owner left, leaving the young man staring at a spider in the corner, spinning its web.
Finally, he was alone.
|Qingtian Fortress, Inner Ring District|
This area was not open to residents; only personnel with specific permissions could enter.
The Inner Ring District was the heart of Qingtian Fortress, housing the Military Command Hall, various Legion Headquarters buildings, the Weapon R&D Center, the 3D Armament Assembly nt, and other important facilities.
On Tianyang''s first visit, he thought the atmosphere in the Inner Ring District would be serious, with guards every few steps.
However, as he drove his electromaic motorcycle along the main road, he realized it was morefortable and peaceful than the Upper District.
Almost every building had arge public activity area, and the greenery andndscaping were excellent. Even the air seemed exceptionally fresh.
Passing by an outdoor training ground, he could see soldiers from the Legion system undergoing training. Around the training ground, there were retractable canopy structures. During the rainy season, opening the canopies would allow training to continue.
Finally, Tianyang arrived at the Night Walkers'' headquarters building.
The exterior of the building was painted deep ck, and the straight-edged structure looked like a ck de thrusting into the sky!
At the top of the building hung the emblem of the Night Walkers, a silver-white emblem that shone brightly against the ck walls.
Tianyang parked his vehicle in the underground parking lot behind the building and took the elevator to the hall. Coming out of the elevator, various holographic projection screens adorned the hall, dazzling the young man.
Just as he felt a bit lost, a gentle female voice sounded, "Hello, do you need help?"
Tianyang turned around, realizing that a tall woman stood behind him. She was dressed in the Night Walkers'' ck uniform, but the insignia on her shoulder indicated that she was just a soldier.
Tianyang handed over his identity card and said, "I''m a member of the Raven Squad, here to report today. Can you show me the way?"
Taking Tianyang''s identity card, the woman inserted it into a reader on her wrist, and the screen immediately disyed Tianyang''s information.
She saluted, "So, you''re Lieutenant Tianyang. If you don''t mind, I can guide you."
After handing back Tianyang''s identity card, she led the way.
Using the elevator to go to the upper floors, the female soldier briefly introduced the Night Walkers'' quarters. The squad dormitories were generally located between the second and fifth floors, but each squad''s dormitory was not fixed.
Because the Night Walkers used a ranking system, every year they would tally the contributions of all squad members.
Then, based on the total contributions, each squad would be ranked, and the highest-ranked squad could use the best rooms on the fifth floor. This continued downward, with lower-ranked squads assigned to dormitories on the lower floors.
Every squad in the Night Walker made every effort to advance to the fifth floor, as resource allocation within the organization was also based on this ranking.
Ding.
The sound of the elevator arriving echoed, and Tianyang entered the fourth floor of the building. It seemed that the Raven Squad had a rtively high rank, at least in the upper-middle range.
"You can move freely between the second and fifth floors in your daily activities. However, starting from the sixth floor, you won''t have ess without permission."
Saying this, they arrived at arge door. On the ck double doors was a raven emblem.
The female soldier saluted again, "This is the Raven Squad''s dormitory. If you don''t have any other business, I''ll head down now."
Tianyang nodded and said, "Thank you."
"Not at all."
After the female soldier left, Tianyang raised his hand to knock on the door but suddenly caught a short vibration near his ear.
Instinctively, he slid backward and raised his arm to block. Subsequently, a heavy collision transmitted through his arm, causing Tianyang to retreat repeatedly. Finally, he pressed his hand against the wall to stop.
"What the heck? I thought someone attacking the family residence should be skilled, but you didn''t even block my punch. Kid, didn''t you eat breakfast this morning?"
A loud and arrogant voice sounded.
Chapter 59 - Crimson Moon
Tianyang slowly raised his head while his arms gradually lowered, his fingers moving rhythmically to make the numbness caused by the impact quickly disappear.
His gaze fell on the culprit.
The person appeared slightly older, with an exaggerated hairstyle and a tuft of hair dyed bright blue.
His eyes were sharp, continuously roaming over Tianyang, focusing on vulnerable areas of the body.
He looked like a wolf, cold-blooded, cruel, and exuded a dangerous aura.
Tianyang''s gaze lingered on the Lieutenant''s epaulets on the other''s shoulders before sliding to his back.
His twopanions followed; they were ordinary soldiers with forced smiles, seemingly trying to please the blue-haired youth.
"If ambush is your specialty, then you''re indeed quite skilled." Tianyang shook his hand, maintaining a calm expression.
The blue-haired youth''s smile stiffened, and his expression darkened. "You still have the guts to say it again?!"
"I don''t want to repeat the same words, and you don''t need to prove anything to me. If you insist on proving yourself, the family residence in the Upper District is not going anywhere; you can go there and demonstrate your skills."
Tianyang''s lips were slightly curled, posing a challenging question.
The two soldiers behind the blue-haired youth suddenly lost their smiles.
Tianyang''s message was clear, If you want to prove you''re stronger, go visit the family residence in the Upper District.
The blue-haired youth understood, but this made him even more infuriated.
He couldn''t do that, not to mention whether he could single-handedly take down a family mansion. Even if he could, he doubted the fortress would easily forgive an attacker.
Unconsciously lowering his center of gravity, his feet slightly arched, resembling a wolf about to pounce on its prey.
The two soldiers muttered, familiar with their lieutenant, recognizing the signs that he was about to act.
Fortunately, someone intervened coldly and said, "Kun Lan, don''t cause trouble in our territory with your three-headed dog antics."
With a long ponytail flowing behind him, Cang Du, carrying the Springwater(Qingshui) Longsword, exuded arrogance and indifference.
Kun Lan snorted, rxed his body, and, when passing by Tianyang, deliberately bumped him with his shoulder. "You caused everyone to lose a year''s ie. I''m not the only one who wants to trouble you. Just wait; your problems won''t end here."
Tianyang smiled and shrugged his shoulders, making Kun Lan sway. "I''ve never been afraid of trouble."
Their gazes intersected in the air, creating a highly charged atmosphere in the corridor.
Kun Lan smirked, leading his two soldiers away.
Cang Du spoke coldly, "You''rete."
Tianyang spread his hands and said, "It''s my first time in the inner city. Without navigation, I might not have found the building."
"Excuses." Cang Du pushed the door open, revealing the inside. "Come in."
Upon entering, there was a partition, and beyond it was a hall with a round table and five high-backed chairs, surrounded by potted nts.
"This is the meeting ce, but it''s rarely used throughout the year." Cang Du walked straight toward the exit on the other side of the hall.
Tianyang followed, leaving the hall leading to a corridor.
On the right side of the corridor were windows offering a view of the outside scenery.
On the left, every four meters, there was a room with a sign disying the upant''s name.
In order, it was Lao Xu, Ji Yu, Cang Du, and Tianyang himself.
Cang Du opened Tianyang''s room and said, "This is for you. It only has basic furnishings; if you want anything more, you''ll have to buy it yourself. Also, visit the captain''s room; he has something for you."
The young man with a ponytail pointed to a room at the end of the corridor and walked back.
Tianyang peeked into his room; it was clean but sparsely furnished.
Apart from a set of metal table and chairs, there was nothing else, indeed basic furnishings.
Tianyang closed the door, went to the end of the corridor, knocked on the door, and heard Han Shu''s voice saying, "Come in."
The young man pushed open the door, finding Han Shu seated behind a massive desk, leaning back in his chair with crossed legs on the table.
He smoked and looked at an electronic tablet, wearing a mischievous smile without revealing what he was watching.
ncing around, images of beaches and scantily d women were projected on the walls on both sides, disying women in provocative poses.
The Captain''s hobbies... were quite simple.
Han Shu set aside the electronic tablet, beckoning him toe closer. "What are you staring at? Come here."
Tianyang walked over. "Captain, did you need me?"
Under the desk, Han Shu lifted two prepared kits and said, "Starting today, you''re an official member of our Raven Squad. Here¡¯s some equipment and supplies; take them; you might need them for the next mission. Also, have you checked your room?"
Tianyang nodded. "Yes, but what''s the room for?"
Han Shu smiled. "I don''t know about other squads, but in our squad, you can do whatever you want in your room. Even if you hide a woman inside, as long as you don''t disturb anyone, no one will care."
Captain, I''m not the kind of person you''re describing...
"What do I do next?"
Han Shu raised the electronic tablet absentmindedly. "You don''t have to do anything. You can even go home now if you want. Just make sure to appear at the assembly point on the transfer tform when it''s time for a mission."
Captain, isn''t our discipline toox?
Seeing that Han Shu was already immersed in the virtual world on the electronic tablet, Tianyang carried the two prepared kits and reluctantly returned to his room.
After closing the door, he ced the kits on the table and opened both of them.
One kit only contained a knife. Thebat knife and its sheath were separated, capturing Tianyang''s attention immediately.
There was no help for it; it was too eye-catching!
Thebat knife had a straight de, its body crimson with geometric patterns along the spine.
The handle was a substantial 30 centimeters, suitable for dual wielding. Additionally, the de featured a crescent moon design, with the de extending from two crescent moons, giving it an elegant appearance.
Tianyang extended a finger and lightly ran it across the de, not feeling a chilly touch but a faint warmth.
The young man tapped lightly on the panel beside the box, activating an electronic interface disying information about thebat knife.
It was named "Crimson Moon (Hong Yue) Warde," it was forged using materials from a dark creature called, "Ghost Car (Youling Che)," from their second-stage form of scythe-shaped forelimbs, and thermal-conducting crystallization as the primary material,bined with other materials.
This knife surpassed particlebat knives in sharpness while being lighter. Additionally, the thermal-conducting crystallization could heat the de when stimted by Star Essence.
In theory, the temperature could peak at 500 degrees, but in practicalbat, the average temperature could only reach around 400 degrees. Nheless, this didn''t hinder the Crimson Moon Warde from possessing high heat and burning characteristics.
And thest piece of information came with a warning, ¡±It''s expensive; don''t easily damage it, or you might cry when you receive the repair bill! ¡ª Gu Min¡±
Chapter 60 - First Enhancement
It seemed that Gu Min was a weapon developer, and this Crimson Moon Warde might be his design. Tianyang could almost imagine the expression on his face when he issued this warning.
It must be fierce...
Opening the other kit, there was a repaired Assault Rifle inside, along with a bill. The repair and part recement cost a total of 85 contribution points.
Due to the personal grudge in that battle, Tianyang had to pay the expenses himself, which were not reimbursable.
The cost would be deducted from his monthly sry.
Besides the rifle, there were three-star element gas magazines. Additionally, four test tubes were arranged in the lower left corner, containing some blue liquid.
These liquids asionally emit a faint light, looking quite fascinating. The adjacent instructionsbel them as "Star Essence Supplement Fluid Type 1." It could be orally consumed to replenish consumed Star Essence, but Type 1 could only supplement ten percent of the total Star Essence.
Below thebel were precautions.
¡±The supplement fluid shouldn¡¯t be consumed excessively, with a maximum of two bottles per day, or serious damage to internal organs may ur.¡±
Also, it was fruit-vored.
Thest item on the list could be ignored.
On the other side of the supplement fluid were two red grenades with a me symbol on them.
A High Heat Burst Grenade contained heat-conductive crystalline material. Upon exploding, it created a high-temperature force field with an effective range of about 15 square meters. The peak temperature within the force field could reach 800 degrees.
¡±As it''s a disposable item, use it carefully, don''t waste it! ¡ª Gu Min¡±
Again...
Tianyang closed the kit and noticed themunicator ced next to it, receiving a text message.
[You''ve received a mission reward notification.]
[Reward task: Star Core Pir Recovery Task.
Reward content: Contribution points reward, physical rewards.
Contribution points: Basic reward 200 points; solo killing of Mad Dog Mutant Species 500 points; participating in the Ghost Car Expedition and destroying the cage 2500 points; misceneous 78 points; totaling 3278 contribution points.
Physical rewards: Crimson Moon Warde and two High Heat Burst Grenades.
All rewards have been issued; please check carefully.]
Knock, knock, knock¡ª
The sound of knocking echoed. Tianyang put away themunicator and opened the door; it was Lao Xu.
He was not sure if it was an illusion, but Lao Xu, who already had a few hairs, seemed to have even fewer today.
At this rate, baldness was just a matter of time... The thoughts of youth were a bit divergent.
Lao Xu was holding a potted nt, smiling. "I see your ce is quite spacious, so I bought a potted nt for you. This is Sea Green Vine, easy to cultivate in water or soil; just water it every three to five days."
He ced the potted nt by the window, shaking his head. "Tianyang, you don''t even have a table here. Look, there''s no ce to put this potted nt. Take some time to arrange your room."
Tianyang nodded and said, "Later, I''ll go buy some furniture. I was nning to get a bookshelf too."
"What''s the point of buying?" Lao Xu chuckled. "Later, I''ll take you to the warehouse; there''s plenty of unused furniture there. Tables, chairs, bookshelves, there should be plenty. Just pick whatever you want, and then fill out a form. Each team dormitory has a free quota for office items; our Captain has beenzy, so we still have a lot left."
He looked around and whispered, "If you need it, you can even take it home. The Captain won''t mind these small things."
Is that even allowed?
Tianyang''s mouth twitched slightly.
"Oh, by the way, have you moved into your new apartment?"
"I moved in yesterday."
"Great! Whenever you''re free,e visit my ce." Lao Xu took out hismunicator, opened a private file, and showed a photo inside.
It was a family portrait; Lao Xu was holding an adorable five or six-year-old girl, with an elegant and gentle-looking woman cuddling next to them.
Proudly, Lao Xu said, "See, this is my daughter and wife. Isn''t my daughter cute? And let me tell you, my sister-inw cooks amazing dishes. Whenever you have time, you muste and taste her cooking."
Tianyang smiled and agreed, "Certainly, certainly."
Lao Xu pressed themunicator''s screen against his face and said blissfully, "A man should have a family. Look how happy I am. Unlike the Captain, who''s not young anymore but has no ns to get married, just fooling around. Carefree, without any worries or responsibilities."
"Those who live without attachments don''t live long..."
Speaking of this, Lao Xu paused, then tightened his grip on Tianyang''s hand. "Thank you, Tianyang. If it weren''t for you taking down the Ghost Car in the Metropolisst time, I might not have made it back."
"I''m not young anymore, and I probably won''t have the chance to be promoted to Level 4 in my career. I''ll just go with the flow. In another year or two, I can apply for retirement and transfer to other positions. Maybe a training camp instructor or I''ll work in logistics. The ie may be less, but it''s safer."
He picked up themunicator with the photo and rubbed it against his face. "I just want to watch my daughter grow up, see her get married, and then live a peaceful life with my wife. As for those ambitious things, I¡¯ll let you young folks handle them."
Tianyang suddenly felt a bit envious of him, although without grand aspirations, living like this seemed pretty good.
"My daughter is adorable!"
Unexpectedly, Lao Xu waved themunicator''s photo in front of Tianyang''s eyes again. The young man was somewhat speechless; this guy really loved showing off.
After seeing Lao Xu off, Tianyang received a text message on themunicator.
[Tomorrow morning at eight, gather at the transfer tform; a mission awaits. Details are on the way. Whoever dares to bete, be careful; I''ll break their legs. ¡ª Han Shu]
Seeing this message, Tianyang perked up; finally, there was a mission.
After having lunch at the building''s restaurant, Tianyang returned to the apartment. Tomorrow''s mission had strengthened his determination.
To use that Sublimation Node!
In the Inverse Universe, every bit of strength would add to the chance of survival.
When it came to the probability of survival, no oneined about having too much, and Tianyang was no exception.
Putting the Sublimation Node into the physical domain... Themand echoed in the young man''s mind, but he didn¡¯t know if it would work again.
After a moment, seemingly nothing happened. Tianyang stood up, thinking of contacting Luo Shan.
Suddenly, his entire body shook, and he copsed to the floor.
A muffled groan escaped Tianyang''s nostrils; just now, a sudden, intense pain radiated through his body. The young man curled up, his body temperature rapidly rising, and a faint red flush appeared on the surface of his skin.
The intense pain continued to emanate from within; it felt like every muscle on his body was being torn apart!
Tianyang''s teeth chattered, and he couldn''t help but let out a suppressed, deep cry.
The cry got louder, but the well-insted apartment prevented the neighbors from being disturbed.
Tianyang''s body trembled incessantly, and every nerve felt like it was being set on fire. He desperately wed at the floor to counteract the agony.
Now he knew Luo Shan didn''t lie.
The first enhancement was indeed extremely painful!
Chapter 61 - Supply Line
If one were to observe Tianyang''s body data with medical instruments now, one would find that his cellr activity index far exceeded normal levels!
At this moment, the cells in Tianyang''s body were repeating the process of division, replication, death, rebirth, and then continuing to divide.
This process was causing rapid transformations in Tianyang''s bones, muscles, organs, blood vessels, and even his nerves. During the transformation, Tianyang endured unimaginable pain. He was unable to think, and his consciousness was like a shattered mirror; not passing out itself was a miracle.
It was unknown how much time had passed until the signals of pain transmitted from his body through nerves to the brain gradually receded like a tide.
Only then did Tianyang fell into a deep sleep.
When he opened his eyes again, the room was pitch ck. Looking out the window, he realized that night had already fallen.
Tianyang tried to move his fingers, and there was no abnormality. Only then did he crawl up from the floor.
He originally intended to perform a bounce motion, an action that would lift him a few centimeters off the ground to adjust his posture.
Unexpectedly, with a slight force from his limbs, Tianyang sprang up nearly two meters, almost touching the ceiling.
He was stunned; his body adjusted its posture on its own, allowing him tond straight on the floor.
By performing a slight crouch, he subtly guided the impact ofnding toward the ground. Tianyang stood up steadily, looking at his hands in amazement.
He could feel that his body was filled with tremendous power. This power gave him a sense of expansion, and he wished to channel it out using his fists and kicks.
However, Tianyang didn¡¯t want to demolish his new home, and he noticed that he was covered in dirt. A swipe of his hand revealed ayer of mud, making him look like he hadn''t bathed in ten days.
He headed to the bathroom, and the widespread use of smart technology allowed Tianyang to activate thousands of miniature water jets around the bathroom through voice control. They sprayed an equal number of streams, thoroughly washing his body.
After the shower, Tianyang felt incredibly hungry. He then consumed an amount of food equivalent to three days'' worth, finally satisfying his intense hunger.
The next morning, he woke up, finding that the sensation of expansion in his body had disappeared and that he felt more robust. It was as if the previously loose steel cables in his body were now tightly twisted together.
Standing in front of a mirror, Tianyang observed himself.
The lines on his body were more pronounced; each muscle was filled with explosive power. His skin has be tighter and appeared somewhat translucent, as if it could break at a touch. Yet, in reality, it was more resilient than before.
To verify his own feelings, Tianyang lightly scratched his finger with a kitchen knife, only leaving a fine red mark without breaking the skin.
Of course, if he were to use a particle knife, it would undoubtedly cut through skin and flesh.
However, this indicated that his body strength has indeed increased significantly.
Unfortunately, Tianyang couldn¡¯t observe his own bones. Otherwise, he would notice that every bone in his body now has delicate dark lines. These dark lines wereposed of nano-sized micro-particles, which were hollow inside. They could buffer various impacts and reduce Tianyang''s bone weight by 7%.
At this moment, a fly, attracted by the kitchen waste that hasn''t been cleaned, flies in front of Tianyang. Unconsciously, the young man raised his hand, and a blotch appeared on the mirror.
Tianyang paused, then cleaned the blotch and disposed of the waste in the cleaning channel.
Afterward, he changed into his uniform, equipped himself, and left the apartment.
At seven-fifty in the morning, Tianyang arrived at assembly point 7 on the transfer tform. Shortly after, Han Shu and others arrived one after another. Tianyang noticed that there were a few new faces among the soldiers.
It seemed that they had supplemented personnel from the preparatory camp. As for the soldier named Yan Bing, he was now a corporal,manding three privates.
Everyone from Raven Squad was present, and after Han Shu submitted the travel application, they moved in the direction of Kraff Gate.
Watching eachpanion enter the gate, Tianyang turned back, ncing toward the direction of the fortress graveyard, then stepped into the dark world behind the gate.
The moment he entered the Inverse Universe, the young man heard a faint, continuous, and indistinct whisper. His hair suddenly stood on end, and a chilling sensation directly hit his brain, as if arge, cold, and damp tongue had licked across his face. The inexplicable thick malice surges made him almost draw the Crimson Moon Warde.
"Tianyang!"
Han Shu''s voice brought him back to reality. Tianyang steadied himself, realizing he was already inside the base behind the gate.
There was no strange whisper or nauseating malice in his ears. It was as if everything just now was his illusion.
Han Shu scrutinized him with concern. "What''s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Tianyang shook his head and said, "No, I didn''t have breakfast this morning, so my stomach feels a bit ufortable."
"Young man, skipping breakfast is a bad habit." Lao Xu yed the role of a health expert, taking out apressed food from his waist pouch. "Here, eat this on the way. It''s a bargain for you. My super cute daughter gave it to me."
Tianyang tried to decline, but Lao Xu forcefully put it in his pocket. Tianyang could only give up, deciding to visit Lao Xu''s home after the mission.
15 minutester, the high-speed train departed from the base, heading straight for the Lighthouse Base.
Inside the carriage, Han Shu distributed electronic boards folded like cards to the squad members. "This time is an exploration mission. Over at the Lighthouse Base, they n to establish a supply line leading to the Metropolitan. There''s a small town conveniently located along this supply line, and themand hopes we can scout it."
"The basic requirement is to submit a detailed map of the town, marking the potential locations of Dark Infestations. If we can eliminate the ck Infestations, it will be counted as additional merits."
"So, what''s the basic reward for this mission?" Cang Du asked.
"Lieutenant rank, 500 contribution points per person. Corporal 200, Private 100. The additional calction for clearing Dark Infestations is roughly like this. Of course, if you find any items of interest in the fortress or even the Pir of Stars, you can earn a significant amount of contribution points."
Saying this, Han Shu nced at Tianyang and chuckled. "This lucky kid is a living example."
Captain, please don''t attract attention to me like this... Tianyang sighed inwardly. Although he now has several thousand contribution points in hand, they were earned at the cost of risking his life. This didn¡¯t seem very lucky...
After arriving at the Lighthouse Base, the team rested for an hour before summoning two Falcon armored vehicles and rted supplies and leaving the base.
On the second day, at noon, the Raven Squad arrived at their destination, a small town codenamed, "Barren Valley."
It was unclear if this town was originally built in a valley or if the topography in the Inverse Universe had changed, causing the ground around the town to rise, forming a valley.
In any case, this town stood tall in the misty Barren Valley, with bizarre peaks and rocks serving as its natural barrier. If the supply route could pass through this valley, the time to reach the Metropolitan could be reduced by 1 to 2 days.
At this time, it would sometimes determine whether a unit would live or die.
Chapter 62 - Ambition
Currently, the convoy was on a hill, and a road extended from the hill toward the direction of the small town. At intervals along the road, there were signs, originally supposed to be green, painted with white symbols.
Some symbols closely resembled numbers familiar to Tianyang, and since they appear on the road, Lao Xu, who imed to be the "Inverse Universe Expert," spected that these symbols were used to indicate distances.
Because there were plenty of such road signs on the highway to the Metropolitan.
Looking from a distance at the town shrouded in ck mist, only the outlines of some buildings could be vaguely seen.
However,pared to the towns explored by Night Walkers, generally, towns like this one have a scale far smaller than the Metropolitan.
Though the buildings inside might have several floors or even tall towers, they couldn''tpete with the towering skyscrapers of the Metropolitan, which often reach dozens of floors.
Like the Metropolitan, the outskirts of these small towns clearlyck any defensive structures, let alone visible weapons. This inevitably made people sigh because, although the Inverse Universe has turned into its current ghostly appearance, the residents who once lived here had a fairly long period of peaceful and happy times.
After a brief stop on the high slope, the two Falcon armored vehicles begin to descend towards the town of Barren Valley.
Descending the slope, after 10 minutes of driving, the two vehicles have to stop. Because in front, at the entrance of the town, there was a building simr to a checkpoint.
The building was, of course, abandoned, and due to the passage of time, it has copsed, blocking the road.
Checkpoints like this one were also found in the Metropolitan, but they were obviously of better quality. Many of the entrances were still usable. However, the current one seemed to require some clearing first, or the vehicles wouldn''t be able to get through.
"Captain, should we st it with a shot?" Cang Du, who was in charge of driving the armored vehicle, turned to Han Shu.
Han Shu shook his head. "No, it would make too much noise. What if there are a lot of Dark Infestations inside? Wouldn''t we be digging a hole for ourselves to jump into?"
He thought about this for a moment and said, "Tianyang, Lao Xu, take a few people and explore the town. See where nearby is suitable for setting up a temporary camp. We''ll clear this first, thene over to meet up with you."
"Okay."
"No problem."
Tianyang and Lao Xu answered in unison.
Next, the two, along with three soldiers, squeezed through some gaps in the ruins of the checkpoint and entered the small town.
The fog in the town was thick, perhaps due to being in a valley. The ubiquitous ck mist in the Inverse Universe gathered here inrge quantities, causing visibility to be very low.
Tianyang held a Marksman rifle and attached a tactical illumination essory. Even so, the light could only barely reach two or three meters ahead.
Coming in from the checkpoint was a road, and on the road, wreckage of cars could be seen everywhere. This indicated that the Inverse Universe once had a very developed transportation system. Even a small town has so many vehicles.
And judging from the car models, it seemed that the residents of the Inverse Universe have designed cars of various types to meet different needs.
This indicated that there was a clear division ofbor in the social system of the Inverse Universe, and the heights they reached in this regard were still above the Fortress Cities.
Walking along this road full of vehicle wreckage on a broken road for about 10 minutes, a bridge appeared in front of the team, spanning a dense fog and leading to an unknown destination.
"The productivity in the Inverse Realm is far superior to ours. Just from this bridge, you can see it. We can''t build such arge and long bridge. Of course, not needing it is also a reason." Lao Xu looked at the bridge that appeared faintly in the ck mist, feeling quite emotional.
Tianyang made a gesture, indicating that he would scout ahead. In the middle were three soldiers, and Lao Xu was in charge of the rear.
This small team walked onto the unexpectedly spacious bridge, with a metal barrier dividing the bridge into two halves.
Even so, one-half of the bridge could still amodate two vehicles passing at the same time.
Tianyang walked along the edge of the bridge, and suddenly, in the light, behind those mists, several ck shadows appeared, nting upward.
When he took a closer look, it turned out to be a series of cables. Two of them were already broken. From the break, these cables should beposed of some kind of metal wire.
The further he walked up the bridge, the more he heard the sound of the winding from below the bridge.
Although the light couldn¡¯t reach the space under the bridge at all, from the sound of the wind, you could roughly specte that the space below the bridge was huge, possibly a cracked abyss leading to the underground.
A soldier suggested throwing a few glow sticks under the bridge to see, but Lao Xu immediately rejected the proposal, "Be cautious whenever you encounter a huge space in the Inverse Universe because you won''t know what''s hiding inside it."
After hearing this, the soldier was horrified.
In the middle of the arch bridge, a break appeared, and one-third of the bridge deck disappeared. At the irregr edges, rusted steel bars grew long and short.
The team carefully bypassed the gap, and after 20 minutes, they finally walked down the bridge.
Descending from the bridge, there was an open space, the purpose of which was unclear, but it could be used as a temporary camp.
While Tianyang led soldiers to set up a perimeter, Lao Xu fiddled with an electronic board.
On the electronic board, a map of the team''s exploration route has been created. Lao Xu was making markings on it. He specifically marked the warning of the gap on the bridge and the position of the temporary camp, then sent the map to Han Shu.
With it, Han Shu coulde over without the team having to go back to the guide.
With the warning line set up, Tianyang and three soldiers returned, and Lao Xu threw a water bottle at him. "Captain and the others will be here soon. Take a break."
Taking the water bottle, Tianyang didn¡¯t hesitate to take a few sips before asking, "Lao Ge (Ge means brother ¡®Lao Ge¡¯ - Old Brother), you should have a family, right? Why still live in an apartment?"
Han Shu and the others would arrive a bitter, so Lao Xu didn¡¯t mind chatting for a few words and said, "That''s all in the past. You know, once you be an Upper Citizen, as long as you umte a certain amount of contribution points, you can establish your own family with lineage rights."
Tianyang nodded. "umte over a hundred thousand contribution points, and you can establish your own family. Descendants have the right to inherit relevant privileges..."
"Yes, but the fortress also has regtions. The inheritance right is limited to three generations. Starting from the fourth generation, you must earn ten thousand contribution points every year. Otherwise, the inheritance right will be revoked." Lao Xu shrugged. "It''s a pity. A few years ago, I got injured in a mission and took half a year to recover. As a result, I couldn''t produce enough contribution points, unable to maintain the inheritance right, so I had to move into an apartment."
"By the way, that little guy Cang Du is in a situation simr to mine. Just that I no longer have many aspirations, but that guy wants to umte a hundred thousand contribution points to restore his original surname."
Tianyang was quite surprised; it turned out that the ponytailed young man had such ambitions.
"We¡¯ve got a situation!"
Suddenly, a soldier''s shout came from afar.
Tianyang and Lao Xu didn¡¯t have time for more chatting; picking up their rifles, they quickly rushed over.
Chapter 63 - Mysterious Little Building
When Tianyang and Lao Xu arrived, the soldier responsible for guarding here was lying on the ground, with his rifle already set up. Judging from his posture, he seemed ready to attack.
This was a new recruit, not much older than Tianyang. His face had turned pale due to fear, and his fingers were trembling lightly, making one worry that he might identally discharge the rifle.
Tianyang understood this reaction. No matter how instructors described the horrors of the Inverse Universe in ss or even if you could watch the appearance of some dark creatures through video materials, experiencing it firsthand in the Inverse Universe was an entirely different matter.
The former at most felt like having a nightmare, while thetter was like the nightmare turning into reality.
So, for this new recruit, the face hidden inside his enclosed helmet, filled with fear, was understandable.
Lao Xu waved his hand in front of the soldier''s eyes. "Hey, don''t be in a daze. What did you see just now?"
The new recruit finally reacted, pointing ahead with a trembling voice, "There''s something. I saw something over there."
"What is it?" Tianyang asked.
The soldier shook his head. "I don''t know. It''s in the darkness, but I can see a kind of light. It should be the light emitted by a Will Cage, and I feel like it''s staring at me, or observing me. That feeling is like a scavenger animal staring at a fresh corpse. I... I don''t want to die. I want to go back!"
He got up and actually tried to run back.
Lao Xu tripped him up with a kick and said to Tianyang, "You go check."
Tianyang nodded in agreement, lowered the muzzle, and cautiously advanced, keeping an eye on the surroundings.
Lao Xu pulled the new recruit over and said, "Look into my eyes. You''ll be fine. Stay calm! Even if you want to leave, you have to wait until after this mission. Right now, it''s better for you to stay with us. Understand?"
After being scolded by Lao Xu for a few sentences, the new recruit seemed to calm down a bit, though his face still looked terrible, but at least he nodded.
At this moment, Tianyang stopped and illuminated the ground with the light on his rifle. On the ground, there was a handprint. Tianyang gestured; this handprint was slightly smaller than his, and it seemed to be the hand of a woman.
Then he discovered several sets of prints, both handprints and footprints.
From the distribution of these prints, an image of a woman crawling on the ground formed in Tianyang''s mind.
At this time, Lao Xu came over and asked, "How is it?"
Tianyang swept the light over these sets of prints and said, "It should be a Mad Dog. Currently, it seems there''s only one. I don''t know if it passed by or if it detected the scout we sent to investigate."
Lao Xu shook his head. "If it''s thetter, there might be a nest nearby."
"Let''s wait for the captain toe," Tianyang suggested.
Lao Xu smiled and said, "Agreed."
Twenty minutester, two Falcon armored vehicles emerged from the ck mist and stopped at the temporary camp. Han Shu was the first to jump out of the vehicle.
Hearing about the discovery of a Mad Dog, Han Shu was very cautious. Despite his usual carefree demeanor, he was decisive when it mattered.
After looking at those sets of prints, Han Shu, along with Cang Du, Ji Yu, and two soldiers, went to track and investigate. The others stayed in the camp for updates.
After a while, gunshots faintly came from the distance. Tianyang and Lao Xu immediately looked anxiously in the direction of the gunfire.
However, the gunshots didn''tst too long. After a few minutes, they disappeared.
After about ten more minutes, Han Shu and his team returned, each with some bloodstains, but it seemed to be the blood of the Mad Dogs.
Han Shu sat down and cursed, "Damn, it''s really unlucky. There is indeed a Mad Dog nest ahead, but the number of the dog pack is notrge, and there are no mutated ones. When we arrived, those things were busy with something; fortunately, I wasn''t nauseated by them."
Tianyang looked confused and said, "Captain, what are you saying? I don¡¯t understand."
Han Shu scolded, "Don''t ask so many questions, kid."
Tianyang immediately understood. He guessed that when Han Shu and his team arrived, the dog pack was probably in the midst of mating.
This was also a terrifying aspect of the Inverse Universe; dark creatures reproduced their offspring in different ways. For example, Mad Dogs used a method simr to that of viviparous animals. As for Roamers, it was said they grew from a semi-nt, semi-organic "Death Tree."
Yes, they grew like fruits!
The ways these creatures were born in the Inverse Universe were often unimaginably bizarre, and some were even more terrifying than the limits of human imagination.
After a brief rest, Han Shu began to organize the work, "Toplete the mission as soon as possible, we need to split into teams for exploration. Ji Yu and I will be one team. Cang Du, you go with Tianyang as another team, each team with two soldiers. The rest stay at the camp to guard the supplies. Any objections?"
Cang Du was the first to jump up. "Yes, Captain, why do I have to be in a team with this kid?"
"Because Tianyang is a neer and needs someone to guide him. Ji Yu is like a mute; do you think she would guide a neer?" Han Shu said without patience.
Cang Du pointed at him and said, "Then why don''t you lead or Lao Xu?"
Han Shu scolded, "You know nothing. Lao Xu is always thinking about cking off. Let him lead? With one old hand already enough, adding a new one, who can stand that? As for me, don''t you see how old I am? I have a generation gap with Tianyang. Do you understand what a generation gap is? You are about the same age as Tianyang, and your experience is richer than his. You''re not mute, and you''re proactive. Who else should guide him if not you?"
Captain, your skill in evading responsibility is extraordinary...
Cang Du choked and couldn''t say a word. After a while, he could only re fiercely at Tianyang and say, "Don''t drag me downter. Otherwise, I''d rather do it alone!"
As a neer to the team, Tianyang naturally had no objections.
So, Cang Du and Tianyang teamed up, bringing along Yan Bing and another soldier, leaving the camp.
They proceeded along the road and turned onto a street at an intersection. Buildings lined both sides of the street, with some reaching six or seven stories as they entered the street. However, the deeper they went, the lower the buildings became, mostly three or four stories.
These buildings in the town were much simplerpared to those in the fortress city, both in taste and style, showing a clear gap.
Moreover, the buildings in the town were obviously not nned uniformly. Tall and short buildings were crowded together, giving a chaotic and disordered feeling.
Cang Du signaled to the team to take a detour into a side alley to the left when multiple copsed buildings blocked the street.
The houses in the alley were more dpidated and lower. The ground was covered with ayer of dirty ck mud; stepping on it felt like walking on the belly of a giant beast.
"No matter where you are, walk close to the side of the passage rather than on the central line; this way, the chances of being attacked are reduced by at least half," Cang Du said, casting a nce behind him.
Tianyang nodded and followed Cang Du, walking along the left side of the wall. Suddenly, Tianyang reached out and pressed on Cang Du''s shoulder.
The man with the ponytail swept away his hand with displeasure. "What are you doing?"
Tianyang raised his gun, letting the light fall on a building ahead. "Look over there."
Several beams of light shot over, and Cang Du''s breath slightly increased. On the front of the two-story building, the structure was enveloped in some kind of dark, sticky substance. Although those things had almost solidified, under the light, they would still asionally slowly drip down...
Chapter 64 - Dark Worship
Although Tianyang had seen many nameless and evil things in the Inverse Universe, every time he encountered these morbidly abnormal things that defied logical understanding, he couldn''t help but instinctively reject them. This reaction was not rted to his identity or status.
He looked at Cang Du, whose expression was not much better.
The young man asked in a low voice, "What is that?"
"I hope I know." The guy with the ponytail thought for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said, "We have to go and see."
Tianyang supported this idea. That building was obviously strange. Even in the fortress city, he had never seen a structure enveloped in such a weird substance. Moreover, those things didn''t look like some kind of fungus; they looked more like the decaying bodies of dark creatures.
Cang Du made a gesture of alertness and then walked in front with Tianyang, while Yan Bing and another soldier covered the rear. The team quickly approached the building filled with malice, like a demon''s nest. As they got closer, a strange odor began to drift in the air.
Within the stench, there was a sweet and nauseating smell. This smell made Tianyang envy the soldiers. Their helmetspletely isted them from the Inverse Universe''s air, sparing their noses from this nauseating odor.
Cang Du had already pulled up his cor, covering his nose with his clothes to slightly reduce the pervasive stench.
As they got closer, under the light, they could see on the surface of the building''s semi-solidified slimy substances, a few grayish-white objects that looked like bones were protruding. On both sides of the entrance and hanging down from the roof were two limb-like structures resembling lizard hind legs.
On top of these things were palm-sized scales, many of which had fallen off, floating on the ground like patches of slimy mud. The ends of the hind limbs were not ws or hooves.
They were feet!
Human feet, and on those still rtively intact feet, rough and thick ck hair was still growing!
Tianyang felt his stomach churn. What exactly was this thing, possessing some human characteristics? However, he couldn''t see any hands or a head. He didn''t know if itcked these parts or if this indescribable entity never had such structures!
The only fortunate thing was that it showed no signs of life; it seemed to be dead.
At least, Tianyang couldn''t see anything resembling a Will Cage.
The light shone on the open door, revealing a thin ck mist inside. Some things were faintly visible, such as tables and chairs lying on the ground, shatteredmps, and even some paintings hanging on the wall.
And in the center of the hall, there was a pitch-ck shadow!
Tianyang took a few steps forward, but Cang Du grabbed him. Thetter was enduring the strange smell in the air and pointed to a twisted, ck dead tree near the door.
So Tianyang saw that on the ck tree, someone had scraped a few symbols with a sharp object.
The symbol was shaped like a diamond, with the inside of the diamond filled in by twisted lines and a solid dot gouged out in the middle.
At first nce, it looked like a diamond-shaped eye covered in blood vessels. In the pervasive ck mist, it seemed as if something was staring at the team.
The me soldier behind suddenly whispered, "There''s something behind the tree!"
Tianyang and Cang Du immediately moved the lights on their guns. Indeed, there was a figure behind the ck dead tree. But strangely, that thing showed no reaction at all.
Cang Du slowly moved to one side and discovered that it was a Mad Dog. However, it was already dead; its body decayed, leaving only a skeleton.
But this skeleton was hair-raising.
Its two hind legs were bent, and it knelt on the ground, facing the withered tree. It looked as if it were worshiping this strange ck tree.
Tianyang and Cang Du exchanged a nce, both catching a glimpse of fear in each other''s eyes.
"You two wait outside." Cang Du pointed to Tianyang. "We''ll go in and take a look."
Leaving the soldiers behind, they approached the building, moving cautiously up the steps. Positioned on either side of the entrance, they pressed against the walls.
Cang Du signaled, and only then did Tianyang follow him into the hall.
Using the illumination attachments on their guns, they continuously scanned the hall, searching and inspecting.
Fortunately, they didn''t find any dark creatures.
Their attention was then drawn to a mass hanging in mid-air in the center of the hall. It looked like a giant sac hanging from the ceiling, with various thick and thin tendril-like structures extending around it, suspending therge sac.
Tianyang and Cang Du moved around the sac. On the other side, they discovered that it had been torn open from the inside.
Arge amount of sticky fluid flowed out, already in a semi-solid state, forming ck mud on the floor.
There were imprints on the ck mud¡ªfootprints¡ªas if something had walked out of the sac.
The lights followed these footprints, revealing that they left the ck mud and headed toward the window in the hall.
The window, along with the surrounding walls, was shattered, and the fragments radiated outward. These traces indicated that whatever it was had left.
Cang Du breathed a sigh of relief and gestured to Tianyang. They retreated, leaving with the soldiers.
They walked in silence until they left the alley. Cang Du chose a five-story building to regroup, and only then did Tianyang say, "What do you think that could be?"
Cang Du took out a water bottle, took a sip, wiped his mouth, and said, "Not sure. I''ve never seen anything like this before. It seems like the birth of some kind of dark creature. But from the footprints at the scene, it looks like there''s only one newly born dark creature."
"As far as I know, dark creatures usually give birth to at least seven or eight at a time."
Tianyang recalled the enormous corpse lying outside the building. "And it seems like that thing came out from another type of dark creature. The sac seems to be some organ inside the huge corpse in the building. Could it be like the Mad Dogs, belonging to viviparous creatures?"
Cang Du put away the water bottle. "Who cares what it is? If we encounter it, I''ll kill it!"
Tianyang thought of the symbols on the ck dead tree outside and the Mad Dog corpse, which seemed to be worshiping something. A shiver ran down his spine.
Could dark creatures also have idol worship? Like humans believing in deities?
What would the dark creatures worship?
"me Soldier, did you mark that ce just now?" Cang Du asked casually.
The me soldier was using his hand to operate a recording device strapped to his wrist. This device could scan the surrounding environment and then generate a corresponding map. The exploration team utilized it to draw maps of towns in the Inverse Universe, providing references for subsequent deployments and ns.
"I marked it, Lieutenant. Should we collect some samples to bring back? We might get a good amount of contribution points," the me soldier suggested.
Cang Du nodded, "I had the same idea. We''ll collect the samples when we return... "
Thud, thud, thud¡ª
Suddenly, there was a faint sound from the top of the building, as if someone were pounding on the door...
Chapter 65 - Trap
Although the sound was not loud, its rhythm was fast, especially in the quiet building. Tianyang and the other three immediately heard it.
They all turned and looked at the ceiling above them.
The sound suddenly stopped.
"Shall we go up and check?" Tianyang suggested.
Cang Du nodded without objection. The team found the stairs leading to the upper floor and began to move.
The stairs were littered with garbage¡ªpapers covered in Inverse Universe symbols and images, torn and damaged handbags, rectangr touch screens that looked likemunicators butcked buttons, and even firearms.
At the corner of the second-floor stairs, there was a human skeleton, dead for who knew how long, holding a gun in its bony hand.
A ck metallic gun, structurally indicating the use of live ammunition.
However, the gun was small, and it seemed to have limited firepower.
Cang Du picked up the gun and tossed it into his backpack, saying, "The fortress has been studying military forces in the Inverse Universe; this gun should be worth at least 100 contribution points. Don''t worry, the gains during the search will be distributed in proportion."
Thump, thump, thump¡ª
The knocking sound echoed again, this time from the third floor.
"Let''s go."
Cang Du led the way with the gun. The group reached the third floor and looked inside through the door at the top of the stairs.
Inside was a corridor that was quite spacious, amodating two or three people walking side by side.
On the left side of the corridor were windows that allowed a view of the street outside and the buildings on the opposite side were covered in ck mist.
There were some rooms on the right side, lit by the light and with doors every three or four meters. The corridor also had some unidentifiable tools, and the ceiling was damaged, with a tangled mess of wires hanging from the gaps.
At this moment, knocking sounds came again from deep within the corridor. Cang Du gestured for everyone to be careful and moved along the right wall.
Just as they passed the third window on the left, a beam of light broke through the window!
The edge of the beam was pitch-ck, and the middle was crimson. It nearly grazed Cang Du''s nose, entering the wall in front of him and leaving a neatly circr hole.
If Cang Du had moved a bit forward, the beam would have pierced through his head!
In an instant, Cang Du understood. "It''s a trap!"
The knocking sounds from deep within the corridor were obviously meant to attract their attention and lure them into an ambush.
"Get down, get down!" Cang Du shouted. "Stay as close to the ground as possible; backtrack quickly!"
At the same time, the guy with the ponytail pulled out a handgun hanging from his waist and fired a shot out of the window.
A bright light burst from the muzzle, illuminating the building on the opposite side of the street. The sudden burst of intense light made things lean out of the window on the other building, emitting sharp and short cries retracting back into the building.
While lying down, Tianyang nced out of the window. In the rush, he only saw that those things had faces resembling goats¡ªhumanoid, at least in the upper body.
Their arms were not equipped with ws or des but had transformed into some kind of firearm.
The gun, formed from flesh and blood, had a white, bony barrel extending from it. Even more bizarrely, there were eyes on the alien firearm.
The intense light caused the eyes on the guns to close, but that didn''t stop those things from shooting towards the building where the team was.
ck-red beams shot from the white bony barrels intersected and danced above Tianyang and the others'' heads, leaving cup-sized holes in the walls of the building!
Tianyang and Cang Du crawled into the stairwell one after the other, quickly descending to the lower floor, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
"Those things should be the Mysterious Marksmen," Cang Du said breathlessly. "I''ve heard about them, but today is the first time encountering them."
The Mysterious Marksmen were amon type of dark creature in the 127th Inverse Universe, simr to Mad Dogs, ssified as level 2 in terms of danger. They have humanoid bodies with goat-like faces and agile movements.
The danger posed by the Mysterious Marksmen primarily came from their mutated biological firearms. They seemed to charge their guns with their own energy, firing the ck-red beams.
Sometimes, mutated variants known as Mysterious Gunners appear among the Marksmen. These creatures function as walking artillery, with energy cannons threatening even light tanks. Fortunately, for now, only Marksmen were present in the building across from them.
If there were Gunners, it wouldn''t be as easy.
Suddenly, a scream echoed from the corridor.
Tianyang looked, and another soldier crawled into the stairwell, but his left lower leg had been hit. The leg''s protective armor couldn''t stop the beam from prating, and blood was now pouring out of the wound!
To make matters worse, pale glows lit up at the deep end of the corridor. In the darkness, shaky figures staggered towards them.
Lurkers!
Tianyang slightly bent his body, about to rush into the corridor.
However, Cang Du grabbed his hand, asking coldly, "What are you doing?"
"Saving people!" Tianyang replied without hesitation.
Cang Du said coldly, "Save people? How? Forget about him; he''s just a soldier. They''ve already prepared for sacrifice before entering the Inverse Universe. Now, we don''t have time to linger here."
After saying that, Cang Du let go of Tianyang''s hand and descended the stairs with another soldier.
Tianyang looked down the corridor, where the Mysterious Marksmen across the street were still shooting frantically. The ck-red beams danced above the soldier''s head, and at one point, a beam even grazed his helmet. The soldier continued to crawl forward, unwilling to stop due to his will to survive, but the leg injury significantly slowed him down.
Maybe the beam would hit him again in the next second.
The Lurkers were closing in behind the corridor, asionally taking hits from the Marksmen''s beams. But as long as their Will Cage was intact, these creatures were still attracted by the soldier''s pheromones, moving towards the me soldier despite the Marksmen''s firepower.
Tianyang suddenly lifted his gun, pointing it at the wall in front. In his eyes, the wall began to fade, disappearing.
He saw the dark creature almost hanging from the window on the opposite side of the street. Then, the bodies of these creatures began to fade. When Tianyang''s attention focused on one of the Marksmen, the Marksman in his field of view eventually left only the eyes on the alien gun body.
Deep within those eyes, a faint yellow glow floated.
Will Cage!
Tianyang pulled the trigger, and the Assault Rifle emitted a deep blue stardust beam. The beam easily pierced through the wall, crossed the street, and entered the eye of that Mysterious Marksman.
The Marksman fell silent instantly, sliding out of the window and falling.
Tianyang did the same to the others, replicating the process. With the support of weak point detection, his line of sight prated the outer wall of the building, locked onto the Marksmen''s Will Cages, and destroyed them.
After firing three to five shots, the ck-red beams above the me soldier''s head noticeably reduced, and the soldier couldn''t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Suddenly, his lower leg tightened. Turning around, he found that he had been caught by a Lurker.
The corrosive bodily fluid from the Lurker''s hand dripped onto the leg armor. The armor immediately emitted blue smoke. At this moment, a deep blue beam swept across in front of the me soldier''s eyes, entering the Lurker''s chest and shattering its Will Cage.
"Hurry up!"
Tianyang shouted, firing a few more shots to kill several Lurkers that were getting closer.
The me soldier sped up under the cover of Tianyang, finally crawling out of the corridor, leaving this death zone!
Chapter 66 - Choice
Pulling the me soldier close, Tianyang didn''t hesitate and carried him on his back. They quickly ran to the ground floor and found a corner to put him down.
From the multifunctional waist pouch, Tianyang took out the first aid kit and removed the armor from the me soldier''s leg, carefully examining the wound. The soldier''s lower leg had arge piece of flesh sted off by the beam, and blood was flowing profusely. Tianyang tore off the sleeves of his own uniform, turned them into strips, and tightly bound the soldier''s thigh to slow down the bleeding.
But that wasn''t enough.
Tianyang took the solid bullet gun from the me soldier''s hand, removed the magazine, and took out the bullets.
Applying the gunpowder from the bullets to the surface of the wound, Tianyang pulled out the Crimson Moon Warde and looked at the me soldier. "Hold on."
The me soldier nodded vigorously.
Tianyang pointed the heated tip of the de at the soldier''s wound, and the gunpowder on the wound instantly ignited, producing a burst of orange mes.
The me soldier let out a miserable scream inside his helmet, gripping his hands tightly, clenching his teeth, and gasping for air.
He was quite tough, just letting out a scream but enduring it.
Tianyang retracted thebat knife, injected a painkiller into him, then used disinfectant spray to clean the wound, finally applying a hemostatic bandage.
Hearing the scream, Cang Du rushed over and happened to see Tianyang using the remaining bandage to wrap several turns around the me soldier''s leg, sealing the gap in the protective suit. The youth wasn''t sure if it would work for such arge woundpared to his.
Seeing that he had saved the me soldier, Cang Du snorted, pointing at the other soldier. "You carry him; let''s move quickly."
The soldier lifted the injuredrade, Tianyang patted the me soldier''s shoulder, and then, holding the Assault Rifle, walked cautiously out of the building''s entrance with Cang Du.
The street outside was quite quiet; the remaining Mysterious Marksmen didn''t seem to be chasing them. Instead, the wheezing sounds of Lurkers came from the building.
Cang Du gestured for safety and then took the lead in evacuating along the previously nned route.
Tianyang had two soldiers follow, covering the rear. When they were about to enter an alley, he suddenly felt as if something was watching him. He turned abruptly, and the light beam from his gun swept around.
But besides seeing the deste street covered in ck mist and shadows filled with malice, there was nothing suspicious.
The youth thought it was just his imagination, turned around, and entered the alley, catching up with the team.
When they arrived near the building enveloped in filth, Cang Du suddenly blocked Tianyang, pressing him against the wall.
The Assault Rifle pointed at the youth''s forehead, and Cang Du was furious. "Do you always love ying the hero? Fortunately, those dark creatures didn''t chase us; otherwise, we''d be in trouble because of you!"
The two soldiers were startled, especially the me soldier. The conflict between Cang Du and Tianyang was all because of him.
He was about to intervene, but Tianyang stopped him with a nce and then calmly looked at Cang Du. "I didn''t intend to y the hero. I just didn''t want to leave myrade behind."
Cang Du shouted, "You need to change those civilian thoughts. We are Ascenders, the upper ss. Our value, not to mention one soldier, is worth more than a hundred soldiersbined. The fortress invests a considerable amount of resources in us, not to make you a saint! Besides, do you think you can save everyone?"
Tianyang said in a deep voice, "I never thought of saving everyone, nor did I ever think of bing a saint. If it''s impossible, I would choose to give up as well. But if it''s within my capability, why not lend a helping hand? I''ve experienced the feeling of being abandoned; I know the despair. If you were in that situation, wouldn''t you hope that someone could pull you out of hell?"
Cang Du snorted, released his hand, and said, "I haven''t been unlucky enough to need a little ghost to save me. You better not be so naive again. Otherwise, it will cost you your life sooner orter."
"I will seriously consider your advice."
"Hmph, next time, let the captain be a nanny himself; I won''t help him carry little ghosts anymore." Cang Du kicked a stone away, vented a bit, and then led the way ahead.
Not knowing if the dark creatures would suddenly catch up, they didn¡¯t dare to collect specimens and hurriedly returned to the camp.
When they arrived at the camp, Han Shu and Ji Yu were already back. Upon seeing the me soldier injured, Han Shu almost dropped the cigarette from his mouth.
"What happened? Did you run into dark creatures?" Han Shu inquired. While he asked, Ji Yu had already arranged for someone to take the me soldier to the vehicle. In the absence of a dedicated medic, Ji Yu, with some medical knowledge, often yed the role of the team''s doctor.
Cang Du briefly recounted the experience, then unloaded his gear and went to rest on the side.
Anyone could see that this guy was sulking.
Tianyang sat by the campfire with Han Shu, ncing nervously at the rugged man. "I made him angry."
Han Shuughed, seemingly unconcerned. "That kid Cang Du is like that, it is okay, give him a little time to sulk and it will pass."
Tianyang looked towards the armored vehicle where Ji Yu was re-treating the me soldier''s wound. "Captain, do you think I did something wrong?"
Han Shu took a drag of his cigarette, asking in return, "Well, do you think you did something wrong?"
Tianyang pondered for a moment and shook his head. "I don''t know. I just felt like it was the right thing to do."
Han Shu blew out a cloud of smoke. "Well then, you didn''t do anything wrong. Cang Du didn''t either. In this world, there''s no such thing as right or wrong. There are just different choices. Whatever you do, if you make a choice and bear the consequences, then you haven''t done anything wrong."
Tianyang scratched his head. "Captain, your reasoning is too profound. Can you simplify it a bit?"
Han Shu nced at him, saying meaningfully, "Act more, think less. You''ll have fewer worries."
"I understand. It''s like you and Lao Xu. You''re about the same age, but Lao Xu is losing his hair. I think it''s because he thinks too much. Captain, am I right?"
"Right, my ass. I really want to smack you to death."
Han Shu stood up, patted his buttocks, and said, "You guys are tired too. Eat something and rest. I''ll take the first watch. After two hours, you and Lao Xu will take over for me. The third watch will be Cang Du and Ji Yu''s responsibility."
Tianyang nodded and returned to the vehicle, taking out a high-energy ration to eat.
Two hourster, he woke up on time. Stepping out of the vehicle, he saw Lao Xu sitting by the campfire.
Lao Xu was looking at themunicator, probably looking at photos of his wife and daughter again. Tianyang cleared his throat before walking over.
With only the two of them left in the camp now, along with two soldiers, Tianyang added some dry wood to the campfire. Lao Xu spoke without looking up. "Heard you guys ran into a trap?"
"Yeah, we were attracted by the Lurkers¡¯ knocking sounds and then ambushed by the Mysterious Marksmen."
In the flickering firelight, the man with thinning hair asked with a solemn expression, "Were there any particrly unusual dark creatures at the scene? Usually, Lurkers wouldn''t coordinate with Mysterious Marksmen to set traps, unless something is directing them behind the scenes."
Tianyang carefully recalled but didn''t seem to notice any particrly unique dark creatures.
Just as he was about to answer, the soldier responsible for the alert suddenly shouted, "Dark creatures! It''s dark creatures!"
Chapter 67 - Dark Shadows Behind
Activating the night vision mode of the tactical electronic eye, Tianyang adjusted the distance, and the blurry images in the distance were immediately brought closer and became clearer.
The soldier pointed towards the remains of a car on the highway, and behind the frame of the car, a figure suddenly jumped down.
It was a Mad Dog!
The abominable creature with a human face crouched low on the car, peering in the direction of the camp.
More Mad Dogs appeared on the highway, bypassing the cars and obstacles and spitting out crimson tongues covered in flesh spikes. Like the work of a god of nightmares, these humanoid creatures with human features and reptilian characteristics began to run.
"What''s happening?"
Hearing the rm, Han Shu jumped out of the car and ran in the direction of the alert.
Putting down a telescope, Lao Xu looked nervous. "It''s a pack of dogs, about a hundred in number, charging towards our camp."
Suddenly, a ck-red beam shot out from the darkness of the road, hitting the chest of a nearby soldier. The soldier didn''t even realize it at first. After a moment, he lowered his head, then covered his chest, gushing with blood.
He kneeled, reaching out towards Han Shu, probably trying to call for help. However, blood poured out of his mouth within his helmet.
Han Shu cursed, "Full alert, we have a shooter! Mysterious Marksmen!"
Tianyang was already lying on the ground, unfolding the bipod of his Assault Rifle, and cing the gun on the ground. His tactical electronic eye searched for the source of the beams, and then he saw an Enigmatic Marksman. The creature with a goat-like face stood on top of a car, aiming its bone-barreled gun toward the camp and continuing firing.
Aiming at the eye on the alien gun, Tianyang adjusted the color, and a deep blue beam cut through the darkness of the road, shattering the Mysterious Marksman''s Will Cage.
More ck-red beams were shooting towards the camp.
Cang Du hid behind the armored vehicle, aiming the gun at the enemies in the darkness, firing and shouting, "Prioritize eliminating those marksmen with heavy artillery, or we''ll be in big trouble!"
The soldier inside the tank operated the Star Element cannon mounted on the vehicle, pointing it at the enemy''s firepower point. After the humming sound of charging, a blue energy projectile soared through the air, exploding into a blue fireball on the stronghold of the dark creatures.
Meanwhile, the pack of Mad Dogs initiated a charge.
Nearly a hundred Mad Dogs moved agilely on all fours, rapidly closing the distance with the camp.
Just at this moment, the camp suddenly erupted with an immense aura. Following that, a shower of arrows ascended into the sky, only to shake off towards the ground below, aiming at the charging pack of Mad Dogs.
Instantly, the frontline of the Mad Dogs copsed; those blue arrows, upon hitting the monsters, explosively created massive wounds even without shattering their Will Cages.
Even if the Will Cages of the Mad Dogs weren''t shattered, the explosions still sent blood and flesh flying, rendering them momentarily unable to move.
After this barrage of arrows, ayer of Star Element Barrier appeared around Tianyang.
Beside him, Lao Xu whispered, "This is the Captain''s ability, but don''t expect it to be very sturdy. At most, it can withstand a few shots from those Mysterious Marksmen."
Lao Xu had already drawn his sword, his Star Element aura visible on the surface. He, along with Cang Du, then advanced, knocking down the scattered Mad Dogs.
As the two Ascenders of the War God ss, their wrists began to radiate dazzling light, and when their long swords were swung, a dull sonic boom was produced.
No Mad Dog could reach them!
As for Han Shu, the luminous armor outlined on his body flickered. Then a star-made long spear appeared in his hand.
Standing between Lao Xu and Cang Du, he either swept or thrust with the long spear, ughtering all the Mad Dogs that rushed towards them.
Under the suppression of the heavy artillery on the two armored vehicles, the Mysterious Marksmen were forced to retreat, reducing the pressure on the camp''s defense line.
Even so, sporadic Mad Dogs asionally rushed into the camp, requiring Tianyang and Ji Yu to eliminate them.
After a moment, a new soldier couldn''t handle the psychological pressure, shouted, and ran away.
Several Mad Dogs happened to charge into the camp. Tianyang drew the Crimson Moon Warde, beheading one of them.
Ji Yu promptly shot two arrows, destroying their Will Cages. However, one of the Mad Dogs pounced on the new recruit, grabbing and biting him. The recruit''s armor was torn apart, and he screamed for help, but ultimately, the Mad Dog bit off his neck. In his helmet, the recruit''s eyes widened, blood pouring out of his mouth as he died.
A red light shed across the Mad Dogs, and Tianyang''s de almost cleaved one of the monsters in half. Unfortunately, it was toote to save the soldier. Tianyang grunted, lifted his rifle with his left hand, and sent beams of Star Element into the pack of Mad Dogs.
After a few minutes, the severely injured Mad Dogs began to retreat. Before leaving, they bit the heads of their severely wounded but still aliverades, tearing out their skull caps along with the underlying Will Cages.
When there was not a single living Mad Dog left on the road, the remaining Mad Dogs retreated into the distant darkness.
The battle came to a swift end. At this moment, a soldier kneeled on the ground, weeping. He was a new recruit who had recently joined the Night Walkers. Surviving such an intense battle required some luck, but unfortunately, it seemed his luck had run out.
As the recruit tried to control his emotions and stand up, a wisp of ck smoke rose from the front of his helmet. He stared for a moment before realizing that his hand was on fire!
The ck mes weren''t scorching; instead, they were cold, sending shivers down one''s spine.
The recruit screamed in terror, "What is this? What is this?!"
Han Shu and the others just noticed his abnormality. Seeing the ck mes, Han Shu''s immediate reaction was to rush forward. Suddenly, the ck fire surged, and in an instant, it engulfed the recruit.
The recruit turned into a ck fireball, emitting a terrifying scream within the mes as he stumbled towards the crowd.
Even Han Shu was at a loss, and just as the ck mes rose higher, Tianyang shot a deep blue beam into the fire. The recruit''s screams ceased, and he copsed to the ground. The ck fire continued to burn but was no longer apanied by his cries.
He was already dead.
It was only then that Han Shu reacted, looking towards the source of the beam. Tianyang had just put down his Assault Rifle.
Cang Du also witnessed the scene, and the expression on the young man''s face becameplicated.
Tianyang sighed lightly, but suddenly his heart thumped heavily. As if electrified, he raised his head and saw a sinister figure behind Ji Yu.
"Get down!"
Tianyang shouted, aiming his gun at Ji Yu and firing abruptly!
Ji Yu''s response was also swift. Upon hearing the shout, she immediately threw herself to the ground. Just at this moment, the eerie figure behind her extended a pale and withered hand.
If Ji Yu hadn''t dropped to the ground immediately, this hand would havended on her back.
More importantly, this hand was engulfed in a cluster of ck mes!
Chapter 68 - The Wizard
As the drizzle just settled, beams of starlight passed through the spot where she had just been, pointing directly at the silently appearing figure.
The hand originally reaching for Ji Yu''s pink back instead turned towards the beams of light. The ck mes on the hand surged, devouring the light beams like a swamp with no way in or out. More beams shot towards it, and the hand retracted, forming a triangr gesture with the other hand.
The figure swiftly contracted, as if a ck hole appeared behind it, shrinking into it and reappearing several meters away.
Tianyang''s shots missed instantly.
Han Shu kicked a nearby bonfire, sending burning dry branches in all directions, creating a circle of firelight.
The two Falcon armored vehicles also turned on their headlights, illuminating the camp, and allowing Tianyang to finally see the appearance of that figure.
It looked like a hunched person, wrapped inyers of cloak-like garments. Tangled strips of grayish-white cloth wrapped around the hands and waist.
Wearing a hood, the face waspletely invisible, only a deep shadow inside the hat was visible.
From beneath theyered fabric on the chest hung a triangr pendant. This ornament was metallic, with distorted lines on the surface, adorned with red and blue crystals.
What is this?
"It''s a Wizard!" Lao Xu eximed, his face tense. "Danger Level 3, different individuals have varying abilities. The onlymonality is their short-distance teleportation ability. Due to ack of research materials, the appearance and locations of their Will Cages are unpredictable."
Han Shu''s mouth twitched slightly as he said, "This is really good news."
Tianyang whispered, "It''s only Danger Level 3, and our Captain is Rank 4. With us..."
Lao Xu smiled bitterly, "The Captain is a fortress ss, mostly defensive. The only offensive ability he possesses is the skill ¡±Charge.¡±"
"Even so, I can take it down!" Han Shu lifted the Star Essence spear and initiated the charge, and spiral ripples appeared on the outeryer of the spear, heading straight toward the dark creature known as the Wizard!
However...
Han Shu had only covered half the distance when the Wizard''s figure twisted, and when it reappeared, it was already behind Lao Xu.
Fortunately, Lao Xu was very alert. As soon as the Wizard made a move, regardless of whether the target was himself or not, he immediately dropped to the ground, evading the Wizard''s grasp.
On the other side, Han Shu had to stop, yelling in frustration.
Lao Xu looked helpless. "This is the most worrying aspect for me. The Wizard''s movement is too fast. Although our Captain is Rank 4, with his speed, it''s better not to mention it..."
Swish¡ª
The sound of arrows cutting through the air echoed in the camp. It turned out that Ji Yu, taking advantage of the creature''s visibility, half-kneeled and shot an arrow at the Wizard.
The Wizard raised its hand, and mes suddenly erupted, silently devouring the arrow made of Star Essence energy. It lifted the other hand, extending a thin and long finger and pointing towards Cang Du.
The ponytailed young man was slow to react; a beam of ck light hit the barrier in front of him. The Star Essence barrier that Han Shu had just applied to his teammate was shattered, but at least it saved Cang Du''s life.
Cang Du broke into a cold sweat. If it weren''t for the barrier, he might have been taken down by now.
"Be careful, everyone!" Han Shu pointed the Star Essence spear towards Cang Du, applying anotheryer of barrier to the ponytailed young man.
Tianyang and Ji Yu were now both attacking, their guns and bows rarely stopping, desperately aiming at the Wizard.
But as the Wizard teleported behind Lao Xu, both of them hesitated, and they were forced to abandon their attacks.
Lao Xu turned around and forced the Wizard back with his sword. At this moment, Cang Du, who had circled around to the rear, took the opportunity to stab a sword into the Wizard''s back.
The long sword broke through its chest, but Cang Du''s face showed no joy at his sess; instead, it revealed a puzzled expression.
Moreover, the Wizard didn''t seem injured. It turned around, and a palm filled with ck mes mmed toward Cang Du.
A bright light appeared in front of the ponytailed young man. The barrier Han Shu had just applied shattered once again. Cang Du quickly withdrew his sword, dodging left and right to avoid the subsequent ck fire shot out by the Wizard''s fingertips.
Wanting to pursue, the Wizard suddenly turned its head. It was because Han Shu was once again rushing towards it, wielding the long spear.
It immediately sped its hands together, making a triangr gesture. Seeing this, Han Shu shouted, "Don''t run, damn it!"
The figure twisted, reappearing over ten meters away, once again creating distance from Han Shu. Then, from its seemingly frail body, a deafening scream erupted, causing everyone present to wince in pain.
After a moment, unable to intervene, the soldiers on alert outside the battle circle discovered that the mad dogs and elusive archers had returned!
Upon hearing the rm, Cang Du sounded irritated. "It definitely set us up before. Judging by this quantity, it could have easily taken us down earlier!"
Lao Xu wiped the sweat from his forehead. "So you guysing back was intentional on its part. It wanted to use you to locate our camp, right?"
Han Shu eximed, "Are these dark scoundrels really this clever?"
No one answered because the answer was already apparent.
Cang Du snorted, exerted force to sprint, and charged towards the Wizard.
Lao Xu, fearing he couldn''t handle it alone, quickly followed.
The two swords wove together with a burst of sword light. If it were any other dark creature, they might have already been crushed by this burst of sword light.
But the Wizard''s short-distance teleportation ability repeatedly allowed the dark creature to escape.
Cang Du became increasingly agitated. "This thing keeps shing around, and for a while, I can''t even touch its clothes. How do we fight it?"
As they spoke, Cang Du, wielding the Springwater(Qingshui) Longsword made a thrust, but it only pierced through the air.
The Wizard suddenly appeared behind Lao Xu, this time not reaching out to touch but raising a finger. Even though Lao Xu had rolled away two positions, he was still hit by the dark fire bundle.
The barrier shattered, and before Lao Xu could breathe a sigh of relief, he saw another point of ck light between the Wizard''s fingers.
Rapid Fire!
A sharp red beam descended, the Wizard''s finger danced, and the ck light at its fingertip shed twice before extinguishing.
Cang Du stared wide-eyed; in his line of sight, beside the Wizard, was a silver-haired youth holding two knives!
Han Shu whistled. "You''re in trouble, kid!"
Tianyang seeded with a sh, and the Crimson Moon Warde rose again, suddenly sweeping it.
At this moment, as the Wizard was about to close his hands, seeing the battle de sweeping horizontally, he had to leap backward, creating distance.
Lao Xu eximed, "Why isn''t it using teleportation abilities now?¡±
Han Shu also noticed this point. The Wizard''s teleportation ability was quite troublesome, and it had been ying with them in circles using this ability.
But now, it gave up the convenient teleportation ability and opted for more cumbersome evasion actions.
Tianyang had already closed in again, the Crimson Moon Warde shaking out crimson knife waves. The offensive was like a tide, constantly rolling towards the mysterious, dark creature in front of him.
The Wizard, who had just held the advantage, was now at a disadvantage. asionally, it shot a ck fire bundle at Tianyang, but it barely forced the young man back.
Tianyang''s speed was too fast, especially after enhancing his physical abilities. His reactions had significantly improved. The youth dragged the visible silver brilliance, changing his movement trajectory unpredictably. This not only made the Wizard''s attacks miss but also allowed him tounch unexpected counterattacks.
The youth finally severed the Wizard''s right hand after another sh.
Tianyang stopped, and in that moment of stillness, sweat beads instantly covered his forehead.
The intense skirmish just now had consumed a considerable amount of his energy and Star Essence, but it was worthwhile because...
"Next, you won''t be able to use teleportation, right?!"
Tianyang wiped away the sweat with a slight smile on his lips.
Chapter 69 - Outside the Door
"Why can''t we teleport?" Han Shu asked, voicing everyone''s concern.
Tianyang stared at the wizard, mobilizing the star essence again to prepare for the next attack. "I''ve been observing just now and found that every time it''s about to teleport, it must sp its hands together and make a triangr hand gesture."
Lao Xu was the first to understand. "So, when you were fighting it just now, you didn''t give it a chance to make the gesture. I was wondering, most of your attacks were aimed at its hands, turns out you nned to cut them off."
Tianyang nodded. What he didn''t say was that he actually wanted to find the wizard''s weakness. Unfortunately, this dark being frequently used its teleportation ability and rarely stayed in one ce for more than three seconds.
Unable to lock onto it, Tianyang''s Weakness Sensing ability was useless.
Moreover, the wizard only used ck fire to strike with its right hand, igniting the target upon contact, while its left hand was more versatile, able to shoot ck fire from its fingertips. It was by catching onto its pattern of movements that Tianyang was able to fight it up close just now.
Now that the wizard had lost one hand and couldn''t use gestures to activate its abilities, all they had to do was find its weakness to end the battle.
At this moment, the howling of the pack of dogs outside the camp could be heard. The defensive line organized by Ji Yu was undergoing a test from the dark creatures.
With little time left, Tianyang focused his mind, his gaze gradually bing distant.
In his vision, the figure of the wizard began to fade.
But then, from the position of its severed arm, the wizard suddenly spewed out a jet of ck mes.
The ck fire twisted, forming the shape of an arm.
Then the mes receded, revealing a pale, emaciated arm hanging in the air.
"It can regenerate!" Han Shu felt like cursing. They had finally cut off one of the monster''s hands, preventing it from teleporting short distances. Yet in the blink of an eye, it regenerated another arm!
Dark creatures with a danger level of 3 were indeed not easy to deal with.
This was almost everyone''s inner voice.
sping its palms together, its figure shrinking, the wizard teleported several times in session, retreating to the highway outside the camp.
It raised its hands, pped them above its head, and then opened them left and right.
As the palms separated, a ck orb appeared above the wizard''s head. It resembled a miniature ck hole, but thankfully, there was no gravitational reaction; otherwise, Han Shu reckoned he''d have to order a retreat.
The wizard''s hands slowly descended, and ck orbs hovered in the air one by one. Each orb was approximately ten centimeters in diameter, with a remarkably smooth surface, showing no traces of energy movement.
Then, it raised its hands again, palms t, and a thin seam appeared in the center of each palm.
Suddenly, it forcefully opened, revealing a ring of irregr broken teeth, with an eyeball floating in the center.
Two eyeballs, capturing Tianyang and hispanions entirely.
Suddenly, from the shadow of the wizard''s hood, came a dense and low voice. It sounded like it was saying something, but unfortunately, thenguage it used was iprehensible to anyone present.
"¡Ritual¡"
Tianyang was stunned. Amidst the hoarse words, a word that a young person could understand suddenly popped out.
The pronunciation of this word was unmistakably that of anguage from outside the door!
Tianyang thought he had misheard, but seeing the strange expressions on Han Shu and the others, it seemed that he wasn''t the only one who heard this word.
"¡Human¡ die¡"
Two more words that some of the people present could understand emerged. This was truly shocking. Could the inhabitants of the reverse realm actually use thenguage from outside the door?
Although there were only three words, it was still astonishing!
Could it be that these things could learn too? When this thought arose, Tianyang broke out in goosebumps. There was nothing more terrifying than this!
The wizard''s right hand moved slightly to the left, and the eyeball in its palm clearly reflected Han Shu.
A ck orb above the monster''s head trembled lightly, then swiftly and smoothly, like a cannonball, smashed towards Han Shu.
Han Shu didn''t dare to be careless. Holding the Star Essence spear like a bear, he moved clumsily, but managed to escape from his original position before the ck orb hit.
As the ck orb hit the ground, a bright ck me suddenly exploded, dazzling everyone''s eyes. Although the me was ck, it formed a ring white light during the explosion, and the subsequent shockwave pushed everyone around wildly.
Tianyang was knocked to the ground by the shockwave, but as soon as he touched the ground, he quickly pressed his hand down.
A handprint immediately sank into the ground, and the enhanced strength made Tianyang bounce back up instantly. Then, he saw another ck orb descending from the sky.
If Tianyang hadn''t strengthened his physical abilities, he would have been slower in both reaction and strength at this moment.
Now, he could only lie on the ground to face this ck orb.
But instead, he pointed his toes to the ground, and his whole body slid back as if gliding on ice, retreating three meters.
The ck orbnded.
Another earth-shattering explosion ensued.
Although there were two fewer orbs above the wizard''s head, the remaining six were still plenty.
Each one of them was powerful enough topare to a heavy artillery shell. If hit directly, except for Han Shu, everyone else would likely be shattered to pieces.
"Spread out! Scatter!" Han Shu''s voice came from behind the swirling dust and smoke. In the headlights of the Falcon armored vehicle, a figure could be vaguely seen rushing towards the road.
On the other side of the road, the wizard saw Han Shu emerge from the smoke. Surprisingly, it didn''t seem to intend to use its teleportation ability. Instead, its hands moved towards Han Shu, and the eyes in its palms all focused on him.
Two ck orbs flew out from above its head. These orbs were actuallypressed energy bodies of ck fire.
Upon impact, they would explode violently, releasing the ck firepletely.
When the human body came into contact with ck fire, it would instantly ignite and be difficult to extinguish.
The new recruit who had turned into a fireball before was a clear example of this.
Although Han Shu didn''t know theposition of the ck orbs, he knew their power. Even so, when he saw two ck orbs flying towards him one after another, he still had no intention of backing down.
The light emitted from the Star Essence on his body continued to shine brightly as Han Shu continuously strengthened his defense, then faced the first ck orb head-on.
As Tianyang tried to support Han Shu by maneuvering through the thick smoke, he saw a sudden burst of light in front of the campsite. In that dazzling white light, a burst of rapidly expanding ck mes instantly engulfed the captain''s figure!
The shockwave came crashing like a tsunami, and Tianyang had to lower his center of gravity to withstand the impact.
Before the shockwave could dissipate, another violent explosion urred, pushing the teenager back repeatedly.
When he stabilized his figure and looked up, a mass of ck mes sprayed into the air, slowly dissipating.
Tianyang''s heart sank as he wondered if Han Shu could withstand the consecutive explosions¡
Chapter 70 - Killing
At the camp''s defensive line, Ji Yu radiated a brilliant light from her Star Essence, suddenly bursting forth with a tremendous aura. The star-quality longbow in her hand emitted a dazzling glow.
Ji Yu drew the bow like a full moon, raised it towards the sky, and released the string.
The burst of light immediately exploded into thousands of arrows, streaking across the dark sky of the reverse realm. Upon reaching their zenith, they rained down upon the battlefield like a torrential downpour.
After this arrow rain swept through, a section of the attacking canine horde was diminished, relieving some pressure on the soldiers.
Only then did Ji Yu have time to look back at the campsite. She happened to see Han Shu rushing towards the highway, only to be engulfed by the connected explosions of ck fire.
The hand holding the star-quality longbow involuntarily tightened, and due to nervousness, Ji Yu''s hand turned pale.
After a moment, her pupils slightly dted, and she saw a figure emerge from the ck fire. Despite the barrier on his body being shattered, and even though his armor was shattered, Han Shu still managed to survive the explosion.
The insane defensive power of the Fortress ss could be seen from this.
The female archer finally breathed a sigh of relief, then turned back to focus on the dark creatures at the frontline. With immense consumption of Star Essence, Ji Yu couldn''t release another arrow rain like before, but her attacks were still swift and powerful. She constantly moved along the defensive line, aiming her arrows at either the more dangerous female canines or the elusive snipers causing trouble for the defensive line.
On the highway, the wizard seemed slow to react when he didn''t expect Han Shu to break out of the explosion zone.
Han Shu had already roared and rushed forward, thrusting with the Star Essence spear. The outer spiral ripple first pierced into the wizard''s hood.
The wizard''s hat was immediately shredded into countless pieces, and amidst the dark fabric flying everywhere, Han Shu''s face showed an incredulous expression.
Because under the hat, the wizard in front of him, surprisingly, had no visible head.
In fact, from the neckline, it seemed like there was only a deep shadow within the cloak-like fabric!
Was there nothing beneath the thing''s clothes?
Feeling a slight chill on his face, Han Shu reached out and touched it, finding a drop of ck liquid in his palm.
Just as a vague thought crossed his mind, the wizard''s hand moved, and the eyes in its palms met his gaze.
"Damn it!"
Han Shu immediately leaped backward, tightened his body, and deployed ayer of Star Essence barrier.
As soon as the barrier appeared, a ck orb had already descended.
In the next moment, Han Shu''s eyes were filled with dazzling white light, then he saw a rapidly expanding ck me!
The barrier couldn''t even hold for one second, almost being destroyed at the moment of the ck orb''s explosion. The shockwave, carrying the ck fire, came rushing towards Han Shu, almost about to hit him. Suddenly, and dragon rushed in, inserting itself between them.
Thend dragon burst open, and arge amount of mud and rocks sprayed into the air, forming a wall of mud and rocks.
The ck fire hit the wall constructed of mud and rocks, slowing down slightly before breaking through the debris and continuing to spread and advance.
Seizing this hard-won opportunity, Han Shu quickly rolled away from the range of the ck fire, managing to escape the danger after a few consecutive rolls.
"Are you okay, Captain?" Cang Du hurried over. The mud wall he had created just now saved Han Shu by intercepting the ck fire. Otherwise, without any protection, even Han Shu would likely have turned into a human torch if the ck fire had licked him.
Han Shu nodded, spat out some blood-tinged phlegm, and got up. "That thing probably doesn''t have a physical form. This is troublesome."
Cang Du had already rushed towards the wizard, while Lao Xu had alreadyunched an attack. Seeing this situation, Han Shu reached out and pressed his chest, adding anotheryer of barrier to himself.
About to go and cover the two team members with his spear, at this moment, themunicator rang: "Captain, listen to me..."
It was Tianyang''s voice!
Cang Du and Lao Xu were attacking the wizard closely. They kept their eyes on the wizard''s hands, preventing it from using its teleportation ability.
Perhaps worried that the explosion of the ck orb would affect itself at such a close distance, the wizard was just carefully evading the attacks of the two Sublimates, without using the powerful ck orbs above its head.
It only used basic abilities, asionally shooting out a ck fire beam or pping a mass of ck fire towards its opponent''s body, to buy some buffer space.
Cang Du and Lao Xu appeared extremely tacit, never giving the wizard the chance to be hit simultaneously. Thus, even if one of them was forced to retreat, the other would always be entangled with the wizard, preventing it from using short-range teleportation.
The three of them were advancing and retreating on the highway like this.
Seemingly annoyed by Cang Du and Lao Xu, the wizard suddenly spread out its palm, and the eyes in its palms locked onto Lao Xu.
Lao Xu immediately had a bad premonition. He looked up and saw only three ck orbs remaining above the wizard''s head. One of them was headed towards him. With a strange cry, Lao Xu turned and ran without hesitation.
"Cang Du, get out of the way!"
Cang Du didn''t need him to remind him. His face had already turned pale, and he swiftly retreated.
They weren''t like Han Shu. If they were engulfed in an explosion at such a close distance, they would likely meet their end today.
In the blink of an eye, the two of them moved away from the wizard, and just as the ck orb was about to hit the ground, it stopped.
The wizard retracted its palm, and its two withered arms closed together, forming a triangr hand seal.
With a swift rotation, it reappeared about ten meters away.
"Damn it!"
"We''ve been tricked!"
Cang Du and the others couldn''t help but curse. The wizard had never intended to die with them. It just scared them off to take advantage of the opportunity to use teleportation.
At this moment, the creature had already raised its hands, and the eyes in its palms were looking at Cang Du and the others.
But before it could lock on, a dull ng sounded from behind, followed by a de breaking through its chest.
The crimson war de gleamed with a rich blood light, emitting an astonishing heat.
With a loud bang, mes suddenly surged from the fabric on the wizard''s chest, ignited by the de.
The Crimson Moon Warde!
Not only did the de pierce through the fabric on the wizard''s chest, but it also pierced through the triangr ornament. A sharp, piercing sound suddenly came from the pendant. It didn''t sound like a biological sound, more like the sharp shing of metal against metal.
The three crystals on the pendant shattered simultaneously, and the metallic surface instantly cracked open, spewing out a ck substance thatnded on the ground.
It was a lizard-like creature, but this lizard waspletely ck, with purple ring-shaped markings on its tail.
It had six legs and was covered with various sizes of eyeballs from its head to its back.
There was no mouth, but underneath its abdomen, there was a split mouthpiece.
As soon as the creaturended on the ground, the wizard''s body seemed to lose support. In an instant, the fabric on its body fell to the ground. The cloak and cloth strips piled up together, apparently there was no substance supporting them inside.
"Captain!"
Tianyang shouted. The multi-eyed ck lizard was desperately fleeing towards the depths of the town.
A beam of azure light flew across the highway, urately hitting the lizard, leaving a teacup-sized gap on its back.
Several more beams of light flew over, sting it into pieces.
Only then did Han Shu put down his assault rifle and sit down on the ground with a sigh of relief. "Damn it, finally got it done."
Chapter 71 - Voting
"Captain, listen to me, there''s something strange about the pendant. It seems like there''s a living entity inside the pendant, possibly the essence of the wizard. I''ll try to force it out, and if it appears, it''s up to you, Captain..."
Han Shu remembered what Tianyang said on themunicator earlier, and as he said, there was indeed a multi-eyed ck lizard hidden in the wizard''s pendant.
Now, that thing had been sted into pieces by the starlight beam, with tiny specks of ember drifting from the fragments of the corpse. It seemed that this living creature was the wizard''s imprisoned will.
This puzzled Han Shu.
Last time it was the ghost car, and this time it''s the wizard. Why is Tianyang always able to find the weaknesses of these dark creatures? And his speed, explosiveness, and reactions are not characteristics of the Warrior ss.
What exactly is this kid''s ss?
What is Ling Feng, the four-eyed one, hiding?
On the highway, the fabrics left by the wizard on the ground had actually begun to decay. It turned out that the cloak and torn cloth strips were not fabrics, but biological tissues.
Things from the Reverse Realm are indeed difficult to measure withmon sense.
Tianyang sighed inwardly, about to leave, when he noticed that the wizard''s two eyeballs rolled out of his palm.
These organs did not decay along with the rest, only the crystals inside the eyeballs were undergoing changes.
Their corneas were dissolving, turning into tiny, imperceptible ck particles.
The crystalline lens and vitreous body were crystallizing, with the ck particles from the cornea-like a mist, like a me-entering the crystalline lens through some kind ofwork.
So these eyeballs looked like they contained ck fire inside them. Tianyang picked them up and put them in a recycling container.
If handed over to the fortress, they should be able to exchange them for equivalent contribution points. Maybe the equipment issued by the R&D department next time will include weapons made of this material.
After the wizard disappeared, the dark creatures outside the defense line were leaderless, and because many were killed or injured, these cunning creatures finally chose to retreat.
A few minutester, the dark creatures left cleanly, and two soldiers began to clean up the battlefield. Even if it was just the remains left by the mad dogs and elusive shooters, they could still exchange them for contribution points.
Han Shu and the others did not participate. There was an unwritten rule among the Night Walkers that the materials of dark creatures with a danger level below 3 belong to the soldiers who participated in the exploration work, as an informal subsidy.
In the Falcon armored vehicle, Han Shu was contacting the Lighthouse Outpost. After themunication was established, Han Shu requested to speak with Ling Feng.
After a moment, the voice of the Chief of Staff sounded through the vehicle''smunication system: "This is Ling Feng."
Han Shu was almost leaning over themunicator, his voice low and serious: "Chief of Staff, I''m afraid we''ll have to give up on the Wild Valley Town. You won''t believe what we''ve encountered here!"
Ling Feng''s voice carried a hint of helplessness: "Han Shu, I have a lot of work on my hands and no time for riddles. If you have something to report, could you please get straight to the point?"
Han Shu turned back and pointed at themunicator: "This guy has absolutely no sense of humor."
Then he cleared his throat and said, "Alright, I''ll get to the point. We ran into a wizard. You know, one of those dark creatures that can do magic tricks. Of course, its tricks almost cost us our lives."
"And, that damned thing can speak ournguage. You didn''t mishear, Mr. Ling, I''m not joking. That thing started speaking..."
Han Shu looked to Lao Xu for help, "What was it saying again?"
Lao Xu knew him well and showed no surprise on his face: "Ritual, human, death. Or was it just the word ''death''? Anyway, it''s pretty much the same."
Han Shu repeated Lao Xu''s words and then asked, "What do you think, Chief of Staff? In my opinion, these dark scum are bing increasingly bizarre, although they''ve always been quite strange."
"When we recovered the Star Pirst time, we encountered creatures capable of transmitting electronic signals. Now, the dark creatures here are like the followers of the Warlord Church, even worshiping some kind of entity. Tianyang and Cangdu discovered simr things while exploring."
There was silence on the other end of themunicator for a moment before Ling Feng''s voice rang out: "From the looks of it, your best choice is to retreat. But I hope you''ll consider..."
"Consider what?" Han Shu frowned, seeming to already know Ling Feng''s answer.
Ling Feng''s voice was devoid of emotion: "Consider continuing to delve into Wild Valley Town. If the dark creatures are plotting something there, the sooner we find out, the better. Remember, Wild Valley Town isn''t far from the Lighthouse, and if something really happens..."
After a pause, Ling Feng changed the subject: "Of course, if you choose to withdraw, I won''t force you. Think it over yourselves, and let me know once you have a decision so I can deploy and arrange things as soon as possible."
Themunication ended.
It was very quiet inside the Falcon armored vehicle, and everyone, including Tianyang, was looking at Han Shu.
Han Shu scratched his spiky head and shrugged, "Tell me your own opinions."
Lao Xu was the first to raise his hand and said, "I think we should withdraw. Just one wizard almost yed us to death. Who knows what else there is in the town? Don''t forget, Tianyang and the others saw that eerie house on the way, obviously indicating the birth of some dark creature. So personally, I think it''s too dangerous to continue deeper."
Cangdu shook his head, "I think we should continue exploring. Just like Chief of Staff Ling said, it''s better to find out sooner what the dark creatures are nning here. And I don''t think, in such a small town, there would be many creatures with a danger level of 3. Maybe we''ve already destroyed the most dangerous thing in the town just now."
Lao Xu frowned, "But you can''t be sure there''s only one wizard in the town, right? What if there are more dangerous creatures? Our luck can''t always be that good, can it?"
Cangdu looked out the window, "Lao Xu, if you''re so afraid, maybe you should consider retiring."
Lao Xu opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end, he just hung his head and said, "I need some fresh air."
He left the vehicle.
Han Shu pped Cangdu and Tianyang on the head, "What nonsense are you talking about, kid?"
Cangdu rubbed his head and said, "I didn''t say anything wrong. The Night Walkers are supposed to be the most dangerous regiment, so people who are afraid of death should stay away from here."
Han Shu sighed softly, "You kids don''t understand. When you reach Lao Xu''s age, you''ll realize that being a little more cautious isn''t a bad thing."
"Hmph."
Cangdu snorted.
"Alright, let''s just vote then. Although I want to leave this cursed ce as soon as possible, Four Eyes makes a valid point. So, I want to find out what those dark scum are plotting here." Han Shu stated his position first.
Then, the captain looked at everyone, "What about you guys?"
Chapter 72 - Viviparous Organisms
The voting result, in the end, was unanimous, except for Lao Xu.
Han Shu jumped down from the armored vehicle and saw Lao Xu smoking by the campfire, so he walked over.
He pped Lao Xu''s shoulder, and Han Shu also took out a cigarette and lit it, "That kid Cangdu always speaks without thinking, don''t mind him."
Lao Xu blew out a smoke ring and shook his head, "He''s actually not wrong. I''ve been dragging you guys down."
"Don''t talk nonsense." Han Shu took a deep drag, and the cigarette tip glowed red, "It''s never wrong for a family man to be cautious. But we''re nning to continue exploring. Here''s the deal, when we''re on the move, you stay back with the soldiers and watch over the vehicles. If anything goes wrong, you don''t have to worry about us, alright?"
Lao Xu didn''t say anything, just nodded silently.
The two men finished their cigarettes and headed back.
After a while, the armored vehicle started up and left the camp.
Inside the vehicle, Sergeant Yan Bing drove towards the eerie small building discovered by Cangdu and Tianyang.
Since there were traces of some kind of ritual being held there, Han Shu thought it was necessary to check it out.
Sitting behind the driver, Tianyang lightly patted Yan Bing''s shoulder, "How''s the injury?"
Yan Bing raised his thumb, "Miss Ji Yu''s skills are top-notch. She gave me first aid, and now my injury is stable. I just can''t engage in strenuous activities, so the captain asked me to drive."
"As long as it didn''t hit any bones, after we return, I''ll go to the medical center to fill in with biological materials. That should restore me to my previous level," Tianyang suggested.
Yan Bing smiled and paused for a moment before saying, "No need. Using biological materials is too expensive. I n to go to the soldier''s hospital and fill it with synthetic polymer materials."
Tianyang frowned, "Synthetic polymer materials don''t have a biological basis and will affect the mobility of your legs."
Yan Bing scratched his head and said somewhat embarrassedly, "I''m getting married soon and want to save more contribution points. Synthetic polymer materials aren''t as effective, but I don''t think it will have much impact on the lower leg position."
Tianyang couldn''t agree. Even though it didn''t affect the joints, the loss of calf muscles would still affect mobility. Even with biological material fillings, it would not be possible to fully recover, let alone synthetic polymer materials.
In the Reverse Realm, the speed of movement sometimes determines life and death.
"After we return to the fortress, go and fill in with biological materials. I''ll cover the contribution points for you."
Before Yan Bing could refuse, Tianyang said, "Consider it a loan from me. When you''re financiallyfortableter, you can slowly repay me. Don''t refuse, unless you want to retire. Otherwise, just do as I say."
Yan Bing remained silent for a long time before squeezing out a word, "Thanks."
The hand holding the steering wheel tightened even more.
"Too much of a do-gooder."
Cangdu, sitting beside him,mented as he looked out the window.
Tianyang smiled, "If you need it, I can lend it to you too."
"Hmph." Cangdu closed his eyes and said, "I don''t need it."
Tianyang shrugged and closed his eyes to rest, trying to make the most of the time.
When the car stopped, it had already arrived at the alley leading to the eerie small building.
Han Shu spoke over the car''s broadcast system, "Lao Xu and the soldiers stay behind to keep watch, everyone elsee with me."
Tianyang patted Yan Bing''s shoulder, cautioning him to be careful, then jumped out of the vehicle with Cangdu.
In another armored vehicle, Han Shu and Ji Yu poked their heads out of the vehicle''s body and then got out together. After the four of them assembled, they entered the alley.
The alley was very quiet, except for asional ck mold on the ground walls, there were no other abnormalities.
In no time, the small building came into view, and the giant corpse lying on it had gradually exposed its skeleton. At this rate, in another 36 hours, there would only be bones left.
Outside the gate, the ck with mysterious symbols was still there, and the body of the crazed dog worshiping the withered tree had not changed.
Han Shu gestured, and Ji Yu took out a small recorder, filming both the withered tree and the crazed dog, documenting them.
Tianyang and Cangdu then took out their collection tools and collected scales, tissues, and other samples from the giant corpse.
After returning, these things would be handed over to the experimental department. At the same time, they would bring some merit and contribution points to the Crow Squad.
After about 5 minutes of busyness, the team entered the small building and arrived in the eerie atmosphere of the living room.
Looking at the giant sac hanging in the middle of the living room, Han Shu waved his hand in front of his nose, "The smell in here is so damn foul, I almost thought I fell into a cesspool. Damn, these dark bastards are really disgusting. What the hell is this thing anyway?"
Tianyang had already drawn his Red Moon Warde and pointed the de at the gap in the sac, "Captain, look here, something hase out from here, and we found something like footprints, leading all the way to the window."
Han Shu shone the light on the ground, and sure enough, on the surging ck sludge-like substance on the ground, there were imprints extending towards the window.
These imprints were not evenly spaced, looking like the thing had just been born and walked unsteadily, like a seven or eight-month-old baby just learning to walk.
The word "baby" made Han Shu feel a bit nauseous. The light returned to the hanging sac, "So is this thing some kind of incubation tank?"
Ji Yu crossed her arms and spoke in a low tone, "To know for sure, we would have to dissect it, but unfortunately, I don''t have the tools."
"I do."
Tianyang raised the Red Moon Warde and infused it with Star Essence, causing the thermally conductive patterns to light up. After a moment, the sac that had been cut open by the Red Moon Warde was lying on the ground, split into two halves, allowing Ji Yu to have a good look.
"Look here." Ji Yu used a dry tree branch to pick up a thin film inside the sac, "What do you guys think it looks like?"
Han Shu snapped irritably, "If I wanted to know, I would have studied it myself. Do I need you to intervene?"
Ji Yu was used to his temper and calmly said, "This is simr to the amniotic sac, do you know what that is?"
Han Shu sarcastically replied, pinching his nose, "Should I know?"
Ji Yu looked at the other two, Tianyang and Cangdu, who also looked puzzled. She sighed lightly, "You men..."
"Hmm."
She picked out a piece of membranous sac from the sac, but this piece of membrane had ck fur growing on it.
Next, Ji Yu found some strip-like objects in the sac. She stayed between the two halves of the sac for about ten minutes beforeing out.
"As I guessed, this thing is an organ. Simr to the centa, because inside, I found the amnion, the chorion, and something like an umbilical cord."
Ji Yu pointed back at the organ.
"So it is born in this ghost thing, it''s a mammal?" Han Shu asked.
Ji Yu corrected, "I can only tell you that it''s a viviparous organism. But obviously its ''mother'' can no longer nurse it."
She pointed to the top of her head.
Chapter 73 - Rapid Evolution
ording to the research of the Fortress Schrs, the way of production of the Dark Folk could be described as "unconstrained."
So discovering viviparous organisms wasn''t particrly strange. But if it was rted to some kind of ritual, it was enough to attract attention.
Looking at the giant organ that might be a centa, Han Shu said disgustedly, "This thing seems to have been born for some purpose. Ji Yu, we need to find it. Maybe we can get some relevant clues from it."
Ji Yu sighed, "Captain, you are increasing my workload. I request that this part of the work be included in the task settlement."
Han Shu didn''t object, "No problem, go ahead and do it."
The woman looked at the ck mud on the ground, then nced at the window where the thing had left, "Don''t you guys want to get some fresh air outside the building?"
Han Shu was the first to walk out the door, "I''ve been wanting to get out of here for a long time. I''ll make sure to include this in the mission reportter. Four Eyes should allocate some extra contribution points for our tortured noses."
Ji Yu nodded eagerly, "Captain, you asionallye up with some good ideas."
Han Shuughed heartily.
Tianyang and Cangdu exchanged a nce, but thetter suddenly turned his head as if he had been shocked, as if one more second of eye contact with Tianyang would infect him with some disease.
Cangdu swung his ponytail and strode out.
Tianyang shrugged and was thest toe out behind the window. Behind the window was a small courtyard with a shed. The shed had copsed, pressing down some unidentifiable debris.
The footprints extending from the house led towards the shed, but the footprints, stained with ck mud, became increasingly fragmented and faint as they extended.
Han Shu and the others arrived at an alley behind the shed. The footprints extended about ten meters forward before disappearingpletely.
Ji Yu took out tweezers and a small test tube from her multi-functional waist pouch. The bottle contained some pale blue liquid, apparently some kind of solution.
Tianyang watched as she squatted down, using tweezers to pick up some solidified ck particles from some footprints and put them into the test tube. After shaking it vigorously, the liquid in the tube turned pale purple.
Ji Yu then took out a small spray bottle. She extracted the liquid from the test tube with a syringe, then injected it into the spray bottle and sprayed it on the ground.
Beside her, Han Shu whispered, "If we had a Harmonizer Sublimator among us, it would be easier. Those guys have tracking abilities and can easily find the clues we need. Unfortunately, we don''t have that rank in the Sky Fortress, not even one."
On the other side, Ji Yu carefully sprayed the ground, walls, streetlights, and trash cans...
After a while, some traces appeared in various corners. They were all purple marks, forming a new set of clues.
Ji Yu shook the spray bottle in her hand, "Can I expense the consumables?"
Han Shu rubbed his forehead, "Alright, you won''t be shortchanged, hurry up and get to work."
Ji Yu beckoned with her finger, "Follow me."
Although not as convenient as Harmonizers, Hunters also had some tracking abilities. Soon, following the clues found by Ji Yu, the four of them left theplex alleyways and walked onto the main street, arriving at a ce simr to amunity square.
Here was a damaged fountain, with the tiled road already in ruins. The flowerbeds once used forndscaping now only had solidified soil, with no grass in sight.
Around the square, some public facilities were either covered in thick dust or scattered into various irregr pieces. Beside a device simr to a walker, a figure suddenly entered everyone''s sight.
Tianyang and Cangdu almost simultaneously raised their assault rifles, but Ji Yu boldly walked over, shaking her head, "Don''t be nervous, it''s already dead. No, this is... its shed?"
"What on earth, it can actually shed its shell?" Han Shu walked over with long strides, the illumination in his hand falling on the creature.
Tianyang and Cangdu also came over, the two youngest members of the team, looking down at the ground curiously.
It was a humanoid creature, at least its upper body had human features, with a humanoid head and hands, but its head was disproportionatelyrge.
Especially the posterior part of the brain, which extended backwards, looking like some kind ofrge cocoon.
Its lower body resembled that of a crawling animal, with a short but stout tail and four short legs, like those of a seven or eight month old baby.
Except no baby would have four legs.
This thing had already hardened, as Ji Yu had said, it was more like some kind of exoskeleton. From the forehead to the tail, there was a crack in the middle of the shell, surrounded by transparent mucus.
From the distribution of the mucus and the traces they dragged, it seemed like they had been brought out of the shell by something.
Ji Yu collected some of the mucus, put it in a test tube, and threw it into her waist pouch.
"A viviparous creature that sheds its shell like an insect, it''s like a devil''s masterpiece," Han Shu raised the illumination tool, and under the light, the residue on the ground extended outward from themunity square.
"Its evolution speed is very fast."
Ji Yu stirred the mucus with a stick, and when she lifted it up, strands of transparent threads came out, "These things haven''t solidified yet, which means they came out of the shell not long ago. From birth to thismunity, even if its speed is slow, it wouldn''t have taken more than an hour."
"In just an hour, it shed its shell, obviously entering the second stage of evolution. If we look at it from the perspective of human growth periods, it has already transitioned from infancy to childhood. I wonder how long it will take for it to reach adolescence."
"But I think we''d better find it quickly. No matter how you look at it, its speed and range of movement should increase with evolution. We may lose track of it because of this."
Han Shu shrugged, asking, "So what are we waiting for? We have three hours until dinner time. I hope that before then, we can at least figure out where this ''newborn'' went."
Ji Yu nodded, "Follow me."
Near thismunity, there was a clearly nned area of ??buildings. The shape, height, andyout were exactly the same, resembling the apartment dormitories in the upper area of the fortress.
Tianyang spected that this should be the residential area for town residents. However, the buildings were almost side by side, unlike the apartment dormitories in the fortress, where each building had at least dozens of meters of distance between them.
From this perspective, it was not difficult to see that before the inversion slid into darkness, how prosperous it was.
Chapter 74 - Behind the Door
Creak...
The massive door, untouched for who knows how many years, was slowly pushed open by Tianyang. Thickyers of dust on the door cascaded down like snowkes as it swung open.
As the double doors were pushed open by the young man, a silent hall appeared before them, with several beams of light sweeping back and forth inside.
In the light, arge painting hung on the wall of the hall, but it was covered in dust, making it difficult to see the patterns of clouds and buildings.
Tianyang raised his illumination device and looked up at the dome, which was decorated with huge and luxuriousmp holders. Of course, none of these things could emit even a glimmer of light now.
In several corners, stone pirs supported the dome, but cracks were visible everywhere on these cubic pirs. Some ces were even covered in thriving mold.
Most striking were the three low tforms in the middle of the hall, made of metal and adorned with a ring of flowers and nts.
Tianyang walked over in surprise, wondering what kind of flowers and nts could survive in the environment of the Inverse Realm. Although they were covered in dust, their vigorous vitality caught the boy''s attention.
However, when Tianyang blew away some dust and touched one of the flowers, he realized they were not real nts, but rather made of some synthetic material. The young man was somewhat speechless; he couldn''t understand the purpose of the residents of the Inverse Realm creating artificial flowers and nts.
Perhaps they had too many resources at their disposal? So much that they could afford to waste them freely?
Quickly diverting his gaze from these artificial decorations, Tianyang looked at the tforms. On these tforms were models of buildings, some of which were already toppled or damaged, but they seemed to resemble a miniature version of the residentialmunity.
"Is this... a tactical sand table?" Han Shu scratched his head and muttered, "But why would they y with tactical sand tables in a livingmunity? Were they arming their residential area? But I didn''t see any traces of defense fortifications and weapon emcements outside."
"Sorry, if I remember correctly, studying the history of the Inverse Realm doesn''t seem to be our job," Ji Yu walked over,ining as she looked at Han Shu, "So, Captain, do you still want to find that ''newborn''?"
Han Shu grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, "Don''t judge me by my appearance, I''m actually very interested in the history of the Inverse Realm. Of course, I haven''t forgotten why we came here, so we still rely on you, Ji Yu."
With that, a fluffy hand reached towards Ji Yu''s buttocks.
Before it could make contact, Han Shu stopped abruptly, and Ji Yu was holding a dagger in her hand, which she had drawn at some point.
The tip of the knife pointed outward, towards his palm.
The hand finallynded on the back of Han Shu''s head, and the Captain of the Raven Squad burst into a sillyugh. Of course, it was a feigned ignorance.
With a spin of the dagger, it was sheathed in the scabbard behind Ji Yu''s waist. She took down her star-quality longbow and walked towards a wooden door on the left side of the hall. "From the traces, that thing entered here and went towards this door."
Han Shu looked around, "Where are the traces? Why didn''t I see them?"
Ji Yu didn''t stop walking, "On the walls, on the pirs, on the dome, everywhere. Just not on the ground. It seems that after evolution, it has gained the ability to climb walls. In this way, most obstacles are no longer obstacles for it."
Tianyang immediately directed the light to the nearby walls, and indeed, there were several sets of footprints on the wall. Because the entire hall was covered in dust, these footprints were quite obvious.
Han Shu and Cangdu also held their illuminations and found the footprints, converging with the other two beams of light at the side door of the hall.
All traces pointed to this spot.
As the four beams of light fell on the door, there was suddenly a sound from inside therge door.
Bang!
It came very suddenly, catching everyone off guard, especially in the quiet and spacious surroundings, making the heavy sound even more abrupt and immense.
Tianyang''s whole body trembled as if struck by a giant hammer to the chest. He immediately raised his assault rifle, almost pulling the trigger.
Han Shu raised his hand and gently pushed down the young man''s rifle, then the star essence manifested around him. Including the captain himself, a protective barrier of star essence surrounded the four of them.
Just then, there were more sounds from inside the door: thud! thud! thud!
The intense pounding echoed in the dim hall, shaking the souls of the four present.
Tianyang''s mind immediately tensed like a taut wire. At that moment, under the light, the side door was forcefully pushed open from the inside!
A face emerged in the light, a man''s face with a prominent nose, resembling a dog''s snout.
In an instant, Tianyang knew what it was.
A mad dog! The male kind!
The male dog seemed to want to run outside but was held back by something, its front paws desperately scratching at the ground. Its sharp ws only sparked futilely on the smooth surface, until it was forcefully pulled back into the darkness by whatever lurked in the shadows behind the door.
The hall grew even quieter.
The four of them didn''t even dare to breathe, afraid of disturbing whatever was behind the door.
Shortly after, a dark figure flew out from the door, revealing a bone still streaked with blood.
Next came a severed limb, and momentster, the half-eaten head of the male dog was thrown out from the door, rolling in front of everyone.
Han Shu whispered, "Looks like we stumbled upon a picky eater."
Darnders rarely feed on their own kind, but asionally there are exceptions.
Like encountering a ghost car during a retrieval mission, which is filled with wanderers to satiate their hunger, and they eat quite a lot.
Seeing something that feeds on mad dogs, Tianyang wasn''t particrly surprised, but he wondered if the thing feasting was their target.
Jiyu suddenly raised a finger, gesturing for everyone to stay quiet, then faint wheezing sounds could be heard from the small side door.
In the woman''s mind, an indescribable creature crouched on the ground, staring at something outside the door.
The wheezing grew louder and louder, Jiyu''s pupils slightly dted as she whispered, "It''sing!"
Before her words could fade, a dark shadow rushed out from the door.
The assaulters Tianyang and Cang immediately opened fire, but all their azure star essence beams missed.
The shadow moved with extraordinary agility, leaping high to the left wall and climbing it like the wind. Before they could even see what it looked like, it had hidden behind a pir!
"nk left and right!" Han Shu shouted, leading the way to the right, circling around the pir.
Tianyang followed the captain, arriving behind the pir and aiming his gun, but there was nothing behind it.
The young man seemed to realize something and immediately raised his gun, illuminating the pir with the gun''s light, pointing it towards the ceiling.
On the ceiling, a dark figure dropped from above, emitting a spine-chilling roar...
Chapter 75 - The Black Prince
Tianyang raised his assault rifle almost instinctively, and blue light beams shot out in the direction of the shadowy figure.
Using his waist as leverage when firing, the young man used his increased strength to rotate his entire body outward toward the location where the dark figure wouldnd.
With his other hand reaching back, the Crimson Moon Warde was unsheathed, infused with Star Essence, and the edge of the de lit up, like a crimson crescent moon appearing in the darkness!
This series of actions waspleted almost in the blink of an eye, and the others hadn''t even had time to notice the dark figure dropping from the ceiling.
Seemingly devoid of any means of movement in mid-air, the dark figure absorbed all the Star Essence beams and was blown away by them. Strange, eerie cries emanated from the shadow, filled with anger. It seemed the attack had provoked it.
Afternding on the ground, Han Shu and the others finally reacted.
Ji Yu drew her star-quality longbow, and three arrows quickly formed on the bowstring with star essence energy. Three arrows were released in quick session, making the dark figure perform multiple somersaults to avoid getting hit by the projectiles.
As it stopped, a remarkably long sword swept from behind.
Cang Du''s wrist was already glowing with silver light, and the Springwater (Qingshui) Longsword swept out a burst of sword energy, dispersing the swirling ck mist in the hall.
Just as it seemed the dark figure would be swept by the sword, it suddenly lunged towards the ground, moving sideways in a bizarre insect-like manner, then bounced towards the wall.
As it was about to hit the wall, a long spear infused with Star Essence, withyers of spiral ripples, was pushed from the side.
A fist burst out from the dark figure, smashing into the ripples of Han Shu''s long spear, creating a burst of ck arcs at the point of impact.
The arcs writhed like a swarm of snakes, sessfully breaking apart the Star Essence long spear, but the fist also suffered damage, quickly retracting into the dark figure.
Although Han Shu''s long spear was deflected, the force still pushed the thing to the ground. Seeing this, Han Shu shouted.
"Surround it; don''t let it escape!"
Without hismand, as soon as the dark figurended, Tianyang and Cang Du guarded the left and right sides.
In the center, Ji Yu had already drawn her bowstring, with an energy arrow pointing towards herself.
In the rear, Han Shu held his gun in vignce, leaving it no escape route.
Finally, several beams of light fell on it, allowing the night travelers to clearly see what they were facing.
Despite their rich spection beforehand, no one had expected that, under the light, it would be a person.
A man!
Although his figure was somewhat slender, those elegant hands, flowing long hair, and distinctive nose and lips made everyone see only a man from any angle.
However, this man wore a face mask covering the area above his nose and a helmet resembling a crown.
Moreover, he was wrapped in ck strips of cloth, covering his torso and legs, leaving only half of his handsome face and two arms visible in the air.
His skin was pale to the point of being sickly, contrasting sharply with his ck hair scattered from his helmet.
Tianyang couldn''t help but look at Han Shu, who gestured. "Don''t look at me; I don''t know what it is either."
To Tianyang''s surprise, the ck-haired man reacted. He showed a listening expression, then opened his mouth and spoke two words in a strange tone: "...ck... Prince..."
The sound of air conditioning echoed in the hall.
"Damn it, it can speak ournguage just like a wizard!" Han Shu''s eyes changed, showing a level of panic not even seen when facing the ghost car.
Tianyang thought of another, more serious problem. "No, it not only can speak; it understands what we''re saying!"
Cang Du shouted. "Whatever it is, killing it can''t be wrong!"
The young man raised his long sword straight, suddenly thrusting forward with a fierce sword light aimed directly at the back of the man who called himself the "ck Prince."
The ck Prince lifted his somewhat frail arm and swung a string of ck arcs, shing against the tip of the Springwater Longsword.
The arcs transmitted along the long sword to Cang Du, whose face changed color. He quickly let go, instead picking up his assault rifle to fire at the opponent.
The ck Prince jumped, avoiding Cang Du''s attack while sweeping his hand to deflect the arrows shot by Ji Yu from the front.
But as hended, he was met with Tianyang''s Crimson Moon Warde.
At that moment, the face mask and helmet of the ck Prince suddenly opened in the center!
Inside the seemingly metal mask helmet was an organ resembling a mouthpiece!
Under the light, traces of biological tissue could be seen inside the cavity and even a circle of sharp teeth.
A bunch of pink tendrils shot out from the cavity, piercing into a nearby pir and diving into the cracks. With a tug, the ck Prince moved bizarrely, avoiding Tianyang''s strike.
Like a gecko clinging to a vertical surface, the tendrils retracted and the face mask closed. The ck Prince raised his hand, seemingly grabbing at nothing, while a mass of ck arcs swirled unpredictably, forming a flickering arc-shaped spear in his hand.
As he made a throwing motion, the spear flew towards Han Shu, forcing him to stop his forward charge and instead use his own Star Essence long spear to parry.
The shimmering ck spear shot toward the ceiling, causing an explosion of electricity that brought down a chandelier.
Taking advantage of the distraction, the ck Prince escaped. In the spacious hall, he moved like a beast, using both hands and feet. Despite Tianyang''s interception, he was still a beat slow, allowing this almost human-like mysterious creature to break through the window and flee.
By the time Han Shu and the others chased outside, the ck Prince had already climbed up a building, running along the vertical wall, and soon disappeared into the ck mist above, leaving no trace.
"This Prince is too good at running. In all my years ofing in and out of the Inverse Universe, I''ve never seen anything run like it," Han Shuined with a hint of frustration in his tone.
Cang Du sheathed his Springwater Longsword, his face darkening. "Now it''s trouble. That thing left from upstairs. I bet even with Ji Yu''s tracking skills, she won''t be able to find it, right?"
Tianyang turned to look, but Ji Yu hadn''t followed. At that moment, her voice came from the hall. "You''d bettere and see."
"What are we looking at? Even if a beauty stripped naked and stood in front of me right now, I wouldn''t be interested," Han Shu said, but he still returned to the hall.
Ji Yu stood in front of the side door where the ck Prince appeared, gesturing inside. "There''s something in here."
A few of them walked in.
As soon as they entered, they felt the air was more humid than outside, and the temperature had dropped slightly.
Tianyang lifted his rifle, using the illumination attachment to observe the surroundings. There was nothing noteworthy behind the side door. Apart from some scattered fragments of mad dog corpses on the ground, there were only some disassembled tables and chairs.
It seemed to be a room used for storing misceneous items.
The young man was about to ask Ji Yu what was worth noting in this room. Unexpectedly, when the light passed from the corner of the wall, a pale face appeared in the young man''s line of sight!
Chapter 76 - High Wall
Heh! Heh! Heh!
Beside Tianyang, there were a few gasps, indicating that Han Shu and Cang Du had also seen it.
With more light shining through, the bright beams dispersed the ck mist inside, and everyone saw clearly that it wasn''t a face but a flower. It was just thebination of light and shadow, along with the insufficient lighting, that created the illusion of a human face.
However, even under the bright light, if stared at for too long, one would still feel as if they were looking at a human face.
It was arge flower.
Its pistil was mostly white, with delicate petals on both sides. The petals gradually transitioned from white to pink from the inside out.
In the dim world of the Inverse Universe, this color appeared eerie no matter how you looked at it, especially with the thick tips of the petals, which grew something resembling nerves or blood vessels, making it unclear whether it was a nt or a creature.
Underneath the eerie flower was a thick rhizome, with both ends hidden in the wall. On the jet-ck nt rhizome, there were crimson growths resembling tumors, which would asionally pulsate and emit some kind of fluid-like sound during their contraction.
A hoarse, dense, and somewhat surreal voice emanated from the pistil of the eerie flower. The fments around the pistil seemed to be swaying up and down due to the vibration of the air.
From a distance, it looked as if the white face was speaking, emitting an inexplicable sense of strangeness.
Everyone exchanged nces.
Ji Yu hugged her chest with both hands. "What do you think it is?"
Tianyang blurted out, "Amunicator."
Ji Yu nodded in agreement. "That''s what I think too. It seems that something is using this nt to transmit information. Perhaps the ck Prince wasn''t here by chance."
"Are you suggesting that it received some kind of instruction here?" Han Shu rubbed his rough chin. "If something is using these nts tomunicate, then as long as we follow the roots of these nts, we should find something. We might even find that Prince."
Ji Yu nodded. "That''s what I think too."
Han Shu immediately decided, "Let''s go. I''ll have Lao Xu bring the cars over. The scanning device on the car should be able to find the roots of these nts and see where they lead."
A few minutester, two Falcon light assault vehicles arrived nearby. Han Shu boarded one of them and activated an interface on the control panel.
He activated the scanning function, and a cylindrical 3Dser scanner rose from inside the top of the vehicle. The top of the device opened like a flower bud, emitting hundreds of beams of light.
As they scanned the surroundings, the control panel screen disyed a transparent model of nearby buildings.
Han Shu adjusted the uracy of the model and quickly found the weird nt hidden in the wall, marking it in red.
From the screen, it could be seen that the roots of that thing extended underground and stretched southeast toward the town.
"Let''s go!"
At Han Shu''smand, the two vehicles began to move, following the roots of the nt underground.
As they delved deeper into the town, the model of buildings on the control panel showed more and more simr nts. Some even broke through the ground and entwined around skyscrapers like snakes.
These eerie nts bore flower-like faces. Tianyang looked out the window of the car and felt as though cold, expressionless faces were coldly overlooking the town.
When the vehicles stopped, the road ahead was blocked. Thick, twisted ck roots emerged from the ground and buildings, intertwining to form a high wall. On this wall made of nts, remnants of cars, parts of buildings, and misceneous items likemp posts hung from the roots, as if when the nts emerged and grew crazily, they brought along everything along their path to be decorations on the high wall.
Seeing the impassable high wall, Han Shu gestured, "Let''s go; let''s see if there are any other paths."
The two vehicles returned to a crossroads and chose another direction to move, but unfortunately, the high wall cut off all passages. It seemed to have enclosed a part of the town.
When the vehicles stopped again, Han Shu clenched his fists and thumped the car door, grunting, "It seems we only have one choice left."
Everyone looked at him.
Han Shu squinted at the high wall outside. "We''re going over it!"
The wall, woven from nt roots, was about four stories high, which posed little difficulty for Han Shu and the others.
After a brief inspection, Han Shu led the way, still apanied by the team of four Sublimators, moving along the street.
Lao Xu and the soldiers stayed behind to watch over the vehicles and provide support when needed for the team''s retreat.
Arriving at the base of the high wall, Tianyang realized that the thick stems of the nts here were covered with ck, densely packed short hairs. They seemed to be some kind of nt fiber, distributed unevenly, giving the high wall the appearance of having patches of diseased ck spots.
"Disgusting," Han Shu muttered as he put on a pair of gloves and touched the short hairs. The furry things immediately shriveled up into a ball.
Cang Du had already started climbing. He held a pickaxe in his hand and carried a coil of rope on his back. In ces without footholds, the young man used the pickaxe to stab into the roots and then climbed up.
His climbing skills were excellent. In less than 10 minutes, he had climbed to the top of the high wall. After firmly embedding the pickaxe into the roots and tying the rope, he descended.
It was simple for the others to climb up with the help of the rope. In five minutes, they reached Cang Du''s vicinity.
Instead of immediately climbing over, theyid t on the edge of the wall and looked down. Below, scattered fire pits dispersed the ck mist.
Tianyang then saw that almost all the buildings inside the wall had been ttened, leaving only six or seven buildings in the middle.
The high-rise buildings formed a circle, and it seemed they were not randomly left behind but were selected for some purpose.
On a pile of rubbleid a twenty-meter-long oily corpse. Its twisted and horrifying body was almost indescribable. The cursed thing, which should not exist in the world, was dposing.
The viscous fluid, dripping slowly from the corpse, flowed along the rubble and formed a ck puddle on the ground.
The stark white bones protruding from it, as well as what appeared to be hind limbs, bore many simrities to the body lying on the two-story building.
This indicated that they were the same kind of dark creatures.
If that were the case, did this giant corpse also have simr centa-like organs and gave birth to another ck Prince?
Chapter 77 - Eating
"These damn bastards¡ªare they nning to have some fun and raise children here?" Han Shu withdrew his gaze from the giant corpse and muttered.
Tianyang felt even more heavy-hearted. "It won''t be that simple, ck Prince... If there''s a prince, could there be a king?"
Han Shu''s expression changed. "Siyan let one slip once; inside the Inverse Universe, there indeed exists something like the ck Prince. But unfortunately, my authority is still insufficient. It seems that only the higher-ups like Siyan know about those things."
Tianyang frowned. "As Night Walkers exist for the Exploration Corps, shouldn''t information about the Inverse Universe be unconditionally open to us?"
Han Shuforted him by patting his shoulder. "When I first joined the Night Walkers, I thought the same. But now I think it''s not bad to know less; at least there''s less mental pressure. Just look at Siyan''s appearance of kidney deficiency; you can tell being in the higher-ups isn''t easy."
Tianyang couldn''t agree with his way of thinking.
Han Shu snapped his fingers at Ji Yu again. "We need to go down and see, Ji Yu, find us a way out."
Ji Yu sighed and said, "Increasing my workload again."
Han Shu grinned. "The more work, the more rewards;e on, stopining; let''s quickly figure out what those dark scoundrels are up to, so we can get back sooner."
"After going back, I want to drink. Good wine!" Ji Yu emphasized. "Good wine!"
"It''s on me; I''ll treat you. If you get drunk, I''ll find you a ce to sleep," Han Shu winked.
Ji Yu snorted from her nose and agilely flipped over the tree wall, heading down below.
The others followed suit.
Arriving at the bottom of the tree wall, Ji Yu gestured and led Tianyang and the others through the rubble, wreckage, and various concealments.
Exceptionally smoothly, they sneaked into a building.
Inside the building, the walls were covered with the unique fungus of the Inverse Universe, and the ground was scattered with various misceneous items. They found a staircase leading to the upper floors, and after a moment, they reached the fourth floor.
Han Shu found a window and looked outside. He saw that in the middle of the open space below the building, there were a dozen or so ck, strange trees arranged in a circr pattern.
These trees had no leaves, only twisted branches, and strange symbols were carved on the trunks. Under each strange tree was a bonfire. In the firelight, eerie figures wandered nearby.
Wanderers!
Not many in number, but there were also dozens of these bottom-level dark creatures wandering around.
When Tianyang also saw this scene, he lowered his voice and said, "Captain, these several buildings, along with the strange trees below and the outer tree wall, form three concentric circles. This is obviously not a natural phenomenon."
Han Shu also retracted his head, sat against the wall, and drew three circles on the dusty ground with his fingers. "It does look very strange indeed. It''s a bit like the structure of the Church of the Warlord, with their altar. Plus, there''s that ck Prince. What are these scoundrels really worshiping?"
As they were observing outside the window, Su Dou suddenly changed his expression, and Ji Yu beside him also reminded him, "Quick, look outside."
Han Shu and Tianyang looked outside again. A group appeared in the open space below.
This group was mainlyposed of mad dogs and mysterious shooters, with a wizard leading the way.
Beside that wizard, there was another figure.
Tianyang adjusted the tactical eye''s focal length, zoomed in, and saw a fat man.
Short stature, wearing shorts, with pale skin.
On his head was a helmet resembling a crown. Tianyang would bet that he also wore a face mask covering half of his face.
"Is that thing also a ck Prince?" Han Shu had just said this when another team appeared in the northwest corner of the open space.
Also led by a wizard, the team was followed by a humanoid creature. However, this one was particrly burly, with very defined muscle lines, and his arms were wrapped in ck iron chains. As he walked, the chains collided, making a clinking sound.
From the crown helmet and ck face mask, yes, this was also a ck Prince.
Han Shu and the others all withdrew their heads, sat down, and stared at each other in shock.
"I think we should retreat," Ji Yu coughed, casting an inquiring nce at Han Shu.
Just one wizard was enough to give people a headache. Now there were two below, and moreover, two ck Princes.
Adding the one they let escape, there were already three ck Princes in this town.
Although it was not clear to what extent the ck Princes'' true strength reached, since they could be crowned as Princes, they were likely not inferior to wizards.
If they were to be considered as Level 3 danger dark creatures, now there were a total of five monsters of this danger level.
In any case, Raven Squad had no chance of winning.
Han Shu looked hesitant. The current situation there would definitely be dangerous. But if they left like this, they wouldn''t know the dark creatures¡¯ purpose.
Strange roars and cries came from downstairs. Tianyang peeked and saw that two teams had already arrived near the tree circle.
The teams stopped, and all the mad dogs and mysterious shooters among them began to howl loudly, as if celebrating something.
It wasn''t until the two wizards, with their stooped figures andyers of fabric draped like capes, raised their pale, skinny hands that the crazed howls of the dark creatures quieted down.
The wizards pointed towards the tree circle. At this moment, the ground trembled slightly, and an invisible force lifted a rock from the ground.
The two wizards gestured with their hands, and the rock immediately turned into a high-backed stone seat under the influence of the invisible force.
On the high back of the stone seat, sparks flickered, carving out the mysterious symbols that Tianyang and the others had seen on the ck, withered tree outside the mysterious little building!
After the symbols werepleted, a series of short, hoarse words sounded from inside the wizards'' hoods. The two ck Princes seemed to understand, both nodding slightly before walking towards the tree circle.
Once inside the tree circle, the particrly burly ck Prince swung his arm, and the iron chains wrapped around his arm flew out, entangling a wanderer.
The giant-like ck Prince pulled on the iron chains, pulling the wanderer towards him. The ck Prince reached out and grabbed it, and the crown-shaped helmet and face mask on top of his head opened up, revealing the mouthpiece inside.
A bite.
It bit into the wanderer''s head, and there was a sharp sound of teeth and bones scraping violently.
The other fat one also didn''t hold back. Despite his seemingly clumsy figure, he leaped lightly into the air, rushing towards two wanderers ahead.
In mid-air, his belly suddenly split open left and right, revealing a gaping mouth.
As the fat one pounced down, two bursts of ck blood, like oil, sprayed out from under his body, devouring most of the wanderers in an instant.
"They..." Tianyang looked toward Han Shu. "Are they... eating?"
Chapter 78 - Mutual Combat
Han Shu didn''t answer Tianyang''s question. This captain, rough in appearance and heart, watched as the dark creatures below devoured each other, his expression bing increasingly grim.
Tianyang could only continue to focus on the ughter within the ring of trees. At that moment, he caught a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye. Tianyang quickly turned his head and saw a ck shadow darting towards the direction of the tree ring on the open ground outside.
As it passed a bonfire, the mes were blown forward by the airflow, taking a moment to return to normal.
Tianyang saw it.
The ck Prince with flowing long hair, leaned forward almost horizontally with the ground.
Its speed was so fast that Tianyang could barely see its figure.
The long-haired prince was like a ck whirlwind, rushing into the team led by a wizard before the other dark creature could even notice.
Suddenly, there was an extra figure in the team; only the wizard, who looked like a hunched old man, noticed slightly. The other mysterious archers, like mad dogs, still focused their attention inside the tree ring.
The long-haired prince pressed both hands on the ground, and two tangled ck arcs, like tangled threads, spread along its arms to the ground, affecting most of the team and causing a dozen mad dogs and three mysterious archers to tremble and fall to the ground.
The fallen dark creatures twitched continuously on the ground, apparently being stunned by those ck arcs.
The face mask and coronal helmet of the long-haired prince suddenly opened, and a bunch of blood-red tendrils burst out from inside. Each tendril pierced a dark creature, then the tendrils waved, seemingly sucking the blood of its kind.
The dark creatures on the ground shrank visibly, eventually turning into skeletons.
At this time, the ughter in the tree ring stopped, and the other two ck princes seemed to have noticed the unwee guest.
After the long-haired prince had finished his meal, he retracted his tendrils, closed his mouthpiece, and slowly stood up.
Two wizards came to its front, their hunched bodies bending even lower, one hand pressed against their chests, the other pointing towards the tree ring.
The long-haired prince nodded lightly and walked towards the tree ring with light steps.
In the tree ring, the wanderers were almost dead, and the two ck princes no longer fed. One on the left and one on the right, although their faces had no visible eyes, they seemed to be watching the neer vigntly.
The long-haired prince finally stepped into the tree ring, forming an equteral triangle with the other two princes.
The two wizards uttered a series of urgent, hoarse words, and the three princes all faced the high-backed rock throne, nodding slightly.
Then, they resumed their original confrontation.
Arcs flickered on the long-haired prince''s hands, and the arcs gathered into a pitch-ck spear.
The giant prince on the left raised his hands high and roared, and suddenly a ck thunderbolt struck down from the sky of the inverse boundary. When it reached above its head, it split into two currents of electricity, entwining around the iron chains on its arms.
When the burly prince lowered his arms, the ends of the two iron chains each had a human-sized, erratic ck electric ball.
The remaining fat prince opened its mouthpiece on its belly again, spewing out streaks of darting ck electric light.
A ferocious smile appeared on the fat prince''s face as it spread its hands, catching these electric lights.
The electric lights immediately retracted into its palms, forming two pitch-ck, electrically-formed machetes.
The three princes each wielded their weapons and walked slowly.
Suddenly, the long-haired prince turned into a blurry ck shadow, apanied by a violent sound of breaking through the air, gripping the ck electric spear, and charging towards the giant-like ck prince.
The giant prince roared, raising his hand, and when he swung it down again, an iron chain with a ck electric ball attached to it smashed towards his opponent.
Before the iron chain could fall, the long-haired prince simultaneously exerted force with his waist and feet, twisting almost to the point of distortion. Then, without slowing down, he changed direction and rushed towards the fat prince.
The fat prince screamed and leaped up, swinging down with the ck electric machete in his hand, shing with the myriad electric sparks from the long-haired prince''s spear.
Midair, the fat prince suddenly looked up, only to see another prince swinging an iron chain, pulling the ck electric ball horizontally to strike.
The fat prince flicked his machete with his left hand, clumsily spinning in midair beforending on the ground.
With his toes touching the ground, he almost shot forward along the ground, the two machetes intersecting and shing towards the long-haired prince''s feet.
The long-haired prince stabbed the spear into the ground and then violently pulled it up, swinging a full arc, lifting the fat prince off the ground.
Then, gripping the spear and turning, he thrust backward with his left hand, hitting the electric ball thrown by the giant.
And so, the three princes engaged in a melee within the tree ring, the collision of energy weapons forming storms, dragging in the wanderers who hadn''t had time to leave the tree ring, then distorting and tearing them into pieces!
Tianyang unconsciously clenched his fists, the image of the three ck princes fighting each other still upying his mind.
What are they doing?
As this question arose, the image of the high-backed rock throne naturally appeared in the young man''s mind. Plus, all three princes bowed their heads towards the throne. Suddenly, Tianyang seized upon an inspiration.
Are they vying for the throne?
But what''s so worth fighting for on a stone throne?
Then the young man remembered the diamond-shaped pattern carved by the wizard on the high back of the throne.
Unless the throne has some symbolic significance, for example, sitting on it made one the king of the dark creatures.
Tianyang stopped.
Cang Du behind him almost bumped into him,ining, "Why did you suddenly stop? Hurry up, we have to run; are you crazy!"
Tianyang quickly caught up, his heart pounding.
Leaving the building, the team passed by a pile of rocks, and as they were about to cross a depression, in front of them, Ji Yu suddenly paused, then retreated violently, almost crashing into Han Shu''s arms.
At the same time, a ck and red beam of light crossed through space,nding where Ji Yu had just been.
Han Shu took a sharp breath. "Mysterious Archer? Damn it, we''ve been discovered! Run! Run fast!"
Sure enough, on a car wreck in the distance, there was a goat-faced figure. The mysterious archer, who had thestugh, opened its mouth and let out a sharp cry, hovering in the sky like an rm.
The two wizards outside the tree ring immediately shouted and sent out all the mad dogs and archers around them, but they seemed to be more focused on the duel between the three princes inside the tree ring and didn¡¯t follow.
However, one of the wizards took out a flower from under the cloak. Simr to the human-faced flowers on the tree wall, it was very delicate, yet the face on the flower bud was even more eerie.
The face patterns of the other human-faced flowers were expressionless, only remaining indifferent.
But the flower in the wizard''s hand¡ªthe pattern on the flower bud¡ªwas actually a smiling face with an open mouth.
The wizard shook the flower, and the petals flew off. From the smiling face on the flower bud, a scalp-tinglingughter echoed.
Hahaha...
Theughter spread through the air, when the sound reached the tree wall, all the ck short hairs on the roots retracted, and in no time, they all disappeared into the roots.
Nearby, on a human-faced flower, two strands of silk quietly turned ck from the roots.
So it looked like there were two extra eyeballs on the otherwise expressionless face!
Chapter 79 - Tree Spirits
"Run, run! Don''t stop!"
Han Shu''s voice echoed in the open area as the team moved quickly, passing through scattered rocks toward the direction of the high wall.
Ji Yu led the way in front to ensure that the team returned to their original position, where they had descended from the wall before. The reason for returning to the original position was because there was still a rope hanging there.
That rope could allow several people to climb over the high wall at a faster speed.
"I told you, there''s never a smooth infiltration operation; it''s always getting discovered!" Han Shu shouted as the team passed by a rusted car carcass, with only a frame left and its bottom entangled by a sickly bacterial colony. The captain stopped in his tracks, pivoted behind the car body, and fired his rifle at the pursuers behind them.
"Did you ever say that, Captain?" Tianyang reserved his opinion on Han Shu''s words, then stopped behind another pile of rocks on the other side, providing cover with Han Shu for their teammates.
"He never said it; the memory of middle-aged men is worrying." Cang Du, who had almost caught up with Han Shu, passed by.
Han Shu cursed, "You little brat, who are you calling a middle-aged man? I''m full of youthful vigor, still a youngd, okay!"
"Do you not feel guilty saying that?" After running alongside Cang Du and letting Han Shu and Tianyang open some distance ahead, Ji Yu turned around.
With an explosive aura, the woman drew her bowstring taut and shot out a volley of arrows, alternating with Cang Du''s starlight beams, providing cover.
Without troublesome dark creatures¡¯ subordinates like wizards participating in the pursuit, only the mad dogs and archers, they couldn''t hold back the four Sublimates.
After about ten minutes, the team returned to the original position of the high wall. Han Shu shouted, "Tianyang, you kid, go up first!"
Without hesitation, Tianyang''s Star Essence manifested, faint glimmers drifting among his hair.
The young man suddenly elerated, turning into a silver-white shadow, approaching the high wall at a speed no less than that of the long-haired prince. Then, using the rope left by Cang Du, he quickly climbed up to the top of the wall.
After reaching the top of the tree wall, Tianyangid on the wall, propping up the assault rifle and shooting at the pursuers below.
Starlight beams rained down, knocking down the mad dogs running in the forefront or those mysterious archers with goat faces.
With Tianyang as the high-ground fire support, Han Shu and the others easily climbed up the high wall one after another.
As soon as Cang Du and Ji Yu climbed up the high wall, they didn''t dy, grabbed the rope, and climbed over the high wall, descending rapidly towards the ground.
While Han Shu fired at the pursuers below, he shouted, "Tianyang, you go down too; let Lao Xu and the otherse over for support."
"Got it."
Tianyang grabbed the rope, about to slide down the tree wall, and his heart moved slightly, looking towards a human-faced flower three meters away from him.
On that human-faced flower, two ck spots appeared in the flower bud that looked like a face, as if a pair of eyes were looking at him.
A wave of difort surged in the young man''s heart, then he slid down the high wall. While sliding down, he contacted Lao Xu to have two Falcon armored vehiclese over quickly.
Uponnding on the ground, Tianyang looked up, and Han Shu had already slid down, shouting. He quickly pulled away, and together with Cang Du, he fired at the top of the tree wall.
Mad dogs had already climbed over the high wall, but they were hit by their shots, roaring as they fell from the wall.
Even if they didn''t die immediately, they had broken their hands and feet and were unable to get up for a while.
A piercing screech sounded behind him, and Tianyang turned his head to see two Falcon armored vehiclesing over. They skidded to a stop on the street, and the doors of the carpartments slid open from the inside.
On one of the vehicles, Lao Xu shouted, "Get in the car quickly!"
Everyone hurried in the direction of the armored vehicle. Tianyang couldn''t shake the feeling that the ground was slightly shaking.
As he climbed into the vehicle, it suddenly jolted, and Tianyang immediately knew it wasn''t his imagination.
But there was no time to dwell on the sudden tremor. As soon as Han Shu closed the door, he shouted, "Quick, quick, quick, let''s retreat; get out of this damn ce!"
The me soldier responsible for driving sharply turned the steering wheel, the vehicle turned around, and with full horsepower, it rushed forward.
Tianyang opened the roof hatch, crawled into the gunner''s seat, and looked toward the direction of the high wall. The dark creatures on the wall were frantically climbing over, and suddenly, the tree wall that blocked the road appeared blurry in Tianyang''s sight.
Tianyang paused, rubbed his eyes, and then realized it wasn''t his eyes ying tricks on him, but the fact that the wall was vibrating at an extremely high frequency.
He immediately shouted into the car, "Something is happening behind us!"
Inside the vehicle, Han Shu opened the rear-firing hatch, revealing the shooting window. Looking through the window, he also saw the tree wall vibrating.
Han Shu couldn''t help but rub his scruffy chin, "What''s going on now?"
In the gunner''s seat, Tianyang controlled the tactical eye to zoom in. He saw that the entangled roots on the tree wall were wriggling, causing the "decorations" hanging on them to fall off one by one.
When his gaze identally swept over a human-faced flower, the young man''s body trembled lightly. In his line of sight, the flower beneath the flower bud, a vine was dancing.
Then more vines emerged, and with the assistance of the tactical eye, Tianyang clearly saw that the ends of those vines were opening small mouths.
Like baby mouths!
These vines reached down and bit into the roots, using them as leverage to pull something out.
After a moment, Tianyang saw that the human-faced flower with dozens of vines flying around it detached from the roots and fell.
Looking at the other human-faced flowers, they were all the same, detaching from the roots and falling to the ground.
Immediately after, these human-faced flowers began to entangle each other. Through the tactical eye, Tianyang saw that it was like thousands of snakes writhing together desperately.
This scene was also seen by the people in the car. Including Han Shu, everyone''splexion was extremely pale.
Below the high wall in the distance, hundreds of human-faced flowers were entwined with each other, forming a mass resembling a small mountain. Some of the vines twisted into the shape of arms, and one vine-entangled arm reached out, grabbing a nearby mad dog that had fallen and then pulling it back.
The writhing vines suddenly parted, forming a huge mouth, and the mad dog was thrown into the mouth, apparently being eaten.
Then, the eerie and terrifying thing began to climb up, the twisted vines forming limbs. In the blink of an eye, the "giant" covered with flowers stood up beside the high wall.
When it stood up, its height even surpassed that of the tree wall behind it. Roughly estimating it, it was at least thirty meters tall!
"Tree spirit!" In the car, the knowledgeable Lao Xu eximed. "This type of dark creature is a collective formed by multiple individuals. They possess characteristics of both nts and animals, fear fire, and have great resistance to physical attacks. Such monsters have been discovered near the Yunxiang Base before, but ording to records, the tallest tree spirit was only seven or eight meters."
Han Shu stared at the giant that was striding towards them. "So, are we hitting the jackpot?"
Chapter 80 - Chase
Near the high wall, the dark creatures, whom Lao Xu referred to as tree spirits, had begun to act.
The "giant,"posed of numerous humanoid flowers, moved clumsily, like a baby taking its first steps, lifting one leg and swaying before tilting to the left and causing a nearby building to copse.
The giant pressed against the outer wall of the building and the intense pressure caused the windows to burst and cracks formed in the wall.
Quickly adjusting its posture, the giant reached out and pressed against the wall to regain bnce. It then tookrge strides forward, though still swaying, but managing to maintain its bnce much better.
It strode forward, covering a distance of twenty to thirty meters with each step.
Although it didn''t run, its strides were sorge that, within a few seconds, it caught up with the two Falcon assault vehicles.
With ck mist swirling around, it was difficult to see the giant clearly from the vehicles, but they could make out its entangled legs and the humanoid flowers on its legs. The expressions of these humanoid flowers were no longer indifferent; their fments swayed vigorously, forming ever-changing faces¡ªcold gazes, sneers, ferocity, rage, calmness... They seemed like a group of spectators, all staring at the Raven Squad.
"These things are really unsettling." Han Shu yelled to the driver, "Speed up and shake it off!"
Both vehicles extended a row of rugged metal exhaust pipes from the rear bottom panel. After a slight tremor following the flow of gas through the pipes,pressed gray-white gas sprayed out!
The speed of the vehicles suddenly increased, quickly distancing themselves from the giant.
These exhaust pipes, known as "propulsion tailpipes," were connected to turbochargers and could spray high-pressure gas for eleration when needed, giving the Falcon assault vehicles strong maneuverability and often yielding unexpected results in pursuits.
Seeing they had shaken off the giant, the team inside the vehicle breathed a sigh of relief, but they rejoiced too soon.
In the cockpit of the artillery firing chamber, within the ck mist swirling over Tianyang, the blurry figure of the giant moved. It seemed to raise its arms high and then swung them down forcefully.
"Watch out!"
Tianyang shouted nervously.
A giant arm descended from the sky,posed of countless entangled vines, shattering the ubiquitous ck mist of the inverse realm. Like a mountainous palm, it mmed down towards the two Falcon assault vehicles.
The drivers jerked the steering wheels, narrowly avoiding the giant palm.
The palm struck the ground, causing a violent tremor. The ground where the palmnded sank, while the surrounding area bulged up. Blocks of road surface several meters square shot up into the air and then crashed down, shattering into countless fragments!
The fingers of the giant palm curled, and as the giant retracted its long arm, it gouged out severalrge trenches in the ground.
As a result of the strike, the giant plunged its other hand into a nearby building, then swept it out, causing a rain of stones!
The huge rocks pulled from the building, like cannonballs, smashed toward the two Falcon assault vehicles. Almost tearing apart a certain level of the building, under severe structural damage, the upper part of the building tilted and slid down, creating a terrifying rumble.
Controlling the Star Element heavy cannon on the hunting vehicle, Tianyang aimed at the giant rocks falling from the sky and shattered them in midair.
Even so, countless fragments of stone still rained down on the vehicle, and the armored hull of the vehicle emitted sharp noises from the collision with the fragments!
The giant raised its hand again, ready to strike.
Tianyang suddenly remembered Lao Xu''s words, especially the phrase "fear of mes," and immediately became alert.
In the air, a low, rumbling whistle sounded, and the giant swung its arm again, its huge palm descending rapidly like a dark cloud. Just as it was about to hit the vehicles, the Falcon assault vehicles sprayed a thick smoke from their tailpipes, elerating and escaping from under the giant''s palm.
Before reaching the edge of the giant''s palm, Tianyang manifested his Star Essence, transforming into a silver stream of light leaping high andnding on the giant''s palm.
Inside the vehicle, Han Shu couldn''t help but stick his head out of the window and shout anxiously, "Tianyang, what are you doing?!"
Unfortunately, Tianyang couldn''t hear clearly and didn''t have time to pay attention. When hended on the giant''s palm, he rolled a few times to dissipate the force of the fall. When he got up, the giant was about to retract its arm.
Tianyang felt like he was standing on an elevator, with the wind roaring in his ears. He drew out the Crimson Moon Warde, infused with Star Essence, and the edge of the de lit up with a crimson glow.
The young man flew along the arm, the de pointing downward. When the high temperature of the de touched the vines on the giant''s arm, they ignited easily.
From inside the vehicle, Han Shu looked into the distance and saw Tianyang setting off a ze. He immediately understood the youth''s intention. "This kid¡ He wants to burn the tree spirit!"
Running on the giant''s arm, Tianyang didn''t stop his steps. In addition to the sound of the wind, he also heard a hollow, ethereal cry. It was as if someone was sobbing and roaring in his ear!
Only at this moment did the giant realize that its arm was on fire. It hastily reached out with its other hand and pped towards Tianyang like swatting a fly.
The youth quickly adjusted his body, stopped on the arm, turned around, and calcted the gap between the giant''s palms. He leaped high between the two arms.
Bang!
One hand of the tree spirit mmed onto the burning arm, and the pressure blew out the mes. But Tianyangnded on its other arm, leaned forward, ran swiftly, and dragged the tip of his de on the ground, creating a second trail of fire.
Arriving at a high point and close enough to the giant, Tianyang finally saw the twisted and grotesque head of the tree spirit.
The head, also formed by entangled vines, squeezed seven or eight humanoid flowers, resembling several heads piled together.
At this moment, the tree spirit opened its mouth and sprayed out a dozen vines. In the light of the fire, these vines, covered with ck short hairs, flew around, sttering ink, and the air carried a faint fishy smell.
Tianyang wielded his warde, and streaks of crimson light from the Crimson Moon Warde cut off all the vines that came towards him. At the same time, he reached into his waist pouch, took out something, activated it, and threw it into the tree spirit''s mouth with all his strength.
High-heat explosion!
The explosive was thrown into the tree spirit''s mouth, causing the giant, dark creature to feel uneasy. Without caring about dealing with Tianyang anymore, the vines retracted into its mouth and rolled downward, urately grabbing the explosive.
Just as it was about to expel the explosive from its body, the vines wrapped around it swelled up. Inside, high-heat energy rapidly expanded, and the dazzling fire illuminated the entire vine.
The next moment, an explosion erupted from the chest of the tree spirit, and arge burst of hot mes pierced through its chest and back, almost blowing its entire chest cavity apart like a volcanic eruption. In an instant, the high-heat energy released by the explosive almost sted the entire chest of the tree spirit!
Although Tianyang had already jumped off the tree spirit in advance, he was still hit by the shockwave from the subsequent explosion and fell uncontrobly to the ground.
Falling from a height of tens of meters and unable to adjust his posture, he was on the verge of being seriously injured!
Just as Tianyang was preparing for the worst, the light of Star Essence lit up in front of him, and a protective barrier appeared on the surface of his body.
Then he saw the Falcon assault vehicle returning and Han Shu, who had stuck out half of his body from the window.
Finally, Tianyang fell to the ground...
Chapter 81 - Past Events
Thud
Tianyang heavily hit the ground, the Xingyun shield shattering with a sound like breaking ss and turning into countless glimmers of light scattered around.
The youth rolled several times on the ground, then exerted his strength to leap up, sliding a dozen meters in a half-kneeling position before finally stopping.
He let out a slight sigh of relief.
The shield Han Shu had timely ced on him absorbed most of the impact from the fall. Combined with his own enhanced physical abilities, he only suffered minor sprains and abrasions.
The sound of intense friction between the wheels and the ground reached his ears. Tianyang looked up to see the Falcon battle vehicleing to a halt in front of him. The door slid open, and Han Shu shouted, "Get in!"
Tianyang jumped up and threw himself into the vehicle. Han Shu shut the door, and the driver turned the vehicle around, speeding toward the town''s exit.
Han Shu grabbed Tianyang by the cor, nearly spitting in his face. "Damn it, from now on, without my orders, do not act on your own!"
Tianyang felt a bit dejected and lowered his head. "Got it, Captain."
But then a broad handnded on his shoulder, squeezing firmly, and Han Shu''s voice came from above, "But you did well, kid. Reminded me of myself when I was younger."
"Can''t go a day without bragging, can you?" muttered Ji Yu softly from the side.
Tianyang then lifted his head. Han Shu showed a toothy grin, clearly not truly angry with him.
The boy''s spirits lifted a bit.
Outside, the sound of hissing reached them. Tianyang looked out the window to see the tree spirits disintegrating.
Human-faced flowers were falling from the giant''s broken body. Once they were on the ground, they didn¡¯t reassemble. Instead, they wriggled like octopuses, moving along the ground, and continued to chase the vehicle.
However, the disassembled flowers'' speed couldn''t match the Falcon vehicle, and the pursuers were left far behind, only able to hiss in the dense ck fog, expressing their displeasure.
An hour and seventeen minutester, Raven Squad finally left Wild Valley Town, heading up a high slope outside the small town.
The team took a temporary rest. The soldiers busied themselves cooling down the turbocharger and recing damaged tires. Han Shu and a few others sat on somerge rocks, looking towards the town.
On the way there, they hadn''t expected so many terrifying things in the town.
Half an hourter, the vehicle started again.
The next day, Raven Squad returned to the Lighthouse Outpost Base.
After disembarking, Han Shu went straight to report to Ling Feng, while the others dispersed, resting at the base for the time being.
| Night Stalkers Command |
"That''s roughly what happened." Han Shu grabbed a cup beside him, downing the water that belonged to Ling Feng in one gulp, then wiped his mouth. Water droplets hung on the noticeably grown stubble around his mouth.
Ling Feng looked at Han Shu with disgust and said, "That was my cup."
"Rx, I''m not sick," Han Shu said casually, putting the cup down.
"That''s not the point." Ling Feng took out a handkerchief, picked up the cup, and tossed it into the trash. "Alright, you can go rest now. I''ll inform you if there''s a new mission."
But Han Shu had no intention of leaving. He even pulled up a chair and sat down.
Ling Feng gave him an inquiring look.
Han Shu tapped his fingers on the table. "Aren''t you going to tell me something?"
Ling Feng spread his hands. "Like what?"
"Like who exactly these ¡±ck Princes¡± are? And what''s this ritual the sorcerer mentioned? More importantly, I want to know about the ck King." Han Shu stared at the young chief of staff across from him, enunciating each word, "We almost died in that damn ce, so I think I have the right to know."
Ling Feng habitually adjusted his sses. "If I could, I wouldn''t mind telling you. But unfortunately, given your clearance..."
A fist mmed onto the table, rudely interrupting Ling Feng. Han Shu stood up, leaning forward, and said, "To hell with clearance. I just don''t get it; why can''t this information be made public to us?"
Ling Feng''s expression remained unchanged, "The fortress has its reasons for doing this, Han Shu. Don''t worry. When it''s time for you to know, you''ll know."
Han Shu squinted, snorted, and turned to leave. "Fine, whatever. But Four-Eyes, you guys are always being secretive, only telling half the story. How do you expect people to trust you?"
Without waiting for Ling Feng''s response, Han Shu walked out of themand office.
Only then did the adjutant, Lin Yang, spoke, "You should have told him that even we don''t have clearance to know information about the ck Prince."
Ling Feng smiled faintly. "That guy wouldn''t believe it even if I told him."
Lin Yang nodded in agreement.
Ling Feng''s expression sharpened. "However, this time the findings are indeed surprising. Dark creatures doing these things in Wild Valley Town, the ck Princes... It seems they''re nning to create a new king."
Lin Yang''s expression turned serious. "Thest time a ck Prince appeared was seventeen years ago, right?"
Ling Feng stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the outpost base illuminated by lights. "Yes, I''ve read the relevant files. At that time, the ck King led its citizens in some mysterious ritual. Unfortunately, that matter was ssified as the Fortress'' top secret. Even I only know a general outline and have no right to know the detailed process."
"So, do you think this time will be like seventeen years ago? After all, that sorcerer also mentioned a ¡±ritual.¡±¡± Lin Yang shook his head. "It''s hard to believe that dark creatures can even speak ournguage. Just thinking about it gives me the creeps."
Ling Feng turned back and looked at the drawer under his desk. "In any case, this matter can''t be ignored. It looks like I''ll have to talk to the Commander again. I just hope he doesn''t lose his temper. He''s been in a bad moodtely."
Lin Yang chuckled. "The Commander has never been in a good mood, has he? Especially considering what happened back then..."
"Deputy Lin," Ling Feng interrupted him, shaking his head lightly. "Don''t ever mention that in front of the Commander."
Lin Yang stood at attention, his face tightening. "My apologies!"
Only then did Ling Feng opened the drawer and take out themunicator used for contacting Zhu Yan.
An hourter, Tianyang and the others were summoned.
"What? A vacation?"
When Han Shu informed them that themand had granted the Raven Squad a week-long break to return to the fortress, Cang Du was the first to jump up.
"Are the higher-ups going to ignore Wild Valley Town? Those ck Princes clearly aren''t good news. Are they not nning to organize a campaign against them?"
The ponytailed youth was excited, looking like he couldn''t wait to rush back to Wild Valley Town.
Lao Xu, on the other hand, seemed quite happy and quietly invited Tianyang to visit his home in a few days.
Han Shu took a few drags of his cigarette and said, "Even if they organize a campaign, it won''t be done in a day or two. For now, let''s head back. There''s a high-speed train in 45 minutes. We''ll wait for further instructions."
Seeing Han Shu''s demeanor, Tianyang felt that the matter was probably moreplicated than it seemed.
Chapter 82 - Visiting
No matter what, afterpleting the exploration mission in Wild Valley Town and getting a week''s vacation, Tianyang was quite happy.
After all, unlike Cang Du, who was in a hurry to earn 100,000 contribution points to revive his family, or Han Shu, who had the pressure of being a captain, Tianyang had no such burdens.
So, as soon as the high-speed train arrived, he boarded it and returned to the rear base in Kraftmen with Lao Xu, Yan Bing, and the others.
On the train, Tianyang calcted his ns for the week; he would visit Lao Xu and Xun''s homes and needed to borrow some contribution points from Yan Bing to treat his wounds.
The remaining time would be his to arrange freely.
As he stepped out of Kraftmen, he felt a sudden chill on his head. Looking up, Tianyang realized that it was raining in Qingtian Fortress.
Above the fortress, the circr dome was fully extended, shielding 90% of the city from the wind and rain. However, when the sea breeze carried rain, the edges of the fortress would still get wet.
The transfer tform outside Kraftmen was in such an edge area. Whenever the sea breeze blew, it would bring heavy rain to this region.
Tianyang walked towards tform 7, turning off his tactical eye along the way. Firstly, he wouldn''t need the electronic eye in the fortress, and secondly, he didn''t want his personal life recorded as files.
He mounted his electromaic motorcycle and left the transfer tform, braving the wind and rain. Once he entered the upper city''s streets, the rain stopped hitting him. Apart from the deafening thunder, he could hardly feel the wind and rain in the upper city.
Back at the apartment assigned by the fortress, Tianyang parked his motorcycle in the garage and activated the electromaic te to charge it.
At the front door, after passing the biometric scan, the apartment door opened.
Inside, the air cirction system turned on automatically, the living room windows adjusted their transparency, and the food dispenser started preparing dinner ording to Tianyang''s preferences.
The widespread use of home automation meant that residents in the upper city didn''t need to waste much time on household chores, though some women still found housework to be a kind of pleasure.
Tianyang put down his extremely simple bag and looked at the clean but lifeless room, softly saying, "I''m back."
He threw his dirty clothes into the integrated washer and took a shower. By the time he got dressed, dinner was ready.
In the dining room, he activated a panel on the wall and tapped a table icon. The wall opened up, and a mechanical arm gently ced the table onto the floor.
It then lowered three chairs.
Finally, the ceiling above the dining table lit up, casting a soft light over the dining area.
Tianyang set his dinner on the table; a bowl of rice, three chicken fillets, and a bowl of vegetable soup. Simple, but it provided enough calories. Most importantly, it was free.
Each month, Ascendants received a living allowance from the fortress, which was enough to cover their daily food needs. Of course, if you wanted to eat better, you''d have to pay for it yourself.
While eating dinner, the home automation system notified Tianyang that there were two messages on the homemunicator.
"Read," Tianyangmanded.
The system''s soft female voice began, "Reading the first message now..."
"Tianyang, it''s me, Xun."
"I heard you went on a mission. Let me know when you''re back. You haven''t forgotten you''re supposed to visit my house, right?"
Tianyang smiled, suddenly finding the rice in his bowl extra tasty.
"Reading the second message now..."
A stranger''s voice came on, "Mr. Tianyang? I''m a staff member at the Fortress Registration Office. Your application submitted to the Information Management Department has been approved. Please contact us at your earliest convenience to check the results."
Tianyang pped his forehead. After getting Su Lie''s diary, he checked some information with the registration office. With his mother''s passing and the mission, he had almost forgotten about it.
Fortunately, the registration office hadn''t forgotten. If they found information on someone named "Jingnan," they might be able to uncover what happened back then. Could Su Lie be his father?
After dinner, Tianyang contacted Xun and arranged to visit her house the following evening. He also transferred 2,000 contribution points to Yan Bing.
With these tasks done, Tianyang returned to his room and casually picked up a book to read.
Suddenly, on a whim, Tianyang called out, "System, I want to learn thenguage of the Inverse Universe. Can you check if there are any rted courses avable in the fortress?"
"Okay, searching now."
A few secondster, a soft female voice from the ceiling responded, "Searchplete. Here are the results."
"The fortress does not offer any direct courses rted to thenguage of the Inverse Universe. However, this year, Qingtian Academy has started a course on the history of the Inverse Universe civilization, taught by academician Liu Jinglin, who specializes in the 127th Inverse Universe civilization."
Tianyang pondered for a moment. "Can I enroll?"
"The history of the Inverse Universe civilization is not open to the public. To attend, you need to apply. Would you like to submit an application?"
Tianyang nodded. "Yes, please submit an application for me."
"The application requires submitting personal information, which involves personal privacy. Are you sure you want to proceed?"
"Yes, I''m sure."
"Application submitted. The academy has received your application. You will receive a response within three working days."
Tianyang closed his book andy down on the bed, looking forward to the course on the history of the Inverse Universe civilization. He wondered if it might provide information about the ck Prince or even the ck King.
The next evening, following Xun''s directions, Tianyang drove alone to her apartment.
He rang the doorbell and, after three seconds, the door opened.
A young boy peeked out and eximed, "So it¡¯s you, my sister''s boyfriend. You finally came!"
The next moment, Xun''s voice came from inside. "Xiaojie, if you keep talking nonsense, you''ll have no dinner tonight!"
The boy named Xiaojie quickly corrected himself. "Sis, I was wrong. He''s your friend, not your boyfriend. Is that better?"
There was the sound of footsteps, and the door fully opened. Xun, with her ck hair, fair skin, and clear eyes, stood inside, shooing her brother away.
She was wearing an apron and holding a spoon, looking as if she had juste out of the kitchen.
Tianyang was surprised. "You''re cooking by yourself?"
Xun blinked. "What else? Did you expect to eat food from the food dispenser?"
Tianyang scratched his face awkwardly. "I didn''t expect you to know how to cook."
He then took out the gift he had spent the morning buying and handed it to Xun.
Xun epted and nced at it. She smiled radiantly and said, "Next time, don''t buy anything. It''s just a meal; no need to spend so much."
She led Tianyang past a partition and into the living room.
Tianyang noticed that her ce felt much more alive than his own. The living room didn''t use the apartment''s standard retractable furniture. The tables and chairs looked well-used.
There was an embroidered table runner on the table, which seemed handmade rather than industrially produced.
Several potted nts on the windowsill added a lush, inviting green to the room.
This reminded Tianyang of his mother. No matter how tough times were, Nan Fei always brought home fresh flowers and nts each week.
Those little touches filled their tiny shack with a sense of life and ritual.
Now, Tianyang saw the same in this girl''s home.
"Take a rest; dinner will be ready soon," the girl with the spoon said, turning back to the kitchen.
The doorbell rang again. Tianyang was startled. Could there be more guests tonight besides him?
Chapter 83 - Ambush
Xun looked puzzled as well; it seemed she wasn''t expecting any other guests. Nevertheless, she opened the door.
Tianyang''s gaze fell on the doorway, where a young man appeared, looking about twenty-three or twenty-four. He was impably dressed, with silver-threaded cloud patterns on his cor and cuffs. The man had a gentle smile, an elegant demeanor, and an aura that exuded warmth.
Xun gasped in surprise, ¡°Mr. Yunze, what brings you here?¡±
The man, named Yunze, apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to drop by unannounced. I¡¯m leaving tomorrow and thought I¡¯d bid you farewell before I go. I hope you don''t mind the intrusion.¡±
Xun shook her head lightly. ¡°Mr. Yunze, you¡¯re a busy man; there''s no need to go out of your way to say goodbye. I¡¯m not worth such trouble.¡±
Yunze¡¯s soft and soothing voice made it hard to dislike him. He smiled gently. ¡°How could you say that? Thanks to you, my injury healed so quickly. You are my benefactor.¡±
Yunze sniffed the air and said, ¡°Hmm, it smells delicious. Are you cooking, Miss Xun? Might I have the pleasure of tasting your cooking?¡±
Xun shook her head again. ¡°Sorry, I have a guest tonight, so it¡¯s really inconvenient.¡±
Yunze wasn¡¯t offended by the refusal and kept his smile. His gaze shifted to Tianyang. ¡°Is this a friend of Miss Xun¡¯s?¡± He extended his hand, stepping into the living room and approaching Tianyang with familiarity. ¡°I love making new friends. My name is Yunze. May I know yours?¡±
Xun''s eyebrows furrowed slightly, seeming displeased with Yunze''s actions but reluctant to express them.
Tianyang was somewhat overwhelmed by his enthusiasm but responded politely with his name.
Yunze looked surprised. ¡°So it¡¯s you! Impressive, taking on the Qin family single-handedly. Although the Qin family is just a minor family in the fortress, you did a great job. Miss Xun¡¯s friends are indeed extraordinary.¡±
Tianyang¡¯s thoughts stirred. From Yunze¡¯s tone, it seemed he might be a scion of some family himself. If Yun were his surname, then this man would be quite significant. The Yun family of Qingtian was renowned in the fortress; they were said to be descendants of the founders and had been pioneers during the fortress''s construction. They were also the only family in the fortress not required to establish their authority formally.
The first base in the Inverse Universe, Yunxiang, was built by the Yun family!
Whether Yunze was indeed from this prominent family remained to be seen.
¡°Ahem,¡± Xun nced towards the kitchen, ¡°Our dinner is almost ready¡¡±
Yunze lightly tapped his forehead and released Tianyang¡¯s hand, saying with great decorum, ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you two any longer. I hope I¡¯ll have the chance to invite both of you for a meal next time. Please honor me with your presence.¡±
Xun escorted him to the elevator. Yunze got in and left the apartment. Outside, a car modeled after a vehicle from the Inverse Universe approached and stopped before him.
The door opened, and Yunze climbed in. A voice inside remarked, ¡°You¡¯re back so soon. I thought you¡¯d be dining with thedy.¡±
The man seated inside had eagle-like sharp eyes, a short beard, and his hands folded over the hilt of a sword. This sword had a golden guard encrusted with various gems, though its scabbard was in ck with a red character for "Night" inscribed on it.
¡°Mr. Wang Liangyi, please don¡¯t tease me,¡± Yunze sighed. ¡°Miss Xun was entertaining a guest, so there was no ce for me. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been turned down by a woman; it hurts here.¡±
He covered his chest with his hand.
The man called Wang Liangyi raised the corners of his mouth slightly. "Oh, there¡¯s actually ady in the fortress who can resist Yunze¡¯s charm. That¡¯s quite surprising. Perhaps this is a special trait of the Luminary ss?"
¡°Luminary ss...¡± Yunze repeated the words, a glint of light in his eyes. "No matter what, I¡¯m determined to win over Miss Xun."
Wang Liangyi nodded. "If you have a wife from the Luminary ss, it would certainly stabilize your position in continuing the family legacy, Yunze."
Yunze looked at him with an aggrieved expression and said, "Mr. Wang, that¡¯s too much. I genuinely like Miss Xun. I¡¯m not using her status as a bargaining chip."
Wang Liangyi tapped his sword hilt lightly with his finger. "You said the same thing about the otherdies before."
Yunze patted his chest and said, "Yes, I was sincere with each of them. We just found outter that our lives weren¡¯tpatible, so we parted ways."
Wang Liangyi shrugged lightly. "If you say so, then it must be true."
The car drove away into the distance.
At 8:30 PM, Tianyang left Xun¡¯s house. The girl and her younger brother came out to see him off.
At the elevator, Tianyang waved, "You guys should go back."
Xun ced her hands on her brother¡¯s shoulders and suddenly asked, "Tianyang, you live alone now, right?"
Tianyang nodded. "Yes, I live alone. Why?"
Xun lowered her head slightly, her eyes sweeping the ground. "It''s nothing. Just... if you ever want to eat something specific, let me know, and I''ll cook for you. Eating food from the synthesizer all the time can get tiring. It¡¯s good to have a change of taste asionally."
Tianyang didn¡¯t expect her to say this and was momentarily stunned.
Xun looked up. "What? Do you not like my cooking?"
"No, no, no," Tianyang scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Your cooking is great. I just don¡¯t want to trouble you."
Xun shook her head. "It¡¯s no trouble. It''s settled then."
Tianyang agreed with a nod. Just then, the elevator arrived. The young man stepped in and waved goodbye to the siblings.
After Tianyang left, Xiaojie looked up at his sister with a mischievous smile and said, "Sis, you like Brother Tianyang, don¡¯t you?"
A blush instantly spread across the girl¡¯s face. "What are you talking about? I don¡¯t like him."
"If you don¡¯t like him, why would you cook for him?"
Xun¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly. "Didn¡¯t you hear? He lives alone now. Being alone can be very lonely..."
Xiaojie pondered for a moment and then grinned, "That''s just an excuse..."
Whack!
Xun flicked his little head, nearly bringing tears to his eyes.
"Ouch! That hurts!"
"Serves you right!"
The siblings went back inside, and the door closed, leaving the hallway quiet once again.
Driving along the upper city streets, streetlights asionally swept over Tianyang. It was still raining in Qingtian Fortress, but the rain had lessened considerably. At least in the central part of the city, the rain was blocked by the circr dome above, preventing it from reaching the ground.
A faint smile appeared on Tianyang''s face. It was the first time he felt the warmth of being cared for since his mother passed away.
Back at his apartment, Tianyang parked his vehicle and took the elevator upstairs.
The elevator was empty except for him. As the doors opened, Tianyang was about to step out.
Suddenly, he saw a shadow cast by the corridor lights. The shadow was right outside the left side of the elevator door. Someone was lying in ambush?
Chapter 84 - Encounter
Tianyang didn¡¯t rush out, even though the figure outside remained still and emitted no special aura. But as soon as he noticed the shadow, his Star Essence became active, heightening his senses. His intuition kept warning him that the shadow outside the door was up to no good!
Slowly, Tianyang backed away to create some distance, giving himself space to react if the person charged in.
A few secondster, the elevator door closed automatically. After a brief pause, it opened again, clearly showing the work of the person outside.
The shadow was still there, motionless, like a beast locked onto its prey, patiently waiting for the right moment to strike.
Tianyang regretted leaving his Crimson Moon Warde at home. If he had a weapon, he wouldn¡¯t be so passive.
The standoff continued for a few more seconds before the elevator door closed again.
This time, it didn¡¯t reopen.
Tianyang moved to the control panel and pressed the button for a lower floor. The elevator descended and stopped on the floor below his.
As the door opened, Tianyang, with his Star Essence manifesting, dashed out.
This floor''s corridor was quiet, without a single person in sight. Feeling slightly relieved, Tianyang opted for the stairs and carefully peeked out when he reached his apartment''s floor.
The area around the elevator was empty; the person had left.
Tianyang waited for a moment. The elevator chimed, its doors opened, and a couple emerged, chatting andughing, their voices echoing down the hallway.
Only then did Tianyang withdraw his Star Essence, walking to his apartment door and quickly unlocking it.
As he slipped inside and closed the door, he felt the distinct sensation of being watched.
Quickly, he shut the door.
After taking a shower, Tianyang checked his messages. He had contacted the registry office in the morning, but the staff handling his application had been out.
The registry office had promised to send the results.
Sure enough, there were two messages on his homemunicator.
He yed the first message.
"Hello, Mr. Tianyang. This is the office of Tianqing Academy. We have received and approved your application. The History of the Inverse Universe course you applied for has a ss tomorrow. If you¡¯re interested, please be in the ssroom by 10 AM. Detailed information has been sent to your personalmunicator. Please check it."
Tianyang was surprised by Tianqing Academy¡¯s efficiency. He had applied justst night, and today it was approved.
Perhaps the course was only open to Ascenders. Being a Night Walker might have expedited the approval.
Tianyang yed the second message.
"Hello, Mr. Tianyang. This is the Upper City Registry Office. We apologize for not contacting you sooner due to an outing this morning. The results of your inquiry are in, and we regret to inform you that we couldn¡¯t find any information on ¡°Jingnan.¡± If you have any questions, please contact us. Apologies again."
No information on "Jingnan?"
Tianyang frowned. Did Su Lie make a mistake, or did he only provide a given name, and the person had a surname?
Shaking his head, Tianyang thought he¡¯d have to find another way.
The next morning, after breakfast, Tianyang visited the fortress cemetery.
The cemetery was located on the west side of Upper City, with rows of ck tombstones arranged in a tieredyout, creating a solemn atmosphere.
It was still raining. Being close to the fortress''s edge, raindrops managed to drift in despite the dome overhead.
Tianyang held a bouquet of fresh flowers and approached his mother Nanfei¡¯s tombstone. To his surprise, there was already a bouquet there, seemingly ced a day or two ago. Who had visited his mother?
cing his bouquet down, Tianyang looked at the tombstone. "Mom, I¡¯m back. This mission was really dangerous. You wouldn¡¯t believe what I encountered in Huanggu Town..."
"Mom, I¡¯m sorry." Tianyang squatted, gently touching the cold tombstone. "I still don¡¯t understand why you opposed me joining the Night Walker. But I might have to stay with this corps for a while."
"And I found a diary. I wish I could ask you if that guy Su Lie is my father."
With a sigh, Tianyang fell silent, staring at the tombstone. Ten minutester, he stood up and left the cemetery amid the drizzle and cold wind.
Tianqing Academy, the fortress''s sole learning institution, was in the southern part of Upper City, near the fortress library and archives. The academy was open to civilians, upper citizens, and Ascender.
It offered a wide range of subjects, including basic education, politics, economics, management, architecture, three-dimensional armaments, and weapon development, among dozens of other courses.
Through this academy, the fortress continually produced professionals across various fields.
After presenting his ID card, Tianyang passed through the academy¡¯s security and, following the information on hismunicator, found the ssroom for the History of the Inverse Universe course.
Inside the ssroom, about ten people were scattered around. As Tianyang entered, a familiar voice called out excitedly, "Tianyang, you¡¯re here too! Come over here."
Looking up, Tianyang saw Lao Xu waving at him.
Sitting beside Lao Xu, Tianyang was also surprised. "What? You¡¯re attending the ss too?"
Lao Xu, dressed in casual clothes today, smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. "After retiring, teaching at the academy became one of my goals. So sometimes Ie here to sit in on sses."
"Recently, they¡¯ve been offering the History of the Inverse Universe. I¡¯m quite interested in this topic. Whether I be a mentor or a novice instructor, this knowledge could be useful, so here I am."
Pausing for a moment, Lao Xu continued, "What about you?"
Tianyang shrugged. "I originally wanted to see if there were any courses on Inverse Universe scripts, but the home system rmended this course instead, so I came to check it out."
Lao Xu was momentarily stunned. "Inverse Universe scripts? You¡¯re interested in that?"
Tianyang smiled sheepishly. "Learning more is never a bad thing. Since we often venture into the Inverse Universe, understanding its scripts could be helpful."
Lao Xu nodded. "Then you should definitely visit my ce. I have a book on Inverse Universe scripts. After this ss,e over for dinner, and I¡¯ll lend you the book."
Tianyang¡¯s eyes lit up. "That¡¯s great, another free meal!"
Lao Xu stroked his chin. "But let¡¯s be clear, you¡¯re not getting a free meal. I have some chores at home. You¡¯ll help me out."
Tianyang, of course, agreed.
At that moment, someone entered the ssroom and walked straight to the podium.
Clearing his throat, he looked at the ss and said, "Good morning. I¡¯m your lecturer, Liu Jinglin..."
Chapter 85 - Lecture
The lecturer on the tform was in his early forties, with gray hair, a beard, and visibleugh lines, indicating aborious daily routine.
But his eyes were bright and lively, reflecting a certain sharpness, like a well-polished mirror!
Introducing himself as Liu Jinglin, the lecturer disyed a gentle smile and said with a tone of appreciation, "I never thought that such a dull course would attract 13 students, with 11 of them being Ascenders."
"It''s an honor to teach Ascenders."
He sounded like an ordinary person.
He tapped on the lectern, activating a disy. The color of the wall behind him darkened from white to ck in just two to three seconds.
Text began to appear on the now-darkened wall.
Liu Jinglin wrote "Civilization" on the interface of the lectern, and the projection screen on the darkened wall synchronized ordingly. The bearded lecturer cleared his throat and said in a mild tone, "No matter what kind of world it is, as long as intelligent life appears, civilization will inevitably form. The Inverse Universe is no exception."
"Here, let me first exin what civilization is."
"Civilization is the umtion of history. It enhances our understanding of the objective world, embodies a certain spirit recognized by the vast majority of people, and epasses inventions, creations, order, and customs."
"Civilization opposes barbarism. It represents order. Aplete civilization must possess elements such as tools,nguage, writing, beliefs,ws, faith, city-states, and nations."
Liu Jinglin paused for a moment before continuing, "And in Inverse Universe 127, after more than eighty years of research, we can confidently tell you all that there was once a splendid civilization in that Inverse Universe!"
There was murmuring in the ssroom.
Tianyang nced at Lao Xu beside him, who seemed unsurprised, even absent-mindedly looking at hismunicator.
As someone who had ventured into the Inverse Universe several times, Tianyang wasn''t surprised by this conclusion at all. The existence of metropolises like the Megacity and towns like Huanggu Town indicated that the Inverse Universe had its own set of rules.
What Tianyang was curious about was how much the fortress knew about the civilization in Inverse Universe 127.
On the tform, Liu Jinglin gestured for everyone to quiet down.
He seemed pleased with the students'' reactions and smiled. "Civilization has many elements. Today, I want to talk to you all about... literature within the Inverse Universe."
Tianyang was momentarily taken aback. Literature? What was that?
Many others seemed to share his confusion. A girl with delicate features raised her hand and asked, "Teacher, what is literature? Are you referring to the writing in the Inverse Universe?"
"No, no, no," Liu Jinglin hurriedly exined, but his exnation only made it more confusing. "Literature refers to the study of writing, or you can also see it as the art of writing."
In front of Tianyang, a young man with short hair stood up and asked, "Teacher, what is art then?"
Liu Jinglin smiled in response. "Art is a cultural expression that intentionally shapes certain emotions through means or media."
"In fact, whether it''s art or literature, these are all based on the analysis of the Inverse Universe''s writing. From the information discovered in the Inverse Universe, we have learned certain vocabry. We believe that in Inverse Universe 127, there was abundant material wealth. Most of the inhabitants of the Inverse Universe were able to ensure their survival, and literature or art was created by them to please their senses and soothe their spirits."
Lao Xu smirked. "They must be really idle."
Liu Jinglin pointed at Lao Xu, "You''re right. Research indicates that the inhabitants of the Inverse Universe didn¡¯t need to engage in overly strenuousbor to obtain material resources for survival. So, they had a lot of free time, much more than we can imagine."
"Because of this, they created things like literature or art to fill the void in their spirits, and we find that these things can resonate with human emotions."
"We once coborated with the medical center, trying to use these things to guide patients with Inverse Universe phobia. Artistic creationsforted their spirits and released their emotions. The results were very encouraging. epting literature and artistic influence, hmm, that''s another term from the Inverse Universe."
"After epting artistic creations represented by words, the patients'' spirits became more stable. This shows that in treating psychological trauma, whether it''s literature or other forms of art, they have their own unique advantages."
There was another round of discussion.
After a while, Liu Jinglin began writing down several terms on the lectern''s interface.
The words appeared on the darkened wall in sync: novels, poetry, and drama.
Someone asked, "Teacher, are these works of literature?"
Liu Jinglin nodded. "These are forms of literary expression. At the same time, they are things that we in the fortressck. I believe that we should also have our own literature and art, so that we can have something to rely on emotionally and make our lives more passionate!"
Next, the bearded lecturer began to exin the meanings of these terms to the students, using some specific materials discovered in the Inverse Universe as examples and trying to exin what literature was in innguage.
As the ss came to an end, Liu Jinglin turned off the projection screen on the wall and smiled. "That''s it for today''s ss. In the next session, I will discuss the military civilization of the Inverse Universe. I think many of you should be interested in that, so remember not to bete."
After ss, Tianyang and Lao Xu left the ssroom. As they passed by the lectern, Liu Jinglin, who was tidying up, suddenly looked up at Tianyang.
Tianyang curiously looked at him, only to see Liu Jinglin grabbing his arm abruptly.
"You... Are you Tianyang?"
Liu Jinglin''s expression wasplicated, with anticipation, fear, excitement, and timidity all mixed, forming aplex emotion that Tianyang found difficult to understand.
"I am. What''s wrong, teacher?"
Liu Jinglin took two steps back, supporting himself against the lectern. "It''s you? Really you? I thought..."
Tianyang didn¡¯t understand. "You thought what?"
Liu Jinglin seemed to suddenly remember something; his expression changed, and he became restrained. Shaking his head, he said, "It''s nothing. I heard that you took on the Qin family alone. I thought you were a mature and brave Ascender, but I didn''t expect you to be so young."
Tianyang furrowed his brows slightly. He wasn''t foolish; he could tell that Liu Jinglin''s wordscked sincerity.
"What were you about to say?" Tianyang pressed, sensing there was more to Liu Jinglin''s initial reaction.
But Liu Jinglin had already hastily packed up his belongings and walked out of the ssroom, disappearing into a staircase.
Tianyang exchanged a puzzled nce with Lao Xu before they continued on their way. As they left the ssroom behind, Tianyang couldn''t shake off the feeling that there was something significant about Liu Jinglin''s reaction¡ªsomething he needed to figure out.
Chapter 86 - A Happy Family
Chapter 86 A Happy Family
After leaving the ssroom, Tianyang and Lao Xu arrived at the college parking lot together. When Lao Xu saw Tianyang''s electromaic motorcycle with the Crimson Moon Warde hanging next to it, he was somewhat surprised.
Tianyang started the motorcycle. "Our weapons are all equipped with biometric recognition, so it''s useless for others to take them. Besides, I don''t think anyone would dare to casually take a Night Walker''s equipment."
Lao Xu shook his head. "My surprise isn''t about that, but about you bringing the weapon out of the door. Brother, although Night Walkers can carry weapons in the city, carrying it around like this might attract some gossip."
Tianyang shrugged. "Oh, that''s what you meant. I didn''t notice. It''s just that something happenedst night, so I felt it necessary to carry it with me."
Lao Xu''s sparse eyebrows furrowed slightly. "What happenedst night?"
Tianyang briefly recounted the incident with the figure outside the elevator door.
Lao Xu reminded him, "You should report it to the captain."
Tianyang ran his hand through his hair. "Actually, I''m not sure. It might have been just my imagination. If I trouble the captain over such a small matter, I think it''s making a mountain out of a molehill."
"You have a point. Well then, be careful on your own." While speaking, Lao Xu walked over to a nearby tricycle and opened the door, then got in.
This motorcycle seemed to have been used for some time; the paint was peeling off, one of the headlights seemed broken, and there were traces of patches on the tires.
It seemed that Lao Xu wasn''t very affluent; otherwise, with his status, he should be able to afford a better vehicle.
Lao Xu stuck his head out of the window. "Come on, let''s go to my ce. Don''t lose track of me."
Tianyang smiled.
Although they were both Night Walkers, their dormitories were not close to each other. In fact, residential units in the upper city area were limited, especially for someone like Tianyang, who just had been promoted to an upper citizen and didn''t have his own industry in the upper city.
Therefore, moving to the upper city required an application, and the fortress would reim some vacant apartments, re-register the property rights, and then allocate them to the applicants.
If Tianyang were killed in battle and had no rtives, the house would be reimed by the fortress and transferred to the next applicant.
Even if there were rtives, the fortress would only give them a three-year temporary residence. When the term expired, if they couldn''t meet the contribution points required by the fortress, they would still have to move out.
This was one of the rules of the fortress.
Arriving near Lao Xu''s apartment building, Tianyang noticed that the building had been used for quite some time. It was currently undergoing renovation, with scaffolding erected on the west side of the building and workers painting on those scaffolds.
And there was no elevator.
Walking up the stairs, Lao Xu led the way. "The houses in our area have been built for more than 40 years ago, almost as old as me. The city hall has always had ns to demolish and rebuild, but resettling residents is a big problem. After dragging it out, they decided not to demolish it this year and just renovate it."
Arriving on the fourth floor, Lao Xu didn''t open the door but pressed the doorbell.
After a moment, a childish voice sounded from the inte on the door, "Who''s there?"
Lao Xu winked at Tianyang and said with a smile, "Guess."
A cheer sounded from the inte, "Daddy''s back."
The door immediately opened, and a small figure rushed out and threw herself into Lao Xu''s arms.
Lao Xu picked her up and spun her around. Tianyang could see clearly now; it was a five or six-year-old girl.
Lao Xu rubbed his face against her chubby cheeks. "Did you miss Daddy?"
"Yes, super miss." The little girl hugged Lao Xu''s neck tightly and nted a big kiss on his cheek, her voice loud enough to be heard throughout the corridor.
Lao Xu lifted the girl, somewhat proudly telling Tianyang, "This is my daughter, Xiaomai. Isn''t she lovely?"
Tianyang''s mouth twitched slightly. "She''s quite cute."
Lao Xuughed happily and instructed his daughter, "Call him brother."
The girl named Xiaomai called out in a childish voice, "Hello, brother."
"Lao Xu, you''re back?" A gentle female voice sounded from inside the door.
Lao Xu carried his daughter into the room. "I''m back. Zijin, we have a guest today. Uh, Tianyang,e on in; don''t just stand outside."
Tianyang smiled and entered the house, finally seeing Lao Xu''s wife.
She was much younger than Lao Xu; with her long hair tied up and wearing an apron, she seemed to be cooking.
She stood by the window with a gentle smile on her face, somewhatining to her husband, "You didn''t inform me when we had a guest. Let me go fry a few more dishes; you entertain your friend first."
Lao Xu looked very pleased, waiting for his wife to enter the kitchen before he pulled Tianyang into the living room. "We''ll have something to eat soon. Take a seat; I''ll go get a book for you."
Leaving Tianyang and his daughter, Lao Xu disappeared into the room.
The little girl kept staring at Tianyang curiously. "Brother, why is your hair silver?"
Tianyang ran his hand through his hair. "Well, that''s a long story."
The little girl stepped back warily. "Mom said boys who dye their hair are troublemakers. Are you one, brother?"
Tianyang couldn''t help but smile wryly.
"I don''t know about others, but your big brother Tianyang, I can guarantee, is definitely not a troublemaker." Luckily, Lao Xu returned, holding a thick book in his hand, which he ced in Tianyang''s hand.
Xiaomai hugged Lao Xu''s leg and smiled, "I believe Daddy, so I''ll be friends with you."
Tianyang was amused by the little girl before looking at the book in his hand.
"Analysis of Inverse Universe Characters."
Lao Xu patted the book. "This is a good thing. Remember to return it to me after you finish reading."
It was evident that Lao Xu cherished this book, just like he cherished his happy family. Tianyang suddenly understood why Lao Xu had so many concerns about the Inverse Universe.
It was simple because there were people waiting for him toe back to the Fortress.
After eating two meals at Lao Xu''s house, Tianyang spent the afternoon helping him assemble and paint a wooden horse.
At 8 o''clock in the evening, he bid farewell to Lao Xu''s family and drove back to his apartment alone.
This time, Tianyang didn''t take the elevator; he took the stairs. When he reached the floor where his apartment was located, Tianyang tightened his grip on the Crimson Moon Warde.
But tonight, there was no abnormality in the corridor, nor did he feel like he was being watched.
He opened the door and entered the house, sitting down on the chair in the living room and cing the war de aside.
After resting for a moment, preparing to get up to take a shower, a breeze tousled Tianyang''s hair.
The teenager walked towards the bathroom, taking a few steps before suddenly stopping. Then, like lightning, he returned to the chair, drawing the Crimson Moon Warde!
The window was open.
But he remembered that he had already closed all the doors and windows when he left in the morning.
Tianyang silently approached the window and ran his hand over the windowsill. There were no marks on the windowsill, but his palm felt something strange. When he turned his hand over, he found a few grains of sand sticking to it.
He licked his palm gently. It tasted salty, like the sand washed by the sea on the beach.
Tianyang looked around the entire living room. Finally, he saw the partially open door of the bedroom...
Chapter 87 - Secret
Chapter 87 Secret
With the door ajar, a sense of unknown malice flowed through the darkness.
Tianyang silently approached the bedroom, back against the wall, fully alert.
Since his physical enhancement, his senses had be much sharper, but he didn''t detect any special atmosphere in the room.
Tianyang raised his head and uttered, "Turn on the lights!"
The home automation system instantly illuminated the entire apartment, flooding it with light.
The moment the bedroom lights came on, Tianyang pushed open the door and rushed in with his knife ready. If someone was inside, suddenly being illuminated by the light in the dark environment would cause difort for a second or two, giving Tianyang an opportunity to attack.
But there was no one in the bedroom¡ªnot even a shadow and even the windows were tightly closed, indicating that everything just now was Tianyang''s imagination.
However, at that moment, there was a sound of airflow outside the room. Tianyang turned around and pounced out, but only managed to catch a glimpse of a figure darting away from the window using some kind of tool to swiftly traverse the corner of the building, disappearing from sight.
Tianyang''s expression became solemn. He closed the window and then checked the room to ensure no other people were hiding inside before entering the bedroom.
He sat down on the bed, keeping his sword within reach, lost in thought.
Who was that? Why did they break into his apartment?
But at that moment, Tianyang noticed the bookshelf opposite him, where the books he brought back from the Lower City were neatly arranged.
However, one book was askew.
Tianyang walked over and saw several grains of sand on the bookshelf, obviously brought in by the intruder.
The intruder had tampered with the bookshelf. Could they be searching for something?
But what would someone want with those old books?
Suddenly, Tianyang had a sh of insight. Could they not be looking for books, but rather for that diary?
The Diary of Su Lie!
That was the only thing of value in Tianyang''s possession rted to books.
There must be some secret hidden in that torn-in-half diary; otherwise, someone wouldn''t go to such lengths!
Tianyang was about to check if the diary was still there, but he suddenly stopped himself and picked up hismunicator to contact Lao Xu.
He sent a text message, Lao Xu, if I want to check if a space is being monitored, what should I do?
Ten minutester, Lao Xu replied, Why do you suddenly have this idea? By the way, Little Wheat really likes that rocking horse; your painting skills aren''t bad. Hmm, let me think, you can go to the headquarters'' equipment warehouse and get an electromaic interference device. Although it won''t detect surveince, it will interfere with the reception signal if there are surveince devices.
Tianyang replied, "Thanks," then deleted themunication with Lao Xu and tossed themunicator aside before heading for a shower.
The next day, Tianyang drove to the Night Walker headquarters building, and presented his ID card, easily obtaining an electromaic interference device from the equipment warehouse.
Back at his apartment, he deactivated the home system to prevent it from being affected.
Then Tianyang opened the interference device ording to the instructions and adjusted the frequency to cover the entire room.
Even so,ints from neighbors about the malfunctioning home system came from outside the window.
It seemed the interference device was already working.
Tianyang then returned to the bedroom, removed the lighting cover from the ceiling, and retrieved Su Lie''s diary from the cavity.
Taking out the diary, Tianyang restored everything, turned off the interference device, and left the room with the diary.
He arrived at themunity square near his apartment, found a secluded corner, and took out the diary.
After flipping through the diary again, Tianyang was at a loss. "What''s the use of this thing? Why steal it? Could it be that person is a voyeur?"
The answer was definitely not that, but Tianyang couldn''t find the right direction for the time being.
Around ten o''clock, a security officer arrived at the apartment with three team members.
When Tianyang went to headquarters in the morning, he also reported the intrusion into his roomst night to the nearby police station. Since Tianyang was an Ascender and belonged to the Iron Wall City Guard System, the police station took this incident very seriously.
The security officer dispatched was actually the deputy director and the three team members were experienced individuals from the station. They conducted a detailed inspection of Tianyang''s apartment and promised to give him a response as soon as possible.
At the same time, the police station strengthened patrols in the area.
Tianyang didn''t expect them to find anything; he just hoped that the police station''s intervention would make the intruder more cautious.
At least for the short term, there wouldn''t be another break-in at the apartment.
After dinner, Tianyang went downstairs for a walk and casually took out the diary from his motorcycle in the elevator.
Arriving at themunity square, Tianyang sat under a streetmp and flipped through the diary again. This time, he noticed that the leather cover of the diary seemed to be slightly swollen, much thicker than the back cover.
Excited, Tianyang felt as though he was about to uncover the secret. He quickly sliced open the cover.
Sure enough, inside was a folded piece of paper.
ttening the paper, the first thing Tianyang saw was that symbol.
A diamond shape with a solid circle drawn in thick ink, surrounded by distorted lines.
Tianyang was taken aback. Wasn''t this the symbol carved by the dark creatures on objects in Deste Valley Town?
Could it be that Su Lie had also encountered the same symbol in the Inverse Universe?
Below this symbol were a set of numbers and a phrase, "Under the cross, the dome shines."
What did this mean?
Obviously, it couldn''t be a prank by Su Lie. Perhaps the intruder was looking for this set of numbers and this phrase!
Studying the symbol of the dark creatures on the paper, Tianyang narrowed his eyes. He quickly took out hismunicator and logged into the Night Walker''s information database.
After inputting the set of numbers, Tianyang received a ce name, Gemstone Town!
Tianyang smiled. He guessed right. This set of numbers was a coordinate. Su Lie drew this dark creature symbol to imply that this was the coordinate in the Inverse Universe.
The secret should be in this Gemstone Town!
Tianyang also checked the information about Gemstone Town, and it was located near the Cloud Soaring Base. The town grew some luminescent fungi, which clustered together. When they emitted light, they looked like gemstones from a distance, hence the name.
Tianyang noted down the phrase and then lightly touched the paper with his Crimson Moon Warde, burning it.
So he nned to go see Han Shu tomorrow. He wanted to ask for leave to go to Gemstone Town.
The secret of Su Lie must be hidden in Gemstone Town, and if the phrase was not misleading, it should point to a specific location in the town.
But the true situation would only be clear after going to Gemstone Town and investigating.
Putting away the diary and preparing to go home, Tianyang gently tapped his head again. Instead of Han Shu, he thought of a better candidate, someone who might even provide some assistance...
Chapter 88 - The Big Shot
On the same night.
At a bay not far from Qingtian Fortress, the silver moon hung high, stars filled the cloudless sky, and the sea shimmered with scattered reflections.
Ssh, ssh!
Waves crashed against the rocks, sending up sparkling sprays several feet high. They surged to the shore, gently caressing the fine sand.
As the waves reluctantly receded, a hermit crab crawled out. The little creature moved across the beach until suddenly a light swept over it. The crab quickly burrowed back into the sand, and another wave came, smoothing out the beach.
The light came from a motorcycle¡¯s heamp. A two-wheeled bike crossed the beach, finally stopping in a vacant lot deep in the bay. Around the edge of the lot, a makeshift embankment made of boxes filled with sand protected a shed from the rising tide.
A robust man jumped off the motorcycle, approached the shed, and opened the door. As soon as he entered, the lights came on.
The sudden brightness made him squint. He then tossed a loosely slung canvas bag onto a nearby table.
He walked into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and washed his face.
Looking at his stubbled reflection in the mirror, he ruffled his messy hair. He patted his face and turned into the adjacent kitchen to find something to eat.
All he found was a piece of bread as hard as a rock.
The man sighed, poured a ss of water, and ate the dry bread.
At the other end of the room, seven or eight old electronic screens were still working despite being long discarded by the fortress.
They were connected by a tangled mess of transmission lines to a terminal in the corner.
At that moment, several screens were showing scenes from Tianyang''s apartment.
Amunicator lying in front of the screens started ringing. The man finished his bread in a few bites, picked up themunicator, and epted a voicemunication request.
A voice sounded from the device, "Hebe, how¡¯s the task I assigned you?"
The man named Hebe showed a bitter smile and nced at the screens. "Sir, I¡¯m monitoring him, but nothing unusual has happened."
"Impossible!" The "Sir" sounded displeased. "I¡¯m certain he has obtained the diary. Unless he lost it, he would definitely have taken it out after the infiltration incident."
Rubbing his stubbly chin, Hebe shrugged. "That¡¯s what I thought too, but unfortunately, I haven¡¯t found any trace of the diary. At least, it¡¯s not in the apartment."
There was a pause on the other end before the voice said, "Hebe, you¡¯d better keep a close watch. Securing citizenship in the Upper City isn¡¯t easy, especially for someone like you with a record."
Hebe was silent for a moment before he said, "Sir, I don¡¯t expect to return to the fortress. As long as you can relocate my child to the Upper City, I¡¯ll do anything for you."
"Good, remember your words. Find out where he hid that diary soon!"
Themunication ended.
Hebe put down themunicator, pulled up a chair, and sat down, propping his thick legs on the table, causing the screens to wobble.
Rubbing his stubbly chin, Hebe muttered at the screens, "What are you waiting for? Just take out that damn diary..."
Ssh, ssh¡ªthe sound of waves rose and fell outside the window.
The dark sky of the Inverse Universe cast moving shadows outside the high-speed train¡¯s window. Theposite material of the window reflected Tianyang''s face.
It was 10 AM. Tianyang was once again seated in the carriage of the high-speed train. Nearby, several gazes asionally swept over his face. Some were curious; others carried a hint of hostility.
In the carriage, a dozen prospectors were dressed in strange outfits with equally varied equipment. One burly man even carried a pair of cumbersome fist shields.
A fist shield was a niche weapon thatbined the functions of a gauntlet and a shield. It could deliver powerful blows and also block attacks.
The heavy-looking fist shields beside the bald, burly man¡¯s feet indicated his incredible strength.
On his left shoulder was a fortress rank insignia, with the number 2 under the shield emblem.
He was a Rank 2 Defender of the fortress.
Amunicator rang.
Tianyang withdrew his gaze and epted themunication request, then heard Lingfeng''s voice. "Are you on the train?"
"Yes, I¡¯m on the train. Thanks, Chief Ling, you did me a big favor."
Lingfeng responded coldly, "I don¡¯t know why you need to go to Yunxiang Base, nor do I intend to ask. But I must remind you to be careful. You are now an ¡°important asset¡± of our Night Walkers."
"I understand."
"That''s it then. I''ve sent your information to the person in charge over there. Once you arrive, he''ll arrange for you to go to Gemstone Town. Goodbye."
Themunication ended.
Tianyang smiled slightly. Last night, he contacted Ling Feng for help. When Ling Feng learned that Tianyang was going to Gemstone Town, he didn''t say much, nor did he immediately agree or refuse.
But this morning, Tianyang received a message from him, instructing him to catch the 10 AM high-speed train to Yunxiang Base.
Yunxiang Base was the first outpost base of Qingtian Fortress, with a history spanning over 50 years. Initially, the base only had a resupply function. Over the years, it had developed into a base evenrger than the lighthouse.
The construction of this base was initially funded by the Qingtian Yun family; hence, the fortress included the character "Yun" in its name to honor the Yun family''s contributions.
Although Yunxiang Base was nominally under themand of Qingtian Fortress, the Yun family had significant influence there.
With nothing else to do, Tianyang checked his status and equipment.
His sublimation progress had reached 58%. The mission in Wild Valley Townst time increased his progress by five percentage points, but no sublimation node was randomly generated this time.
As expected, one''s luck couldn''t always be that good.
Looking at his equipment, he had the Crimson Moon Warde, an Assault Rifle, three gas magazines, four bottles of Star Essence replenishing liquid, and a high-heat explosive grenade.
These resources were enough to handle a dangerous operation. However, Gemstone Town was basically safe, as the town had already been explored and cleared of dark creatures by Yunxiang Base.
After finishing his check, Tianyang nned to take a nap, as there were still seven or eight hours left in the journey.
At that moment, a hand fell on his shoulder, and a fragrant breeze filled his nose.
A fiery figure squeezed into Tianyang''s arms, sitting on hisp with her arms around his neck.
This woman, with wheat-colored skin and delicate features, but with eyes and lips painted a purplish-gray, looked at Tianyang with a predatory gaze. "Oh, young Night Walker, there are no more towns around Yunxiang Base that need exploring, so why do we still need your esteemed presence?"
Chapter 89 - Yunxiang Base
Tianyang looked down at the woman who had thrown herself into his arms. She seemed a bit older than him, but not yet twenty. This was evident from the condition of her skin, which, despite its wheat color, was as smooth as silk.
Especially those legs extending from her shorts¡ªher thighs were delicate, undoubtedly feeling nice to the touch.
The girl wore a short leather jacket with a very low neckline, revealing a significant part of her ample chest.
On the left side of her chest, there was an emblem depicting a longbow with an eye between the bow and string, looking sharp.
Below the emblem was the number: 1.
Evidently, this woman who came onto him was a Rank 1 Hunter in the Hunter ss.
Unexpectedly, this carriage had two Ascendants among the prospectors, indicating their team''s formidablebat capability.
"Do you like what you see?" The girl, with her purple-gray makeup, blinked her eyes and even pulled her already low neckline lower. "If you want to see more, we can go to another carriage."
"Thank you for your offer, but I''d like to rest for a while. Could you please get up?" Tianyang wore a perfectly timed smile.
The girl snorted through her nose, suddenly clinging tightly to Tianyang and crying out coquettishly, "What are you doing? Let go of me!"
Tianyang didn''t immediately react.
What was this act?
Then a hand reached over, lifting the girl off Tianyang as if she were a chick.
Tianyang looked up to find a man standing beside his seat. He was thin, almost skeletal, with a few sharp teeth from some creature as earrings on his left ear and lips painted purple-gray like the girl''s.
On the back of his right hand was an emblem resembling a magic circle with the number 1 in the center.
He was a Rank 1 Magician in the Elemental Heart ss.
"Hey, kid, what were you trying to do to my sister?!" The man, who imed to be the girl¡¯s brother, shouted. "Don''t think you can do whatever you want just because you''re a Night Walker. Now, I want you to apologize to my sister. Hmm, I see you have a nice knife. If you give it to us as a gift, I might consider forgiving you on her behalf."
Tianyang looked at him as if he were an idiot. Now the boy understood; this brother-sister pair was clearly trying to extort him.
This was interesting. Someone actually dared to target a Night Walker. Did he really look that easy to bully?
Tianyang smiled, gently lifted his Crimson Moon Warde, and slightly extended it forward. "You want it? Go ahead, take it."
The man was stunned; he hadn¡¯t expected Tianyang to be so agreeable. He swallowed and reached for the Crimson Moon Warde.
Tianyang¡¯s smile widened.
Just as the man''s hand was about to touch the scabbard, a loud shout suddenly erupted, "Take your filthy hand off!"
It was the bald, burly man with the fist shield by his feet. He stood up, his bald head nearly touching the carriage ceiling.
The burly man turned around, eyes filled with anger, staring at the other man. "Wild Wolf, one day, your greed will be the death of you. Do you think you can touch a Night Walker¡¯s equipment? Don¡¯t cause me any trouble!"
Wild Wolf must be the man''s nickname. He snorted, "Gu Gang, my sister and I are just hired by you, not your subordinates. Don''t you dare try to boss me around!"
The burly man named Gu Gang sneered, "You¡¯re right, I¡¯m just your employer. But if you mess up my ns, I¡¯ll cripple you, got it?"
Wild Wolf wanted to say something, but the girl quickly pulled him back and apologized to Gu Gang, "Mr. Gu Gang, please don¡¯t be angry. We were just joking with the Night Walker."
"Get lost!" Gu Gang barked. "Don¡¯t think you can use your prospector tricks on a Night Walker without making a fool of yourselves."
Wild Wolf growled low in his throat, his eyes red. Finally, he snorted, grabbed his sister, and left.
Gu Gang then turned to Tianyang, "Sorry to bother you, sir. These two troublemakers caused you trouble."
Tianyang twirled his battle knife and returned it to its ce, smiling, "No problem. In fact, I should thank you for helping out."
Gu Gang¡¯s eyes shed with surprise, then heughed heartily. "I should be the one saying thank you. We won¡¯t disturb your rest any longer."
He picked up his fist shield, signaled to the other prospectors, and they all left the carriage.
As they exited, one of Gu Gang''s men muttered, "Boss, you helped him out. Why did you thank him?"
Gu Gang pped the back of his head so hard that it almost sent him flying. "You don¡¯t get it. If I hadn¡¯t stopped him, Wild Wolf would have lost his hand. The Night Walker didn¡¯t need my help to deal with them, got it?"
"Besides, it was Wild Wolf and his sister who tried to pull a fast one. The Night Walker didn¡¯t pursue it, which saved us a lot of trouble on our way to Yunxiang Base. That''s why I thanked him!"
The underling rubbed his head and said, "I see."
Gu Gang snorted, "Those Wild Wolf siblings are real trouble. If I didn¡¯t need extra hands, I wouldn¡¯t have hired them. Keep an eye on them, and don¡¯t let them cause any more problems."
A few prospectors repeatedly agreed.
Seven hourster, the high-speed train arrived at its station, and Tianyang finally reached Yunxiang Base.
This base was located in the mountains, with its facilities hidden among dense vegetation. However, the forests in the Nether Realm were far from pleasant, with numerous trees and twisted nts effectively blocking the paths of many dark creatures.
To allow the high-speed train to reach this base, several mountain ranges had been tunneled through, creating passages for the train tracks.
Compared to the Lighthouse Base, Yunxiang Base¡¯s facilities were undoubtedly much older. If it weren¡¯t for the nearby Nether Realm mines still being exploited, Tianyang doubted whether this base would continue to exist.
The vigorous life force of the Nether Realm''s nts caused tree roots and vines to appear in the corridors and building crevices within the base. Therefore, the base¡¯s soldiers had to take on an additional task, periodically clearing these nts.
This was one of the unique sights at Yunxiang Base.
After getting off the train, Tianyang headed straight for the Night Walkers¡¯mand center in the base and met the Yunxiang Base Night Walkermander.
Ling Feng had already informed him that Yunxiang¡¯smander was Shen Mozhu, an old subordinate of Commander Zhu Yan. Tianyang was advised to be respectful when meeting him.
When a base officer led Tianyang to themand center, the young man almost thought he had entered the wrong ce.
Themand center¡¯s office was filled with potted nts, and the ceiling was nearly covered with vines. It looked more like a greenhouse than amand center!
Someone was watering the nts. Tianyang cleared his throat, stood straight, and loudly announced, "Night Walker Tianyang, reporting to themander!"
The person seemed startled by Tianyang, causing his hand to shake and water to pour all over a potted nt. He held his head and wailed, "Oh no, my carefully transnted Xingzhu grass!"
Tianyang¡¯s heart skipped a beat.
The person then turned around, revealing a middle-aged man in his early fifties with soft hair and a gentle appearance. He also wore sses butcked Ling Feng¡¯s aloof demeanor, instead wearing a wry smile.
"You young people are always so energetic. Hmm, you look..."
Chapter 90 - Enemies Meet
"What''s the matter, Commander?" Tianyang was curious. The branchmander''s earlier look of surprise was unmistakable. Did his appearance shock him?
Shen Mozhu waved his hand, hisposure restored, and a faint smile appeared on his face. "It''s nothing. When you get old, your eyes tend to y tricks on you."
He took out a towel to wipe his hands and then sat behind his desk, which was lined with potted nts, almost obscuring his face.
"Ling Feng has briefed me about your situation. It seems there''s a special mission requiring you to go to Gemstone Town. To avoid arousing suspicion, I''ve arranged a task for you."
Tianyang nodded. "That''s correct, Commander. Thank you for the trouble."
"It''s no trouble," Shen Mozhu said with a chuckle. "You know, you''re in luck. If you''de a few days earlier, I wouldn''t have had a suitable task for you. Our base has very few towns left to explore. The surrounding towns were explored over the past fifty years, and those further away are unreachable..."
"Look at me, rambling off-topic. Back to the point, I happen to have a task that involves going to Gemstone Town. Recently, a botanist from the fortress has arrived, intending to study the bioluminescent fungi in Gemstone Town. They requested a team for protection, so you''ll be going with them. How does that sound?"
Tianyang responded eagerly, "I''ll follow your arrangements, Commander!"
Shen Mozhu seemed in a good mood and cheerfully said, "It''s settled then. By the way, people from the Yun family will also be going. You know about the Yun family from Qingtian, right? Those noble brats can be quite troublesome. It''s best if you keep a low profile on the way, for everyone''s sake."
Tianyang was momentarily stunned. Is the Yun family going to Gemstone Town to study nts? They must really be idle.
Shen Mozhu picked up amunicator and called out, "Have Adame over. Tell him I need to see him."
Adam? The name sounded Western. Was there a Westerner in this base, and a Night Walker at that? Tianyang was very curious.
Shen Mozhu seemed to read Tianyang''s thoughts and, while trimming a nt with scissors, said, "We don''t have many Night Walker squads in the base right now. Adam leads the ¡±Sun''s Spear¡± squad, one of my more reliable elite units. He''s a Westerner, but he''s been with us at Qingtian Fortress for nearly ten years. Apart from his appearance, he''s fully integrated with us."
Footsteps approached from outside, followed by a knock. A young, but somewhat mature-sounding voice came through, "You called for me, Commander?"
Shen Mozhu put down the scissors. "Come in."
The door opened, and a young Westerner walked in. His features were pronounced, with blond hair and golden eyes, much like Roshan. Perhaps due to his short haircut, he appeared very steady and mature.
What surprised Tianyang the most was that this person was wearing a full suit of armor, distinctly Western in style.
The armor didn''t have the deep glow of star materials and appeared to be made ofmon steel. He also had a longsword hanging from his waist. The blond man, with one hand resting on his sword, walked over to stand beside Tianyang.
Suddenly, he brought his legs together, clenched his right hand into a fist, and forcefully struck his chest armor, making a loud ng that made the windows vibrate. Then he loudly dered, "Greetings, Commander!"
The loudness of his voice made the windows hum.
He''s a serious person, Tianyang thought.
Shen Mozhu took out a handkerchief and wiped his face. "Adam, no need to be so formal. Let me introduce you. This is Tianyang, also a Night Walker. Ling Feng has a special mission for him. Tomorrow, he''ll be apanying you to Gemstone Town. For appearances, you can just say he''s a member of ¡±Sun''s Spear.¡±
Without hesitation, Adam protested, "This won''t work, Commander. My team members are rigorously selected. You can''t just insert someone randomly; it will interfere with mymand."
Shen Mozhu awkwardly coughed, "Adam, Tianyang has another mission. I just need you to cover for him. You don''t need to intervene in anything else."
Adam firmly shook his head. "I''m sorry, but I can''t do that."
"Even if I ask you as a favor?"
"Even though you''re the Commander, my squad is my responsibility!"
"Alright then. In that case, I''ll have the Tianma Squad take over your mission tomorrow."
"Commander!" Adam looked exasperated. "Fine, I''ll do it. It''s rare for us to get a mission outside the base. If I mess this up, my team will be very disappointed. But, Commander, this can''t happen again."
Shen Mozhu grinned. "We''ll see about that next time."
I bet he''ll still lose to hismander next time. But seriously, this Adam seems quite principled. Hmm, a straightforward person... Tianyang thought.
Shen Mozhu continued, "Take Tianyang around the base, and make sure to arrange a room for him."
"Understood!"
Adam turned and extended hisrge hand. "So, for the next while, I''ll be in your care. I''m Adam, captain of the Sun''s Spear squad."
Tianyang quickly shook his hand. "I''m Tianyang, a member of the Raven Squad. Thank you for your help, Captain Adam."
"No problem at all."
Wow, this guy''s grip is strong...
After releasing Tianyang''s hand, Adam strode out of the office and said, "Come with me. I''ll show you around the base, though it seems you won''t be staying here long."
Leaving the Night Walker division building, they stepped onto the main road of the Yunxiang Base, where numerousrge transport vehicles were constantlying and going. This base, coexisting with the forest, was filled with twisted, sickly-looking trees typical of the reverse world.
The base''s remote sensing tower was hidden among these nts. If Adam hadn''t pointed it out, Tianyang would never have noticed the legendary tower responsible for externalmunication concealed behind several twisted trees.
Stopping by a massive wall, Adam said, "This is the base''s Memorial Wall. Many people died building this base. Their names are engraved here. Later, the names of warriors who died during exploration were also added. I hope one day, my name will be on this wall too!"
Dude, you''re still young. Isn''t living better...?
Tianyang reached out to touch the wall, whose surface was cool to the touch and it was made of some kind of steel. The engraved names silently told a story of a challenging history.
"Come on, I''ll take you to the warehouse. If you need anything, you can apply for it there."
Adam was about to lead Tianyang to the base warehouse when suddenly a voice called out, "It''s you! What are you doing here?"
Tianyang turned and saw a slightly cold face twisted in anger, eyes almost zing with fury, clearly reflecting Tianyang''s face.
It was Zhou Yao, the Zhou family member, who repeatedly caused trouble for Tianyang and attempted to harm Xun!
Tianyang was equally surprised. What was Zhou Yao doing at Yunxiang Base? Had he been exiled here?
Chapter 91 - Borrowing a Knife to Kill
The moment he saw Tianyang, Zhou Yao''s fury red up, recalling the humiliation Tianyang had inflicted on him and the contempt in his father''s eyes when he came to see him as if he were looking at a piece of garbage!
Without much thought, Zhou Yao''s starlight energy manifested externally, and the emblem on his brow began to glow. Grayish-white light flowed through his hands.
However, before he could throw this elemental spear, a long sword pped heavily on his hand with the t of the de.
Zhou Yao almost felt like the bones in his hand were about to crack. Under the sharp pain, his starlight energy was interrupted, and the gray light vanished.
Only then did he see clearly that Adam had somehow inserted himself between him and Tianyang, sheathing his long sword.
"Mr. Zhou, what are you doing? How can you resort to violence within the base?" Adam''s expression was stern, his toneced with reproach.
Zhou Yao, clutching his hand which was swollen and red from Adam''s p, roared, "It''s none of your business, move aside! This is a personal vendetta between him and me!"
Adam had no intention of moving his feet: "Even if it''s a personal vendetta, it can''t be settled within the base. This is not a ce for you to run wild."
"Western Continent scum!" Zhou Yao gritted his teeth and shouted, "Stop giving me that look. This is the Yunxiang Base. If you want to strut around, go back to your Western Continent!"
At this, Adam''s face turned unpleasant as well.
"What''s going on here? What happened?" A gentle voice rang out.
Two figures approached, the one leading had an elegant demeanor. He wore a faint smile that felt like a gentle spring breeze, disarming any hostility.
It was Yunze, whom Tianyang had met once at Xun''s house!
Seeing Yunze here, Tianyang was now certain that this person held a significant position within the Yun family; otherwise, how could he move freely within the Yunxiang Base?
Moreover, from his tone, he seemed to have the authority to question the captain of the Nightwalker squad!
Sure enough, Adam stood at attention, chest out, and ced his right fist over his chest: "Greetings, Mr. Yun!"
Behind Yunze was another man with ck hair and a beard, his eyes sharp as an eagle''s, holding a sword with an imposing presence.
When he nced over, Tianyang felt a vague pressure. The boy was astonished; who was this person? He must be a master.
After all, even Han Shu had never given him such a sense of oppression.
"Oh, isn''t this Mr. Tianyang? What a coincidence to meet you here at Yunxiang Base." Yunze''s figure blocked the eagle-eyed man''s view, and he extended his hand enthusiastically, surprising Zhou Yao behind him.
Tianyang shook his hand: "I happened to have a task here, so I came over."
"I see." Yunze smiled again and looked at Adam, "Captain Adam, I wonder how my man has offended you?"
My man?
Tianyang felt a slight sinking in his heart. Zhou Yao had indeedtched onto the Yun family, which was somewhat unexpected.
Adam did not hide anything and recounted the events honestly: "Mr. Yun, the Yun family is held in high esteem within the base. But even so, it does not mean that Yun family members can stir up conflicts within the base at will."
"You are right." Yunze nodded pleasantly and slightly shifted his gaze, "Mr. Wang Liangyi, please leave a lesson for Zhou Yao on my behalf."
The eagle-eyed man addressed as Wang Liangyi did not respond verbally but suddenly drew his sword.
Everyone saw a sh of the sword, and Wang Liangyi had already sheathed it again, as if nothing had happened.
It wasn''t until a momentter that Zhou Yao let out a scream, his ear had been sliced off by Wang Liangyi, and blood gushed out!
Yunze''s smile remained unchanged as he waved his hand: "Take him down for treatment."
Wang Liangyi nced at Zhou Yao and then turned to leave. Zhou Yao, still clutching his ear, looked at Tianyang with resentment but eventually walked away.
Yunze then smiled and said, "Captain Adam, rest assured. If anyone makes a mistake, even if they are from the Yun family, I will never tolerate it!"
Adam had not expected Yunze to cut off his subordinate''s ear without hesitation and was momentarily at a loss for how to respond.
Yunze, as if he had done something trivial, enthusiastically patted Tianyang on the shoulder and said, "It''s a pity I have to go out tomorrow, otherwise I would surely entertain Mr. Tianyang properly. Mr. Tianyang, will you be staying at the base for a while? If so, let''s gather properly when I return."
Tianyang, not adept at handling such situations, could only nod in agreement.
Yunze, clearly pleased, exchanged a few more pleasantries with him before departing.
Upon returning to his residence, Yunze entered a study where Wang Liangyi stood by the window, hands resting on his sword.
With a warm smile, Yunze asked, "Is Zhou Yao''s injury serious?"
Wang Liangyi replied calmly, "He won''t die, Mr. Yun, you can rest assured."
"That''s good. If he died, I suppose no one would dare work for me anymore," Yunze said, self-mocking. "A master who maims his subordinates frequently isn''t likely to be popr, right?"
Wang Liangyiughed and turned, his sharp eyes fixed on Yunze. "So, Mr. Yun thinks I was too harsh?"
Yunze chuckled, "Not at all. Initially, I thought you would cut off his hand. Only cutting off an ear was lenient. The Yun family''s reputation cannot be tarnished by a worthless cur."
Wang Liangyi smiled but said nothing.
A knock on the door sounded.
"Come in," Yunze saidzily.
The door opened, and Zhou Yao, his head already bandaged, walked in. "Greetings, Young Master Yun. Greetings, Mr. Wang."
Yunze nodded and smiled at Zhou Yao. "What were you nning to do earlier?"
Zhou Yao''s face turned red immediately. "Young Master Yun, you don''t know. That guy Tianyang is a bastard. If it weren''t for him, I wouldn''t be in such a miserable state!"
Yunze replied, "Oh? So working for me is so miserable?"
"No, no." Realizing his slip, Zhou Yao quickly tried to rectify it. "It''s my honor to work for Young Master Yun. But that kid, I absolutely can''t let him go!"
Yunze''s expression remained indifferent. "Do whatever you want, but there''s one thing¡ªyou must not do anything that would disgrace the Yun family."
"Yes, I understand."
Zhou Yao''s eyes darted around before he continued, "Young Master Yun, that kid is definitely no good! I think he has feelings for Miss Xun as well."
Hearing this, Wang Liangyi chuckled lightly.
Yunze''s face darkened.
"Really?" The young master of the Yun family walked up to Zhou Yao and suddenly pped him hard, swelling one side of his face.
Zhou Yao was stunned, covering his face in confusion.
"Hitting people really hurts..." Yunze said with a yful smile. "Fortunately, I have the Heart of Elements and don''t need to engage in directbat. Otherwise, it would be tough for me."
Then he asked, "Do you know why I hit you?"
Zhou Yao ventured, "Because I embarrassed you earlier at the base?"
Yunze shook his head. "No, that matter is already past. I hit you because you''re stupid. Not only are you stupid, but you''re also malicious, daring even to plot against me. Don''t think I don''t understand your intentions. You know I''m also pursuing Miss Xun. Saying what you did was just to get me to eliminate that ascender named Tianyang for you."
"Using a borrowed knife to kill is a clever idea, but you actually dared to make me the knife. You''ve got guts."
All the color drained from Zhou Yao''s face.
Chapter 92 - Siblings
Chapter 092: Siblings
Buzz, clunk¡ª
The automatic door sluggishly opened halfway before getting stuck. Adam gave an awkward smile, clenched his fist, and gave the door a good thump, finally forcing it open.
"Many facilities in the base are quite old, and this room hasn''t been upied for a while, so... you know."
After leaving the Wall of Remembrance, Adam had taken Tianyang on a tour around the base, and they had just returned from the supply warehouse. Now, the Night Walker Captain had found a temporary dormitory for the boy.
However, the room looked like it had been abandoned for some time.
The floor and walls were covered in dust, and it was clear the room hadn¡¯t been ventted in ages. The air was stuffy.
Adam brushed some dust off a wall and activated a control panel, starting the venttion system. Soon, a machine in the corner roared to life, and after a moment, a dark gray smoke began to seep out from behind a grille.
Adam looked stunned. After a few seconds, he said, "How about I find you another room?"
Tianyang readily agreed.
The second dormitory was much better. Although it was small and simple, at least it was clean.
Tianyang ced his gear on the table and thanked him. Adam, still feeling bad about the earlier incident, insisted on treating the boy to a good meal that evening to make up for it.
As he was leaving, Adam hesitated for a few seconds, then shyly asked, "Um, Tianyang, you came from the fortress. Do you happen to know my sister?"
Tianyang replied casually, "Who is your sister?"
"Luo Shan," Adam added. "She works at the medical center and sometimes serves as a field medic in the reverse realm."
Luo Shan was his sister!
Immediately, the image of that mature and beautiful figure shed in the boy''s mind.
It was hard to imagine that Dr. Luo Shan had a brother and that her brother was the Captain in the Night Walkers!
"Yes, I know her. Dr. Luo Shan has examined me before."
She''s also my personal doctor¡ but this wasn''t something he should tell Adam.
Adam asked eagerly, "Is she doing well?"
"Very well. Every time I see Dr. Luo Shan, she seems very spirited."
"That''s good." The burly man looked relieved. "I was worried that without me around, she might get bullied."
You must be joking. Who would dare bully abat medic unless they didn''t want to be treated? Besides, your sister is an Ascender too, although I still don''t know her rank.
"By the way," Adam said, grabbing the boy''s shoulder with a serious expression, "next time you see her, can you pass on a message for me?"
Tianyang quickly nodded. "Sure, what is it?"
"Tell her that I haven''t embarrassed her and that I''ve been working hard towards that goal!"
Adam''s eyes were filled with excitement, and his grip unintentionally tightened, making Tianyang worry about his shoulder.
"No problem. When I get back, I''ll definitely ry your message."
So, could you let go of me now?
"Thank you so much!"
Instead of letting go, Adam''s grip tightened even more.
The next morning.
Just as Tianyang finished washing up, there was a knock on the door.
He opened it to find a young soldier in a Night Walker uniform, looking both nervous and excited, who said loudly, "Good morning, sir! The Captain asked me to take you to the dining hall!"
Tianyang smiled and replied, "Thank you."
In the base''s dining hall, the Sun''s Spear squad upied a table. Besides Adam, Tianyang also saw two other members who clearly had Western Continent features.
Judging by their shoulder insignias, they both held the rank of second lieutenant.
"Over here!" Adam waved and called Tianyang over, then introduced him to his team members.
Tianyang greeted each of them and sat down next to Adam, quickly finishing his breakfast.
After eating, the team left the dining hall and headed to their assembly point¡ªthe base¡¯s Garage No. 3.
As the soldiers inspected the vehicles and loaded supplies, Tianyang''s gaze fell on another team not far away.
This team was uniformly dressed in white uniforms, with their armor and tactical gear also in white. The cuffs and cors were adorned with decorative cloud patterns.
Moreover, both their vehicles and equipment were far superior to Adam¡¯s team.
Most importantly, all their gear was brand new.
In contrast, Adam¡¯s team, despite being called the Sun''s Spear, had old and worn equipment with many scratches and signs of wear, indicating they hadn¡¯t been reced for years.
Compared to the other team, they looked quite shabby.
"That¡¯s the Cloud Guard, Frost Guard Cloud," Adam said while polishing his standard steel sword. "They¡¯re the only team in this base that gets to rece their equipment every year. Unlike us, our gear hasn¡¯t been reced for four or five years."
Tianyang observed a bit more and noticed that there were quite a few Ascenders in the Frost Guard. Out of a team of about a dozen, five were Ascenders.
This configuration wasparable to the Sun''s Spear. It was surprising that a single family could have a private guard force on par with a Night Walker squad.
And this was probably not the only guard force like this.
It was easy to see that the Yun family indeed possessed power unmatched by other families.
"Mr. Tianyang, this¡ this is such a coincidence. Are you also heading to Gemstone Town?" Yunze¡¯s voice rang out from the garage entrance.
Tianyang looked over and, sure enough, the Yun family scion was striding in with four or five people following him.
Aside from the enigmatic eagle-eyed man, there was an elderly man and three young people.
Oh, and Zhou Wang was at the back, his head still bandaged. When he saw Tianyang, his bloodshot eyes seemed to ze with anger.
When Tianyang had encountered Yunze the previous day, he had thought that the person Shen Mozhu mentioned, who would be apanying them today, might be Yunze.
Seeing him today confirmed this guess.
Tianyang felt a bit of a headache because Yunze was¡ quite enthusiastic.
Sure enough, the Yun family scion had already started introducing the people around him to Tianyang. "This is Teacher Kong Zhang. He is a renowned botanist in our fortress. Thanks to his improved crops, we can now eat rice. Without his work, who knows what we¡¯d be eating."
The elderly man, called Kong Zhang, was wearing protective gear and clumsily waved his hand. "I can¡¯t take all the credit. Without the Yun family¡¯s funding, no matter how hard I worked, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to develop improved crops."
"Teacher Kong, don''t be so modest. Our Yun family naturally supports endeavors that improve people''s lives."
Yunze then introduced the others. The three young people behind the elderly man were his students and assistants.
As for the eagle-eyed man, named Wang Liangyi, Yunze didn¡¯t reveal much about him or his rank.
Finally, Yunze warmly invited Tianyang to ride in his car, but Tianyang politely declined, and Yunze didn¡¯t insist. He wasn¡¯t even slightly annoyed at being refused.
Even if he was just pretending, Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but admire Yunze¡¯sposure. This was probably a basic skill for a noble scion.
After all inspections werepleted and supplies were ready, Adam checked the time, waved his hand, and the team set off!
Chapter 93 - Vigorous Growth
The vehicles left the Yunxiang Base, traveling on an artificially constructed road. On either side of the road were the twisted, monstrous trees of the Inverse Universe. Their abnormal vitality caused the roots and vines to spread onto the road, necessitating regr maintenance by the base to ensure the road remained passable for vehicles.
Sitting in one of the Falconbat vehicles, Tianyang gazed out the window. Under the shroud of ck fog, all he could see was the endless, dark forest lining the road.
"You have a special mission; in principle, I won''t interfere with your actions." Adam''s voice pulled Tianyang''s attention back from the window. "But as the squad leader and the safety officer for this exploration project, if I determine that your actions pose a danger or risk to us, I will intervene."
Tianyang nodded in agreement. "That''s only right. I have no objections."
Adam smiled. "I''m d we could reach an understanding."
At that moment, Tianyang received a text message on hismunicator.
''You have received a mission reward notification.''
[Reward Item: Wild Valley Town Exploration Mission.
Reward Contents: Contribution Points.
Contribution Points: Base Reward 500 points, Assistance in Killing the Sorcerer 300 points, Destroying Large Dark Minion Treant 500 points, Collecting Sorcerer Eye Crystal Material 100 points (team), Misceneous 162 points. Total Contribution Points Earned: 2462 points.
All rewards have been issued. Please check your ount.]
Tianyang checked his current total contribution points. After lending 2000 points to Yanbing, he had 5620 points remaining.
So far, his umted contribution points were approaching ten thousand. However, he was still quite far from the one hundred thousand points needed to earn the right to establish a n.
By noon, the convoy had exited the forest. The rest of the journey was spent enduring the bumpy ride.
Apparently, this regioncked Inverse Universe roads, and the base''s resources couldn''t extend the road, so the convoy had to travel on rugged terrain, testing everyone''s physical endurance.
This was a mountainous area, with seemingly endless rolling mountains. Of course, under the ck fog, it was difficult for humans to see far without auxiliary equipment.
Adam acted as a guide, exining the situation of this mountainous region to Tianyang. There were several mines in the mountains. One of them belonged to the Yun family, while the rest were controlled by the fortress.
There were smooth roads built between the mines and the base, but they couldn''t use those roads since their destination was far from the mines.
Tianyang didn''t mind. With his enhanced body, a bit of bumpiness was nothing. If he had to worry, it would be about Mr. Kong.
No matter howfortable the Yun family''s vehicles were, the elderly man probably couldn''t endure such a bumpy ride.
Speaking of which, what kind of luminescent fungal colony would attract a botanist like Kong Zhang? And what benefits could the fortress gain from studying those fungi?
Probably only the old gentleman himself knew the answer to that.
After a day, the convoy finally exited the mountainous region, and the Inverse Universe road became a savior for everyone. They no longer had to endure the bumpy mountain terrain. Although the road was asionally broken and uneven, it was generally t.
Along the way, they asionally encountered stray wanderers.
These entities possess a hive mind, so unless necessary, the convoy avoided stopping to clear them to prevent attractingrge numbers of dark creatures.
At sunset, ording to Fortress Time, the convoy finally reached its destination, Gemstone Town!
The convoy didn¡¯t enter the town directly. Instead, the vehicles formed a defensive formation and temporarily rested in a nearby open area by the road.
Adam got out of the car and met with Yunze. ¡°Everyone is tired after the past two days of travel. Let¡¯s rest here and head into the town in eight hours.¡±
Yunze agreed without objection.
The soldiers began setting up a perimeter, using some simple tools to create barriers that would also conceal the campfire¡¯s light.
Seven or eight members of the Frost Cloud Guard started preparing food. Instead of lighting a campfire, they took out some foldable military stoves and ced them on t ground.
After igniting the stoves, blue mes flickered to life. They ced military pots on the stoves and heated simple food, making it ready to eat.
The Frost Cloud Guard also set up two tents, taking some basic supplies from the vehicles to ensure afortable night in the tents.
Of course, these two tents were prepared for Yunze and Kong Zhang.
Everyone else had to make do with spending the night in their vehicles.
Tianyang took his eyes off the tents and pulled out a box of high-energy food from his waist pouch. He unwrapped it and began chewing on apressed food bar.
Adam, also gnawing on a food bar nearby, remarked, ¡°Sometimes I envy the treatment of the Yun n¡¯s guards. At least they get to eat something hot. We¡¯re stuck chewing on these cold food bars.¡±
¡°A team like that might notckbat power, but theyck resilience. If the battle turns unfavorable, I doubt they¡¯ll hold up for long,¡± Tianyang analyzed, taking another bite of his food bar.
Adam looked at the young man in surprise. ¡°You have a keen eye. I feel the same way. Look at their equipment, their clothes, and even their military tools. Everything is too pristine and convenient.¡±
¡°Living in suchfort for too long makes them fragile.¡± The burly man tapped his chest. ¡°When the environment turns harsh and they have to deal with filth, I guarantee they¡¯ll break down quickly. They¡¯re nothingpared to us in that regard.¡±
Adam looked proud as he spoke.
Tianyang agreed deeply. The Inverse Universe was full of unknown dangers, and only those with strong wills could survive. This world wasn¡¯t a stage for some people to show off.
Eight hourster, the team broke camp.
Gemstone Town had no clear entrance, unlike Wild Valley Town with its checkpoint. A Inverse Universe road led straight into the town without obstruction.
As they neared Gemstone Town, various objects like the ground, rocks,mp posts, and road signs started to show signs of life.
Inverse Universe Fungi.
These fungi were different from themonly seen bloated, unhealthy-looking white fungi in the metropolis. The fungi in Gemstone Town were delicate, densely packed, and dark blue in color.
From a distance, they looked like deep blue carpets spread over the town.
¡°They¡¯ve been growing particrly vigorously in recent years.¡±
Adam, sitting by the window, observed the fungi passing by. ¡°The botanical research institute at the fortress has recorded that in the past five years, their growth rate is ten times or more what it used to be.¡±
¡°It¡¯s almost like something is elerating their growth.¡±
As Tianyang watched the fungi outside, he began to understand why a botanist would suddenlye to Gemstone Town.
Chapter 94 - Fungal Creature
After entering the town, Tianyang noticed that it was much smaller in scalepared to Wild Valley Town. The buildings were generally low and many structures resembled factories along the main street.
They were clustered closely together.
The reason he thought they were factories was because most of these buildings had an empty lot in front of them. In these lots, there were usually one or two pieces of machinery whose names were unknown to him. Some of these machines were already covered by fungal growth.
Those that hadn''t been overtaken by the fungi were merely hollow shells, leaving behind onlyrge frameworks.
They looked somewhat like the lifting machines found in the factories of the lower districts of the fortress, so Tianyang figured these might also have been factories.
As they passed a building, a Wanderer crawled out from its main entrance. Or rather, half a Wanderer. The lower half of its body was missing, with a segment of its spine protruding from where its waist had been.
The Wanderer used its two hands to crawl along the ground, while the exposed spine dragged along like a short white tail.
The already terrifying and twisted entity had fungal growths sprouting from its body. One such growth was emerging from its left eye socket, pushing the original eyeball out to an unknown location.
In the subsequent journey, Tianyang saw several more Wanderers infested with fungi.
He nced at Adam and saw that the burly man looked equally disturbed.
"Something must have happened here. I visited Gemstone Town two years ago. Back then, while dark creatures were wandering around, they weren''t infected by fungi," Adam said, wiping sweat from his forehead. This was odd, as the vehicle''s temperature control system kept the cabin cool, so Adam shouldn¡¯t have felt hot.
The vehicles finally stopped at a small square surrounded by a wall and gate, which appeared to be some important institution of the town.
Near the two-story building behind the squareid a discarded g-like object, but it was so stained that its original colors and patterns were no longer discernible.
As the vehicle doors opened, Kong Zhang, wearing protective clothing and a helmet, stepped onto the ground in Gemstone Town with the help of his students.
The fungal infestation here was rtively light. Aside from the left side of the building being covered in fungi, the rest of the area had only sparse fungal patches.
Adam nned to use this ce as a temporary camp since the surrounding wall provided a natural defense and concealment.
Members of the Sun Spear squad disembarked one after another, with Adam directing the soldiers to reinforce the wall, set up firing points on high ground, and park several Falcon vehicles in front of the building.
When needed, the heavy cannons on the vehicles could form a powerful firebase.
Just as they were about to explore the building and clear any potential threats, Yunze approached, politely but firmly taking on the task.
Adam seemed to have expected this and neither objected nor showed surprise.
Yunze then ordered Zhou Wang to lead the exploration team, consisting of another War God ss Ascender and five regr soldiers, into the building.
The Frost Cloud Guard quickly set up a table and several folding chairs in the small square. They ced a holographic projector on the table, allowing real-time footage from the exploration team to be disyed.
Yunze pulled out a chair for Elder Kong Zhang to sit in and then invited Tianyang. ¡°Mr. Tianyang, this is your first time seeing our Frost Cloud Guard in action. You¡¯re an experienced Night Walker, so please help me identify any deficiencies in our family guard.¡±
Tianyang finally responded, ¡°Mr. Yunze, I¡¯m just an ordinary member of a Night Walker. I don¡¯t deserve the praise of being experienced, nor the title ¡°Mr.¡± Please just call me by my name.¡±
Yunze smiled happily. ¡°Alright, using names is more friendly. But don¡¯t call me ¡°Mr.¡± either, it sounds too formal. Since I¡¯m older, just call me Brother Ze.¡±
Tianyang found himself unable to utter that name¡
In the holographic projection, Zhou Wang''s voice rang out, slightly distorted due to the transmission signal. "Mr. Yunze, we''ve searched the first floor and found nothing unusual. We''re now proceeding to the second floor."
In the projection, Zhou Wang and the other War God ss Ascender walked ahead, while other soldiers followed behind, forming a firing formation.
It was evident that the Yun family had put effort into training this guard unit. The soldiers'' steps were almost synchronized, and whenever there was any movement, the muzzles of their guns immediately pointed toward the suspicious areas, showing quick reactions.
Soon, the team reached the second floor, where a corridor extended to the left and right from the staircase.
The staircase was right in the middle of the corridor, indicating that splitting up for exploration was not wise. Zhou Wang immediately decided to explore the left side of the corridor first.
As the team turned left, they soon arrived at a room. The door was open, with the frame empty and the door missing.
Light shone into the room, revealing what seemed to be a meeting room with a long table and chairs scattered around and various items littering the floor.
In the holographic image, as the light swept over the corner of the meeting room, Tianyang suddenly saw something move.
There was a gasp from the projection as the light, which had already passed over, returned to shine on a figure in the corner.
It appeared to be a person, curled up in the corner with hands around knees and head buried within.
However, what made it uncertain was that this humanoid figure was covered all over with fungi!
The dense, dark blue fungal growthpletely upied it, making it impossible to discern its true appearance.
Zhou Wang exchanged a nce with the Ascender beside him, who drew a silver-white longsword, while Star Essence manifested around him, ready to attack at any moment.
Meanwhile, Zhou Wang raised his hand, and grey light whistled as he formed an elemental spear.
He threw this grey light spear, piercing through the creature''s head.
Though Tianyang despised Zhou Wang''s character, he found the reaction quite appropriate. Since the creature didn''t appear human in any way, it was better to eliminate it directly rather than probe if it was alive.
After the attack, the fungal-covered humanoid showed no reaction, indicating it likely had no mobility.
There was a sigh of relief from the team in the holographic projection, and then the light passed over the creature.
Zhou Wang said, "We''ll clean it upter and transport it in a body bag..."
Just then, Tianyang noticed something strange happening in the dim corner of the room where the elemental light had been dissipating.
It suddenly disappeared!
Then, cries of rm, shouts, and curses erupted in the holographic projection.
Yunze stood up abruptly, shouting, "What''s happening? Answer me! What''s happening?!"
Chapter 95 - Cross
In the holographic image, the scene shifted. The thing that was in the corner, covered in a fungal colony, was now clinging tightly to a Frost Cloud Guard soldier.
It held the soldier''s helmet in its hands, but since it was facing away from the camera, the soldier''s condition couldn''t be seen.
"Shoot! Shoot!" Zhou Wang yelled in the image, but the soldiers seemed either too scared or too worried about hitting theirrade. Despite several guns being aimed at the fungus-like creature, no one fired.
Finally, a transcendent warrior of the War God ss dashed forward and decapitated the fungus creature with a single sword stroke. The body holding the soldier fell rigidly to the ground, no longer moving.
As for the soldier who had been grabbed by the creature, his helmet''s visor had been corroded, leaving a teacup-sized hole exposed.
Inside the helmet, the soldier''s expression was terrified, his eyes unfocused, but he seemed otherwise unharmed.
However, with his helmet corroded, if he didn''t receive immediate treatment, prolonged exposure to the ck mist would be life-threatening.
The transcendent warrior sheathed his sword andmanded, "Take him back."
Outside in the small za, Yunze hurriedly called out, "Quick, prepare the medical pod!"
Tianyang was taken aback, admiring the wealth of the Qingtian Yun family for having a medical pod in their vehicle.
The soldier was quickly taken away, but then cries of rm were heard again in the image.
Yunze''s face darkened. "What''s happening now?"
In the holographic projection, blurry shadows flickered, apanied by gunfire and Zhou Wang''s angry cursing.
Momentster, the image stabilized, revealing the fungus creature had somehow reattached its head and was now clinging to the wall motionless.
Yunze lost hisposure and yelled, "Zhou Wang, what¡¯s going on?"
Breathing heavily, Zhou Wang faced the camera. "As soon as we took our eyes off it, it suddenly moved, and very quickly too. But strangely, when we look at it, it stops moving."
The transcendent warrior next to him added, "I don''t know where its will prison is. The safest way might be to burn it."
Yunze said gravely, "Then do it quickly!"
This time, the team didn''t dare take their eyes off the fungus creature. Several soldiers kept their gaze fixed on it while Zhou Wang sprinkled some powder on it, then stepped back and snapped his fingers.
With a snap, a small me appeared at Zhou Wang''s fingertips. He flicked it toward the powder-covered creature.
Boom!
A burst of orange-red mes erupted, and from within the mes came a faint, eerie screeching.
The creature fell from the wall, writhing and struggling desperately.
Thick smoke rose from the mes, and after a while, the creature inside the fire stopped moving entirely.
It had been burned to death.
Yunze finally breathed a sigh of relief, sat down, and said, "What is that thing?"
He looked at Adam. "Have you seen this kind of dark creature before?"
Adam''s face was solemn as he shook his head. "Never. This is my first time seeing such a thing."
However, Kong Zhang, standing nearby, said, "Maybe it''s not a dark creature, or rather, it once was."
"Why do you say that, Lao Kong?" Yunze asked, confused.
The botanist crossed his arms, his expression serious. "In nature, some fungi can parasitize living organisms and even control their behavior. This Inverse Universe fungus might have simr abilities, parasitizing a type of dark creature."
"Maybe that dark creature was already dead, but the fungus can still control its body to perform certain actions."
"So I suspect that the creature didn''t stop moving because it was being watched, but because it was affected by light. I¡¯ve done some research before; most nts in the Inverse Universe respond to light. Unlike our nts, Inverse Universe nts activate a protective mechanism and their cells stop functioning when exposed to light."
"This could exin why the creature stopped moving when exposed to light and started moving again once the light was removed."
Yunze suddenly understood. "So that''s it. Lao Kong makes sense; this exins the creature''s behavior better."
Tianyang also felt that the exnation of the reaction to light made more sense than Zhou Wang''s idea of it being affected by being watched.
The team continued exploring the building. This time, no fungus creatures were found on the second floor, confirming the safety of the temporary camp.
However, the soldier who was sent to the medical pod died. The cause of death was suffocation, clearly not caused by the Inverse Universe ck mist.
The ck mist only polluted the human life system, causing multiple organ failure and death, or its evil power could mutate humans into creatures simr to dark creatures.
But it didn¡¯t cause suffocation. Scans revealed some foreign objects in the soldier''s respiratory tract.
Fungal fments!
These fments had somehow invaded the soldier''s respiratory system and multiplied rapidly. In just a short time, even fments wereing out of the soldier''s eyeballs.
The eerie vitality of the fungus shocked everyone.
Ultimately, the soldier''s body was burned to prevent the fments from forming a fungal colony and transforming the body into a fungus creature.
After an hour of rest in the temporary camp, Lao Kong nned to collect some fungal samples, and Adam naturally led the team to protect him.
Tianyang took this opportunity to conduct his own investigation. He followed Adam out of the camp but separated from the main team once they reached the street.
The young man didn''t notice that Zhou Wang quietly observed his actions.
After leaving the main team, Tianyang explored on his own. Gemstone Town wasn''t big; even alone, he could cover the whole town in a day.
So Tianyang wasn''t in a hurry. He was just worried that the overgrown fungal colonies might obscure the secret that Su Lie hid in the town.
Tianyang believed that Su Lie¡¯s secret was hidden in the short phrase he left behind, "Under the cross, the sky shines."
So the boy paid attention to various shapes in the town, especially anything resembling a cross.
As he walked, his thoughts wandered.
Why did Su Lie go to such lengths to hide that piece of paper on the cover of his diary and left a set of Inverse Universe coordinates and a short phrase?
This must be rted to the torn pages of the diary. Perhaps those ripped-out contents contained some secrets.
Going deeper, did Su Lie do this because he was facing some kind of danger at the time?
And because of this danger, he disappeared, leaving his mother to live in the lower district?
If so, Tianyang wanted to find the culprit responsible for the danger. If it weren¡¯t for them, his mother might still be alive.
And living well!
Fungal colonies.
They were everywhere.
As he ventured deeper into the town, Tianyang found these things almost omnipresent. He encountered several wanderers parasitized by fungal colonies, but they hadn''t been fully covered yet.
Some wanderers even peeled off the fungi from their bodies and put them into their mouths, resisting the fungal invasion in their own unique way.
In this town, gradually submerged by fungal colonies, Tianyang finally discovered something rted to the shape of a cross.
It was a building that was quite different from the other buildings in the town. This house had a spire, and on the spire stood a cross-shaped symbol.
Tianyang couldn''t understand it. It didn¡¯t look like a lightning rod or a signal transmission device.
Why would the residents of the Inverse Universe erect such a thing on their roofs?
Chapter 96 - Strange Building
Tianyang didn¡¯t rush into the building. His previous experiences exploring the Inverse Universe had taught him to observe first and actter.
The building before him had a unique style, distinctly different from the other structures in the town. The building was symmetrical, with a tall main building nked by shorter wings on either side.
The main building, resembling a spire, had tall windows, and even its door was tall and narrow.
Above the door was a cross-shaped window. When illuminated, the ss in the window revealed some patterns, but most were obscured by dust, making them hard to identify.
The building had been abandoned for a long time. One of the doors, which originally should have opened in two halves, was missing.
Most of the surrounding windows were broken. The stained ss, crafted with some techniques, now resembled ck, gaping mouths, hollow, and dark.
Across the street from this peculiar building grew a row of Inverse Universe trees. These ck, twisted nts were now covered in fungal colonies.
They were growing wildly, upying the entire tree trunk, and forming a heavy ¡°canopy¡± among the branches.
Not far away, amp post had fallen over, pressing down on a tree overtaken by fungal colonies. These unique products of Gemstone Town seemed uninterested in metal, so themp post was spared.
After confirming no dark creatures were wandering around, Tianyang crossed the street to the spired building.
He shone his light through the door, illuminating the interior hall, where wooden benchesid scattered. From their length, the benches could seat four or five people.
There were many such benches, so the hall could amodate around forty to fifty people.
On either side of the hall stood tall pirs, carved with sculptures of winged humans.
Tianyang wondered if the residents of the Inverse Universe once looked like this.
Hanging from the ceiling were several chandeliers, and behind them, on the ceiling, were some paintings.
Tianyang moved the light toward the front of the hall, where there was a stone table resembling a podium. It was unclear how long it had existed in the Inverse Universe. Though the table hadn¡¯t copsed, it was severely damaged.
Small statues were toppled on the table, and on the wall behind it hung a cross-shaped ornament.
On this cross-shaped object, about a meter long and wide, was a relief of a human figure. The sculpture had its arms outstretched, with nails piercing its palms, fastening it to the cross.
It appeared to be some form of mysterious worship.
But Tianyang couldn¡¯t understand why the residents of the Inverse Universe would worship something nailed to a cross. He had no idea what it represented.
However, to the left of the sculpture, Tianyang noticed a door. The door was open, revealing another space behind it, likely leading to the spire above.
Holding his assault rifle, Tianyang quickened his pace to the door.
Shining his light inside, he found another space with a spiral staircase leading upward. The air was damp, and on the walls and floor, patches of dark blue fungal colonies were visible.
Fortunately, their distribution was sparse, leaving Tianyang some room to step.
He carefully navigated around the fungal colonies, unsure if contact with them would result in infection.
It''s better to be cautious.
Near the staircase, Tianyang raised his rifle, the light attachment illuminating the stairs to the top.
As the light swept over the upper staircase, something seemed to flicker.
Tianyang¡¯s muscles instantly tensed, and he quickly retreated, taking cover in the hall.
He crouched on the floor, aiming his light at the door, and faintly heard a weak but strange noise.
Then, where the light touched, Tianyang saw nothing.
But he was certain something was approaching from behind the door, a feeling based on the barely audible sounds and an indescribable sense of presence.
Tianyang tapped the side of his head, activating the infrared vision of his tactical eye. He then lowered his gun, pulling the light back from the door and concentrating it at his feet.
In the red-tinged space of the infrared vision, something finally appeared on the floor and the door.
Fungal humanoids!
Indeed, they were humanoid figurespletely covered in fungal colonies. One fungal humanoid crawled out from the floor like a reptile, while the other appeared like a spider from the doorframe.
Suddenly, both fungus people lunged at Tianyang simultaneously.
One from above, one from below, attacking their target!
Tianyang deactivated his infrared vision, raised his rifle, and directed the light toward the fungal humanoid on the ground.
As soon as it was illuminated, the creature immediately stopped moving. Tianyang then moved to the left, and the muzzle of his assault rifle spewed out beams of ster energy.
While hitting the fungal humanoid on the ground, Tianyang also dodged the other creature¡¯s attack. When itnded on the ground, it too came within the light¡¯s range.
The second fungal humanoid also ceased its movements.
It seemed like Kong Zhang was right. These creatures exhibited the traits of Inverse Universe nts; their cells stopped functioning within the light¡¯s range!
Tianyang wasn¡¯t sure if the earlier shots had killed the fungus people.
To be cautious, he propped his gun on the ground to maintain the light''s coverage. He then drew his Crimson Moon Warde and infused it with star essence, causing the edge to glow a crimson red.
The temperature in the air rose sharply. Fortunately, the special material of the battle knife concentrated the heat on the de. Otherwise, holding it would have been impossible.
Carefully maneuvering to avoid blocking the light and giving the fungus people a chance to move, Tianyang circled behind them.
He then swung the battle knife, shing through both fungus people. mes erupted from the cuts made by the Crimson Moon Warde, and soon the hall had two fireballs.
Amidst the mes, the fungus people twitched uncontrobly and emitted a series of sharp, high-pitched screams from somewhere.
After more than ten seconds, they finally stopped moving. When the mes died out, only two humanoid ck scorch marks remained on the floor.
Sheathing his battle knife, Tianyang picked up his rifle and re-entered the room through the side door.
Ascending the spiral staircase, he encountered no more fungus people. Despite some broken sections on the staircase, he managed to reach the top after some effort.
The top level was a small tform with windows on all sides.
Tianyang climbed out through one of them, reaching the spire of the building, where the cross-shaped object was right before him.
It was covered in dense fungal colonies, leaving no space to grasp!
"Under the cross, sunlight shines..." Tianyang muttered the short phrase and, with a swift motion, drew his battle knife and severed the cross-shaped object at its base.
Beneath the cut was a pedestal, which Tianyang quickly dismantled.
But under the pedestal, there was nothing.
Tianyang was stunned. ¡°Could it be that this isn¡¯t the ce?¡±
At that moment, hismunicator buzzed. ¡°Tianyang, where are you? We''re heading back. Meet us at the camp.¡±
Tianyang responded, turned off themunicator, and frowned before retracing his steps.
As he exited the strange building, he nced back at it before hurrying to meet Adam and the others at the camp.
Chapter 97 - Fox in Tigers Den
Tianyang hurried back to the camp.
Although he had Linfeng''s "special mission" as a cover, even if someone found out that he had separated from the main team, it wouldn''t be a big deal. However, suspicions would inevitably arise, and there was no need for Tianyang to use that "shield" easily.
As the camp came into view, suddenly, Tianyang heard a dog''s bark.
Immediately, a ck shadow leaped out from a side alley.
It was a mad dog, covered with fungal growths that seemed to make the creature even more aggressive.
Its head, with a human-like face, roared furiously as it used both its hands and feet, nearly reaching Tianyang in the blink of an eye.
In the next moment, a crimson streak appeared in the monster''s line of sight.
This red light split its vision in half, revealing a pitch-ck crevice in between!
That was thest image the monster saw. Tianyang frowned and pointed the Crimson Moon Warde downward, and the dark creature split open in the middle, copsing and quickly dposing.
More dogs rushed out of the alley, and Tianyang had to fight and retreat, keeping a distance to avoid being surrounded.
Ten meters forward, beams of azure light streaked across from above Tianyang''s head, striking the mad dogs infected with fungal growths.
It turned out the firepower specialist in the elevated position in the camp had spotted him and provided timely cover.
Fortunately, there were only a limited number of these mad dogs. A few minutester, Tianyang and the firepower specialist had killed most of them. The remaining few turned tail and disappeared into the winding alleys.
Tianyang finally returned to the gate of the camp.
Just as he was about to enter, a figure rushed out from inside the gate, pointing at Tianyang and yelling, "What''s wrong with you?! Why didn''t you return with the main team and instead stir up a bunch of mad dogs? Are you trying to get us all killed?!"
It was Zhou Wang.
He was furious, looking like he was about to demand answers, his eyes flickering with excitement and a hint of smugness.
Tianyang pushed him away and said, "I don''t need to report to you for everything I do. I didn''t provoke those mad dogs. They just suddenly ran out. What could I have done?"
Zhou Wang grabbed Tianyang''s shoulder and said, "Mr. Yunze entrusted me with the camp''s security. Now you''ve threatened the camp''s safety. You must report to me!"
Tianyang sneered, "Are you saying that the Yun family''s power is so great that it can now interfere with the Night Walkers?"
Zhou Wang couldn''t find a retort. He couldn''t exactly say "yes," or else he''d risk getting his head bashed in by Yunzeter.
Just then, Adam''s voice came from outside the gate, "What are you two doing?"
It turned out that the exploration team had returned. Tianyang looked over and saw Yunze among them.
Yunze''s expression darkened immediately when he saw Zhou Wang pestering Tianyang.
Zhou Wang still held onto Tianyang and said, "Captain Adam, Mr. Yunze. You''vee back just in time. This guy doesn''t know what he''s up to secretly and not only came back alone but also stirred up a pack of mad dogs, almost causing an attack on our camp."
Tianyang put his hand on the handle of his rifle and said, "Take your hands off me!"
Zhou Wang sneered, "What, are you going to shoot me?"
Tianyang smiled meaningfully. "How do you know I won''t?"
Yunze nced at Zhou Wang, then at Tianyang, his expressionplicated. "Captain Adam, I was just about to ask you why Tianyang didn''t return with us."
Adam said calmly, "I gave him a task to go into town alone and check out the current situation in Gemstone Town."
"Oh, I see."
Yunze seemed reluctant to pursue further, giving Zhou Wang a fleeting nce. "Did you hear what Captain Adam said? He has a mission on hand, so stop making baseless usations."
Zhou Wang snorted through his nose and finally let go.
Adam shook his head and instructed the soldiers to bring the collected specimens into the building. While they were collecting specimens, the Yun family''s guards had already moved a set of equipment from the car into one of the rooms in the small building.
Now, that room served as a temporary researchb for Kong Zhang and his three students.
These schrs were not interested in the minor conflict that had just urred. The elderly man led his students into the building with the soldiers, eager to study the collected fungal specimens.
Yunze led his group inside to rest. As they passed by Tianyang, he only smiled faintly and said nothing, leaving his thoughts unclear.
Arge handnded on Tianyang''s shoulder, and Adam gestured for the youth to follow him.
The two entered a small conference room. Adam removed his longsword from his waist and casually ced it on a table.
He then pulled over a chair and sat down. His weight, plus the armor, made the chair creak under him.
"How did the mission go? Smooth sailing?" Adam asked.
Tianyang leaned against the wall and shook his head. "I can only say we''ve made some progress, but we''re far frompleting it."
"You''ll have to put in more effort then," Adam said, rubbing his thick neck. "We encountered two more fungal creatures on the way, plus a mad dog controlled by fungi. It''s unbelievable how this town has changed. I can barely recognize it anymore."
"Did Kong Zhang find anything?" Tianyang inquired.
Adam shook his head this time. "That old man doesn''t talk much on the road, but from his expression, these fungi are no ordinary matter."
"We often encounter strange things in the Inverse Universe. These fungi are just one of them. Shouldn''t Night Walkers be used to such things?" Tianyang smiled and asked back.
Adam chuckled heartily. "You''re right. Maybe we''ve been stuck in the base for too long, getting used to the same old routine."
"By the way, are there any other towns open for exploration around here?" Tianyang added. "I met some prospectors on the train."
Adam nodded. "Not long ago, there was an earthquake¡ªnot too severe, but it unearthed a town."
Tianyang was puzzled. "What''s the situation?"
Adam shrugged. "Nothing much. This town is near Gemstone Town. The road leading to it was blocked before due to the earthquake, but now it''s cleared. As you know, Yunxiang is short-staffed. Moreover, this town is even smaller than Gemstone Town, so the minister simply applied to the fortress to open it up for prospectors to explore."
"I see."
Tianyang nodded. A small town of that size indeed didn''t require much effort. Besides, whatever the prospectors found there, they would have to pay a fee to the fortress. Moreover, by utilizing them, the fortress could gather information about the town.
He wondered if that town, too, might be upied by fungi, considering its proximity. Thinking of fungi, Tianyang casually asked, "Didn''t they say the fungi in Gemstone Town glow? Why didn''t I see any? Could it be rted to the recent unusual growth of fungi?"
Adam waved his hand dismissively. "That shouldn''t be rted. Fungi don''t glow all the time. ording to our observations, they have a period of 36 hours of darkness after each glow, then repeat."
"We''ve been in town for about ten hours now. Maybe in a few more hours, they''ll light up again. So, you better rest now. Otherwise, once they start glowing, everything will be brightly lit, and you won''t be able to sleep."
Tianyang chuckled. "With that in mind, I better get some sleep right away."
Chapter 98 - Weapons
After a short rest, Yunze brought Wang Liang to the room that served as a temporary researchb.
The room''s entrance was covered by a simple istion curtain, a special type of curtain with built-in disinfection capabilities that automatically sterilized personnel entering and exiting. It was a temporary disinfection tool used by the fortress for field research and widely applied in studies of the Inverse Universe.
Yunze and Wang Liang passed through the disinfection curtain and entered the room.
Inside, Kong Zhang''s three students were diligently performing preliminary processing on
Fungal humanoids. All procedures were conducted within istion chambers.
The students operated mechanical arms toplete these tasks effortlessly.
Yunze approached and observed as one student skillfully cleaned the samples, then sliced them into thin tissue sections resembling cicada wings. They were then fixed with tools and rinsed again with specialized reagents.
After dehydration, some fungal slices were sent to Kong Zhang''s observation device, while others were ced in specific reagents for transparency treatment, followed by processes like infiltration wax embedding for tissue preservation, ready to be brought back to the fortress for further study.
Kong Zhang''s observation device had multiple functions. He ced tissue samples sent by students into several independent observation chambers.
These chambers simted natural environments to analyze the performance of Inverse Universe nts in different conditions.
As Yunze approached, the elderly man was operating one of these observation chambers. It simted normal daylight conditions, with the tissue sample exposed to light showing no changes.
"Teacher, any discoveries?" Yunze whispered softly, afraid of disturbing the elderly man.
Kong Zhang rubbed his sses and handed a data tablet to Yunze.
"My previous spection was correct. These organismspletely cease cellr activity under light," Kong Zhang said. He tapped another observation chamber, which simted a nighttime environment. "But in dim conditions, their cellr activity is quite vigorous. Look, although we''ve already processed them into tissue slices, fungal hyphae are already sprouting."
Yunze looked into the chamber, indeed seeing fuzzy fungal hyphae growing at the edges of the sample.
"It''s strange. These things weren''t this active before," Yunze remarked.
In Yunxiang Base, the Yun family held at least one-third of the managerial authority, with family members stationed there year-round.
Yunze was familiar with Gemstone Town and knew about the luminescent fungi there. Furthermore, Kong Zhang wasn''t visiting Gemstone Town for the first time; he had visited eight years ago.
Back then, he had also collected fungal specimens and found only luminescent bacteria adhering to their surfaces, without any other anomalies.
Yunze had read that report and knew clearly that the vitality of these fungi now was overly vigorouspared to eight years ago, almost like two different species.
"Take a look at this," Kong Zhang said gravely, pointing to another observation chamber. This one simted extremely cold conditions, causing the fungal sample to appear grayish, and much of it had turned into powder.
"What''s this?" Yunze asked the old man.
Kong Zhang sighed. "These organisms die and disintegrate at around minus 60 degrees. But that doesn''t mean they''re truly dead."
Kong Zhang tapped the data tablet in Yunze''s hands, and a line of information appeared.
Yunze''s pupils slightly dted. "Under cold conditions, their tissue dies but leaves behind spores, and these spores remain active in such an environment."
Kong Zhang nodded. "Exactly. This may be a self-defense mechanism of theirs. Next, I''ll conduct several more tests to see how these spores perform in other environments."
"If these organisms can maintain cellr activity in other environments, such as under light, then it''s certain that their spreading nature is very strong. It''s possible that these have evolved in the Inverse Universe to counteract our biological weapons!"
Yunze gasped in shock.
Even Wang Liang, usually inscrutable, didn''t look too good at this moment.
Although the fungi cease cellr activity under light, if their spores could remain active in various environments, once they leak out of the Inverse Universe and reach the other side of Kraff Gate...
These things could eventually cover the world. After all, the Inverse Universe could be perpetually dark, unlike the side with the gate, which couldn¡¯t have eternal sunshine.
Kong Zhang sighed. "In fact, some schrs at the Qiongcang Fortress share the same opinion. We shouldn''t delve too deeply into the Inverse Universe, nor should we excessively exploit it. The Inverse Universe is constantly changing; perhaps one day, the two worlds will ovep at Kraff Gate."
"At that time, it could be the end of the world outside..."
Yunze forced a smile. "No, we have teachers like you, other schrs, and fortress cities. Such a thing surely won''t happen."
Kong Zhang smiled faintly. "Let''s hope not."
Tianyang was awakened by some light filtering through, filling the room with a deep blue glow.
The young man sat up in surprise, ran to the window, and discovered that the fungi in the town emitted a hazy, ethereal blue light.
Indeed, they looked like blue gemstones, exining why the town was named Gemstone Town.
It was a pity that these things, though beautiful, were highly aggressive. They posed a threat to both the environment and living beings.
Thinking this way, Tianyang no longer found them attractive.
At that moment, he noticed he was standing on a huge blue spot of light.
It was because just outside the building, there was a bizarre tree from the Inverse Universe covered with fungi. When these fungi emitted light, the entire tree looked like a gigantic blue torch.
The light streamed through the window, creating a patch of blue light.
Suddenly, Tianyang had a realization. He vividly recalled the row of bizarre trees covered in fungi outside the peculiar building.
Moreover, there was a strange cross-shaped window above the building''s main entrance.
If the fungus'' light shone through that window, perhaps...
With this thought, Tianyang hastily gathered his gear, barely acknowledging Adam, who was still sleeping soundly nearby. He pushed open the window and leaped lightly into the blue world outside.
As hended on the ground, Tianyang felt a slight sense of revtion and nced back.
The building castrge shadows in the faint blue light of the fungi. Tianyang saw nothing unusual and rxed.
However, behind the small building, in the shadowy corner, someone emerged, chewing on a food stick with some force.
Returning to the peculiar building, as expected, the row of bizarre trees across the street was all aglow with fungi. The bright yet gentle blue light illuminated the entire street.
Tianyang entered through the gate of the building and saw a cross-shaped light spot on the ground.
"Under the cross..." Tianyang walked toward the light spot. "Could this be the true meaning of that cryptic phrase? Su Lie''s secret lies beneath this light spot?"
Chapter 99 - Self-Inflicted Blame
The hall''s floor was covered with worn-out carpet, covered in dust and other dirt, showing signs of aging. Tianyang lifted the carpet, revealing cold tiles beneath andrge square stones about a foot wide, their quality surprisingly intact despite the dim environment and countless signs of erosion.
A cross-shaped light spot poured in from the direction of the main door, casting a faint blue glow on the tiles. Without hesitation, Tianyang drew the Crimson Moon Warde.
With Star Essence infused, the conductive patterns on the de began to glow, adding a magical hue to the knife.
As the edge of the de lit up with a crimson glow, the temperature around sharply rose, and beads of sweat formed on Tianyang''s forehead.
He turned the de and gently inserted it.
The hard stone seemed to offer no resistance before the heated de of the Crimson Moon Warde pierced through effortlessly.
Tianyang didn¡¯t dare to plunge the sword too deep, fearing to damage whateverid beneath the stone. Without knowing how Su Lie''s secret would manifest, the young man remained cautious.
Stopping after the de had sunk an inch into the stone, Tianyang proceeded to cut around the edges of the light spot on the tile. Soon, the floor bore a circle of red, cross-shaped marks.
Using the warde, Tianyang pried up the tile, revealing loose gravel underneath. Sheathing the knife, he reached down and sifted through the gravel.
Before long, he touched something solid. Tianyang hurriedly brushed the surface gravel aside. Momentster, a mechanical lockbox appeared before him.
He retrieved it, its surface scratched and worn, bearing signs of age. Despite his eagerness to open the box, the robust mechanical lock posed an insurmountable obstacle.
Next to the lock, someone had scratched a line of text with a sharp tool. "Don''t attempt force, or you''ll receive a surprise."
There was even a smiling face carved afterward!
Tianyang frowned in thought.
Indeed, there was something hidden beneath the cross. One of Su Lie''s cryptic phrases had already been validated.
So, what could the second phrase be?
Could it possibly be...
Just then, Tianyang suddenly tensed all over, instinctively ready to roll. But before he could move, something violently collided with his back!
The object carried a strong prating force, causing the starry defense armor on Tianyang''s back to light up. He felt a burning sensation.
Muscles in his back tensed instinctively, without waiting formands from his brain, resisting the slight burning sensation. Meanwhile, his entire body trembled imperceptibly, dispersing, guiding, and resolving the strong impact on his back.
These actions were almost entirely instinctive. In an instant, Tianyang managed to neutralize most of the impact. His body regained mobility, and he rolled to the side, simultaneously raising his assault rifle toward the main door and firing blindly.
Grabbing the lockbox, he dashed into the space beside the hall''s main door, barely escaping behind the wall just as a gray-white elemental beam broke through the door.
The beam created a small elemental storm inside, releasing energy shocks that made it hard for Tianyang to breathe.
Then, a voice from outside rang out, "Come out, what are you hiding for? Aren''t you supposed to be tough? Why hide?!"
Another elemental beam shot through the door, blowing away arge section of the already shaky spiral staircase.
Watching the smoke billow from the side door, Zhou Wang''s eyes turned bloodshot, a malicious grin on his face.
He desperately wanted Tianyang dead.
The incidentst time had him exiled from the fortress to Yunxiang Base, originally destined forbor in the mines. Fortunately, the Yun family took him in, sparing him from hardbor.
Yet none of this diminished his hatred for Tianyang. Since arriving in Gemstone Town, Zhou Wang had been looking for an opportunity for revenge.
Finding that Tianyang had left the team without exnation only fueled Zhou Wang''s desire for vengeance.
But that was not important. What mattered was that his archenemy was alone, sparking a daring idea in his mind.
So he kept a close eye on Tianyang.
Fortune favored the prepared mind. Just moments ago, Zhou Wang saw Tianyang sneaking out of the camp again, and he knew his chance hade!
Inside the side door of the hall, Tianyang ced the briefcase down and cautiously stuck half of his head out towards the door. He saw Zhou Wang standing in the hall, who, without a word, fired a gray light gun.
The assault rifle was raised, and a beam of star essence exploded in mid-air, detonating the light gun. Tianyang shouted, "Zhou Wang, have you lost your mind? Do you know what you''re doing?"
Zhou Wang reached out to shield himself from the explosion''s raging winds, eyes wide open, a slightly crazy smile cracking his lips. "Of course, I know what I''m doing! I''m here to finish you off. If you''re looking to me someone, me yourself for being careless and alone!"
"Finish me off? Right here?" Tianyang leaned against the wall and smirked. "Looks like you really have lost it."
"That''s right, I''ve lost it. I once had a bright future ahead of me, but thanks to you, now I have to serve as a watchdog for the Yun family."
"It''s all because of you! You bastard, you''ve ruined my future! Tell me, how can I let you off?!"
An elemental light gun came sting through, this time blowing up the wall. Tianyang could only move to the other side and shout, "Zhou Wang, everything that''s happening today is entirely your own doing. I advise you to stop now; you still have time to turn back."
"Fuck you!"
Zhou Wang spread his hands, and gray light gathered around him, forming seven or eight elemental spears. "A level 1 warrior like you, I want to kill you. It''s no different from stepping on an ant!"
Hands pressed forward, those elemental light guns like shells swoosh, swoosh, swoosh traced gray light toward the side door of the hall!
As this wave of light guns was fired, Zhou Wang felt weak for a moment. The continuous attack had consumed arge amount of his Star Essence.
Even though he didn''t believe Tianyang could survive this bombardment, Zhou Wang cautiously reached for a bottle of Star Essence replenishing fluid.
Just then, Zhou Wang suddenly saw Tianyang''s Star Essence manifesting, shing out from the door.
He raised his hand first, and the assault shooter fired a beam, hitting his hand holding the replenishing fluid.
The palm was instantly pierced by the beam, shattering the replenishing fluid in the palm and spilling the faint blue radiance on the ground.
Before Zhou Wang could scream in horror, he saw Tianyang''s figure transform into a blurry stream of light.
That silver stream of light easily dodged the light gun Zhou Wang had fired, and in an instant, it had already arrived in front of him.
Zhou Wang was horrified and wanted to retreat, but suddenly, a crimson light shed across his eyes.
He felt a heat in his throat, wanting to say something, but when the words came to his mouth, they turned into a series of gurgling noises.
In his mind, a cold and cruel thought emerged, Was my neck cut open?
Driven by this thought, Zhou Wang covered his neck with both hands. Soon, he felt something warm1 flowing out of his neck.
Raising his hand to look, lit by the faint blue light from outside the building, he saw his palm filled with dazzling crimson.
Zhou Wang began to feel a little dizzy, the colors in front of his eyes gradually bing richer, the red bing redder, and the ck bing darker.
After a whirlwind, he saw the dome of the hall, saw those pictures covered in dust.
The world, gradually blurring...
The battle was over.
Tianyang looked at the man beneath his feet; his pupils dted, but blood continued to flow from his neck. Now, even if he has a bit of a hold on him, he still has to do it.
Something Warm1 - Blood
Chapter 100 - Steps
Yun Ze''s face was ashen, his expression grim, as he strode into the hall from outside.
Beside him, Wang Liangyi, with eyes as sharp as a hawk''s, raised the sword in his hand, its scabbard engraved with the character "Night," a bit higher.
Several Frost Guards spread out behind them, their guns all pointed at Tianyang. In the hall, Zhou Wang was already dead, making it clear who the threat was.
Finally, Kong Zhang, dressed in protective gear, and the captain of the Sun Spear squad, Adam, also entered.
Seeing the scene in the hall, Adam''s expression changed, and he couldn''t help but nce at Tianyang.
After the fungi in Gemstone Town started to glow, Kong Zhang nned to collect more samples in the town, so Yun Ze brought his men to apany him.
When they arrived nearby, the trees overtaken by fungi caught Kong Zhang''s attention, and they turned onto this street, where they heard the sound of something heavy falling from this strange building.
Naturally attracted, the team entered, only to find Zhou Wang lying dead.
In fact, Yun Ze didn''t like Zhou Wang. This guy had a notorious reputation, and Yun Ze despised him just for the way he had tried to seduce Xun.
Zhou Wang had been exiled to the base, initially destined for the mines, but Yun Ze''s father, Yun Sheng, had pulled him out of the mines and assigned him to Yun Ze as a guard.
Yun Ze didn''t need such a guard, but his father believed Zhou Wang could help Yun Ze in his pursuit of that glorious youngdy.
Their branch of the Yun family didn''t hold high status; otherwise, Yun Ze wouldn''t need to frequently enter the Inverse Universe to manage the mines near the base.
If Yun Ze could marry Xun, his ranking among the younger generation would rise, giving him a chance to inherit the family.
Although Yun Ze didn''t see how Zhou Wang could help him pursue Xun, he kept him at Yun Sheng''s insistence.
But now Zhou Wang was dead.
Even if he was just a dog, he was still a Yun family dog, and Yun Ze felt a bit embarrassed.
So he looked at Tianyang and said, "Aren''t you going to give me an exnation?"
Tianyang stared at Wang Liangyi. From the moment this man entered the hall, he had an aura of hidden but overwhelming pressure.
The invisible sense of oppression came in waves, hitting Tianyang repeatedly.
From Wang Liangyi, Tianyang sensed a faint hostility, forcing the boy to focus much of his attention on the man with sharp eyes.
"Zhou Wang had a grudge against me. He saw me alone and intended to kill me, but I turned the tables on him. That''s the situation." Tianyang lightly tapped his left eye. "This is an electronic eye with a recording module. If you don''t believe me, you can use the equipment to read it when we return to the base, and you''ll see the whole incident."
Yun Ze remained silent, but momentster, his expression changed from grim to sunny, and heughed and said, "I believe you."
He gently kicked Zhou Wang. "This bastard could indeed do something so stupid."
"However..."
This word with a tone of transition made Tianyang''s heart sink slightly.
Yun Ze''s gaze fell on the mechanical password box in the boy''s hand. "You need to hand over the weapons and the item in your hand to me for now. Once your innocence is confirmed at the base, you can have them back."
Almost without thinking, Tianyang shook his head and said, "I''m afraid I can''t do that."
This suitcase contained Su Lie''s secrets, which was the reason Tianyang came to Gemstone Town. Now that he had finally found it, there was no way he would hand it over to the Yun family.
As for the weapons, after Qin Wu''s precedent, the boy wouldn''t casually give up his weapons again.
Yun Ze sighed, "I''m not negotiating with you..."
He gave Wang Liangyi a faint look.
The eagle-eyed man had alreadyunched himself forward like a cannonball breaking through the air, the hall resounding with a terrifying whistle!
Just as he was about to reach Tianyang, the boy''s whole body glowed, and with a nimble movement, he sidestepped Wang Liangyi''s charge.
Wang Liangyi let out a surprised sound, halted, changed direction, and suddenly elerated.
Tianyang wanted to move again, but he felt invisible forces enveloping him from both sides. His face changed drastically, but he reached for the Crimson Moon Warde.
Wang Liangyi snorted, lightly stroked the sword hilt, and shed in front of Tianyang.
ng!
The Crimson Moon Warde was unsheathed, drawing a dark red arc as it shed towards Wang Liangyi''s face.
Wang Liangyi''s sword extended three inches, and its hilt struck the de of the Crimson Moon Warde.
Tianyang''s pupils slightly dted, and his whole body began to tremble uncontrobly. The force on Wang Liangyi''s hilt was strange; it was both extremely fierce and forceful, causing his knife to lift slightly.
Tianyang barely managed to grip the knife tightly to prevent it from flying out of his hand, but the de vibrated violently, causing his entire body to shake along with it.
Even the Starlight Energy within him was affected by this vibration, making it difficult to control.
Finally, a soft and gentle force took advantage of the chaos, swiftly coursing through Tianyang''s body. Wherever it passed, his Starlight Energy dimmed and lost its brilliance.
After this force made a circuit through his body, Tianyang felt weak in his limbs, and both his knife and the briefcase fell to the ground.
Only then did Wang Liangyi push his long sword back into its sheath and turn to walk away. Several Frost Guards rushed over to arrest Tianyang.
"Stop!"
Adam shouted, drawing his long sword and positioning it in front of Tianyang.
Wang Liangyi stopped, turned, and ced his hand on his sword hilt.
Yun Ze frowned. "Captain Adam, what are you doing?"
Adam spoke in a deep voice, "Mr. Yun Ze, I can guarantee that Tianyang absolutely didn''t intend to kill Zhou Wang. At this point, I might as well tell you that Tianyang is here in Gemstone Town on a special mission assigned by headquarters."
"I believe this briefcase is part of that special mission. It might involve the Night Walkers'' strategic deployment in the Inverse Universe, so I can''t let you take him, or the briefcase, away."
"If necessary, Mr. Yun Ze, you can confirm this with Minister Shen."
Yun Ze''s expression was displeased. "Even so, Zhou Wang was still a member of the Yun family. Now that he''s dead, the Night Walkers must give me an exnation, right?"
Adam nodded. "How about this? Until we return to the base, we''ll restrict Tianyang''s movements. Mr. Yun Ze can temporarily hold his weapons, but the briefcase must stay. If anything else happens, I will take full responsibility. Mr. Yun Ze, does this work for you?"
Yun Ze''s gaze shifted to Tianyang.
This time, the boy was straightforward, removing the knife and the assault weapon and handing them to the Frost Guard beside him.
Since Adam had stepped up to vouch for him, refusing to cooperate would make things too difficult for him.
Seeing Tianyang hand over his weapons, Yun Ze secretly breathed a sigh of relief. He didn''t care much about Zhou Wang''s death, and he believed that most of what Tianyang said was true.
But he needed a way out of this situation; otherwise, as a member of the Yun family, how could hemand respect in the future?
Now that Adam had stepped up to vouch for him and Tianyang had handed over his weapons, although it wasn''t exactly what he wanted, it was eptable.
Yun Ze nodded slightly and said generously, "Then he''s in your hands, Captain Adam."
Adam graciously epted the favor and called for a team member to escort Tianyang back to the camp.
The confrontation was temporarily resolved.
Chapter 101 - The Death Knell
The journey back to the camp went smoothly, without encountering any dark creatures along the way. It seemed that the number of dark creatures in this town was quite sparse.
Additionally, with the invasion of the fungal colonies, there were likely only a few dark creatures left capable of free movement.
Upon entering the camp, the members of the Sun''s Spear team led Tianyang to the room where he had previously rested. After Tianyang went inside, they didn''t leave anyone to guard him and directly closed the door.
Only then did Tianyang finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Reflecting on it now, it seemed the Yun family had no intention of pursuing the matter. Otherwise, given Wang Liangyi''s strength, even Adam wouldn''t have been able to protect him.
Recalling the encounter in the hall, Tianyang still felt a pang of fear. That man was truly unfathomable.
Being able to evade his first attack was likely because Wang Liangyi and Zhou Wang made the same mistake, underestimating Tianyang as just a Level 1 warrior.
It was due to their carelessness that they failed.
The second time Wang Liangyi attacked, it was entirely different.
The invisible force field used for restraint, coupled with the three different types of power incorporated into his attack, all conveyed one thing to Tianyang.
He was no match for Wang Liangyi.
So far, Wang Liangyi was probably the strongest Sublimator Tianyang had ever encountered.
Judging by his use of a sword, he was likely of the War God ss, though which specific level was unknown.
Calming his mind, the young man took out his blindfold to cover his electronic eye. Then he looked at the mechanicalbination lockbox in his hand and sat down in the corner.
Cross-legged, with the box resting on his legs, Tianyang gently ced his hand on thebination lock.
"Under the cross, the sky is illuminated by the sun..."
He softly recited the phrase left by Su Lie. "Under the cross" referred to the location of the suitcase.
Could "the sky is illuminated by the sun" be the password for the box?
Tianyang repeatedly murmured this phrase, hoping to find inspiration, but after several readings, he still couldn''t find the connection between the phrase and the password.
Feeling a surge of frustration, he put down the box and went to the window.
Outside, the fungal colonies still emitted a blue glow, with the deep blue light illuminating the window and reflecting Tianyang''s silhouette.
As he inadvertently nced at his reflection in the window, he suddenly jolted. "Could it be..."
He stuck his head out the window and looked at the dark sky shrouded in ck mist above the Inverse Universe. "The sky, that''s the sky. And the sun... isn''t the sun ¡±Tianyang?¡±"
"The sky, the sun... Tianyang?"
The young man suddenly stared at the suitcase. "Am I the password?"
He picked up the box again, confirming that thebination lock used a now obsolete mechanical structure. "But this isn''t a biometric key system. Or is it..."
With a hesitant look, Tianyang struggled internally before finally making a decision.
He started rotating the mechanical dials on thebination lock to specific numbers.
When he reached thest number, Tianyang hesitated briefly, then gritted his teeth and turned the dial.
As thest number aligned, there was a soft click from thebination lock, the surrounding mechanicalponents simultaneously released, and the lid of the box popped open slightly.
Tianyang exhaled deeply and leaned against the wall, the fatigue from the intense tension making him momentarily immobile.
He had guessed right.
The password was his birthday!
But this also subtly increased the possibility that Su Lie was his biological father.
After resting for a moment, Tianyang gently pushed open the box. Inside, lined with ck padding, were several items.
The first thing Tianyang saw was a wildly designed handgun!
This handgun, with a silver-gray body marked with several scratches, had arge-caliber barrel big enough to fit a finger.
Modeled after the revolver structure of Inverse Universe handguns, it couldn''t actually be opened, indicating that it didn''t use physical bullets.
The ck grip made of special materials had an inscription at the bottom, ¡±Ring of death, knell for your enemies!¡±
Finally, Tianyang discovered that the gun had an energy conversionponent, meaning it could ept a Sublimator''s Star Essence and convert it into energy bullets!
There was no doubt that this was a star-quality weapon, a weapon that used Star Essence as a medium. However, it was significantly different from modern star-quality firearms, especially handguns.
Today''s handguns were designed with fluid shapes and were small and easy to carry, like ady with delicate makeup.
But this rugged and massive handgun was more like a rough, stubbly man. Looking at it, Su Lie''s image in Tianyang''s mind seemed to be more vivid.
Tianyang picked up the handgun and tried infusing his Star Essence into it. Despite being abandoned under that building for countless years, the energy conversionponents inside the handgun still functioned.
The drum on the gun''s body lit up, and one of the bullet-shaped crystal slots was filled with a silver, mercury-like liquid.
In no time, one bullet slot waspletely filled.
Tianyang was surprised; filling just one bullet slot consumed nearly ten percent of his Star Essence.
There were six bullet slots in total on both sides of the drum. If he wanted to fill them all, it would consume more than half of his Star Essence.
Suddenly, Tianyang felt a bit excited, wondering how powerful a bullet that required so much Star Essence to fill would be.
Since the handgun was still usable, Tianyang didn''t hesitate to take it.
He didn''t know its name, but the inscription on the bottom of the grip gave Tianyang an idea. "From now on, you''ll be called Death Knell."
After putting away Death Knell, Tianyang''s gaze fell back on the suitcase.
Inside were several pages of a diary and a small, silver metal box.
The box''s edges were adorned with intricate and beautiful patterns. Inside the box was a data chip. Unfortunately, Tianyang didn''t have a reader with him, so he had to temporarily put the box away and read the chip''s data after returning to the base.
He could only hope it wasn''t damaged.
Finally, Tianyang picked up the diary pages and immediately recognized that they had been torn from Su Lie''s diary.
So it was Su Lie himself who tore out the back pages of the diary!
ording to the dates on the diary, he rearranged the pages and started reading.
¡°¡September 16th, finally back! This mission was terrible! Terrible!¡±
¡°¡September 19th, after resting for a few days, I feel a bit better. I originally wanted to find Nan Fei, but I have no mood for it now. Those things... are they real? Even now, back in the fortress, I still can''t believe it. Jing Nan once said that our brains can deceive ourselves sometimes. I hope I''m deceiving myself.¡±
¡°¡September 23rd, I met Nan Feist night. She was very happy, but I couldn''t be happy at all. Just thinking about the things I saw in the Inverse Universe makes me unable to smile. Although I smiled, it must have looked awful. I bet Nan Fei noticed, but she''s very considerate and didn''t ask anything. She''s such a good girl. Forget it, let those things be handled by the higher-ups. I''ll just think about the wedding.¡±
¡°¡September 30th, is the military serious? They still want to investigate; they are crazy. Why don''t they destroy those things! Damn it, Jing Nan was right; sometimes power corrupts people''s hearts. The higher-ups want me to go back to that damned ce again. But can I refuse?¡±
¡°¡October 21st, yes, I''m back. I didn''t expect toe back alive. No, these diary pages must be torn out. If someone finds them, they will think I leaked secrets. The higher-ups are crazy; they want to go through with that thing to the end. I don''t know what to do¡ No, maybe I know what to do!¡±
This was thest entry. The force of thest few words almost tore through the paper!
Tianyang''s eyebrows furrowed deeply. So, Su Lie was the one who tore out theter pages of the diary. But who stored the diary in the Upper City citizen''s storage service?
And earlier, he didn''t understand why his mother, having the storage receipt, chose to leave the diary there and not retrieve it.
Now he began to understand. Perhaps his mother knew what Su Lie nned to do in the end. Not retrieving the diary might be rted to the "higher-ups" mentioned in Su Lie''s diary.
Maybe they lived in the Lower City to avoid the "higher-ups" attention.
So who exactly were the ¡°"higher-ups"* that Su Lie referred to? The military? Maybe, but other possibilities couldn''t be ruled out.
The term was too vague.
Lastly, what did Su Lie discover in the Inverse Universe that made the "higher-ups" value it so much, even making him tear out the diary pages to avoid suspicion of leaking secrets?
The young man couldn''t help but touch the box in his pocket. Perhaps the secret was in this data chip.
Tianyang looked up at the window, now hoping that Adam and the others would return soon so they could head back to the base. He couldn''t wait to uncover the chip''s secrets.
Time passed slowly, and Tianyang began to feel that something was wrong. It had been almost an hour since he returned to the camp. If it was just sample collection, Adam and his team should have returned by now.
Could something have happened?
However, he wasn''t too worried. Not only was Adam''s team there, but Wang Liangyi also had enough strength to protect the team.
That high-ranking warrior was no pushover.
Boom!
Suddenly, there was an explosion outside, seeminglying from a distant ce. Tianyang rushed to the window but saw nothing as the ubiquitous ck mist of the Inverse Universe obscured his vision.
But the ck mist couldn''t block out the sound. More noises beganing from the distance, and asionally, some lights could be seen through the pervasive mist.
Footsteps echoed outside his room. Tianyang tucked Death Knell into the back of his belt, covering it with his Night Stalker uniform, and opened the door.
A Frostcloud Guard ran past. Tianyang grabbed him. "What''s happening?"
The soldier replied anxiously, "Mr. Yun and the others were attacked on their way back!"
"Is it the dark creatures?"
The soldier nodded. "Yes, and there are quite a few. Mr. Yun told us to prepare for a tough battle!"
With that, he hurried away.
Dark creatures! And inrge numbers?
Tianyang looked out the window again. This Gemstone Town seemed far from the peaceful ce Adam had described!
Chapter 102 - Headshot
Closing the door, Tianyang took out Death Knell and continuously infused his Star Essence into the gun. The energy conversionponents of Death Knell emitted a faint hum as it charged, and one by one, the bullet crystal slots on the drum began to light up.
However, after the third bullet crystal slot was filled, Tianyang could no longer infuse any more Star Essence into the massive handgun. It seemed that being abandoned in the Inverse Universe for so many years had left the gun with some defects.
This wasn''t entirely bad, though. Filling three bullet slots had already consumed nearly thirty percent of Tianyang''s Star Essence. If he filled all the remaining slots, the Star Essence consumption would be excessive.
Tianyang remembered that Han Shu had once advised him never to deplete his Star Essencepletely.
He took out a bottle of Star Essence replenishment liquid, uncapped it, and drank it.
The liquid, which emitted a faint blue glow, entered his mouth, filling it with a sweet, fruity taste. However, the synthetic vor could be nauseating if smelled too much.
After drinking the replenishment liquid, Tianyang felt his Star Essence begin to recover, though it only restored enough for one bullet.
He tossed the empty bottle aside and quickly walked toward the small building''s exit.
At the exit, the team member who had brought Tianyang back stopped him. "You can''t go out."
Tianyang pointed outside and said, "I''m here to help."
The team member looked troubled. "But the captain said you should stay in the room. If he sees you leave, I''ll get scolded."
Suddenly, a firing point on the small building opened fire. It was a multi-barrel machine gun set up by the Frostcloud Guard, using physical bullets. The machine gun roared with an impactful sound, echoing through the entire building.
Someone outside shouted, "I see Mr. Yun and the others; quick, support them!"
Several firing points in the camp erupted, the roars of machine guns and rifles interweaving, making the air grow hot. The fire of physical bullets and the blue glows of star energy beams illuminated the area.
A Frostcloud Guard even fired a guided missile. Momentster, the distant explosion lit up the small building like daylight, and the st shattered the windows one by one.
Soon, a group of people squeezed through the front gate. Yun Ze was being supported by a tall figure with a bald head, making him very conspicuous in the crowd.
But even more eye-catching was the fist shield on his hand!
Tianyang was stunned to see that it was Gu Gang, whom he had briefly met on the high-speed train.
Two Frostcloud Guards immediately took Yun Ze from Gu Gang. Yun Ze had blood on his face and appeared injured. The guards helped him into a vehicle equipped with a medical chamber capable of saving anyone not critically wounded.
After handing Yun Ze over, Gu Gang copsed to the ground, exhausted and panting heavily.
Behind them, Kong Zhang was being helped in by two students. The old man didn''t look injured but was pale, likely scared.
As for Adam and the others, they shut the gate after entering and immediately joined the defense. At that moment, a ck tide surged outside the gate¡ªa dense crowd of Wanderers!
These twisted figures, resembling lepers, staggered toward the gate, which was blocked by the walls and iron gate. Bullets and star energy beams from various firing points mowed down the low-level dark creatures in droves.
Whether hit by machine gun bullets or blue star energy beams, the Wanderers'' bodies would be riddled with fist-sized holes.
Even if they didn''t hit the will cages, the damaged bodies wouldn''t do much harm.
But the sheer number of Wanderers was overwhelming. If they breached the defense, the camp would be doomed!
Tianyang pushed past the team member and ran to Gu Gang. The bald man looked up and eximed, "It''s you?"
"Yes, it''s me." Tianyang nced at the gate. "What''s going on? Why are you with them?"
The young man noticed that Wang Liangyi was not in the group and wondered where the expert was.
Gu Gang gave a bitter smile and stood up. "It''s a long story. We ran into trouble. Mypanions all died, and I was the only one who escaped. To avoid those things outside, I ran into Gemstone Town and met them."
He pointed at Adam and the others. "There was a high-ranking dar creature, a Shadow Knight, chasing me on a wolf-like creature. I almost got killed, but a man with eagle-sharp eyes among them saved me."
At this point, Gu Gang''s face showed lingering fear.
So Wang Liangyi had gone to intercept the high-ranking dark creature. Tianyang had never heard of a Shadow Knight, but it must be formidable to terrify a fortress-ss ascendant.
"Watch out, Mad Dogs are joining in!" a gunner on the building''s roof shouted.
Before the words were finished, a ck and red beam shot across the camp, hitting the gunner.
The gunner''s body shuddered violently, and he slowly looked down at his chest, where a hole had been sted by the beam.
His body then fell from the rooftop,nding not far from Tianyang.
Tianyang shouted, "It''s a Deceptive Archer; take cover!"
He left Gu Gang and ran toward Adam. "Where''s my equipment? Give it to me, quick!"
Before Adam could answer, a Frostcloud Guard hurriedly ran over, handing the Crimson Moon Warde and the Assault Rifle to Tianyang. "Mr. Yun Ze told me to bring these to you. He said we might need your strength now."
Tianyang immediately took the equipment and rushed into the building. Momentster, he reached the rooftop and took control of the multi-barrel machine gun.
Heid prone, operating the machine gun to fire at the camp below. Only then did he realize that the camp was surrounded by dark creatures.
Thousands of Wanderers crowded the streets outside the camp. Among the dark creatures, Mad Dogs were recklessly charging through the barrage of bullets toward the defensive line.
Further away, ck and red beams were whizzing through the air, fired by Deceptive Archers hiding in the buildings.
Tatatata!
Tianyang operated the machine gun, its muzzle spewing long mes, and the rain of bullets formed a red whip.
As the fire whip swept through the ck tide outside the camp, it carved out a "trench." Unfortunately, the trench was soon filled again by more dark creatures.
However, the greatest threat to the camp wasn''t the Wanderers or the Mad Dogs¡ªat least, not at the moment.
The greatest threat was the Deceptive Archers attacking from a distance. Fortunately, both the Sr Gun Squad and the Frostcloud Guard had a Level 3 sniper master each.
These two Ascenders, using their skilled techniques, continuously eliminating the cunning archers with their beloved rifles.
Every time the distinctive sound of a sniper rifle echoed through the camp, a Deceptive Archer would be taken down. This boosted the morale of the defenders and allowed the melee-focused Ascenders to appear on the walls and kill the Mad Dogs attempting to climb over.
When Gu Gang recovered and started providing Star Essence barriers for the melee Ascenders, Tianyang breathed a sigh of relief.
Their numbers might not be superior, but their equipment was top-notch, and their teamwork was seamless.
As long as the number of dark creatures didn''t increase, defeating them was just a matter of time.
Suddenly, a scream came from one side of the rooftop. Tianyang turned to see a soldier operating a machine gun with his head shattered.
Blood and brain matter sttered across the rooftop.
The "culprit" responsible for the soldier''s death raised a staff-like weapon with a slow, eerie movement.
The twisted metal macehead was still stained with bits of scalp. The hand gripping the staff was purplish-red.
Dressed in a mix of fabric and metal, the creature''s helmeted, mummified face gaped, panting like a Wanderer.
ck veins bulged under its purplish-red skin, and dark red light gushed from its hollow eye sockets. The terrifying figure, like something crawling from the abyss, emitted crackling noises from its body as it dragged the staff toward Tianyang.
From the za below, Gu Gang''s voice shouted, "Watch out, that''s a Shadow Attendant! They''re freakishly strong, and their will cages are in their..."
Before he could finish, a deafening gunshot rang out. The sound was so loud, it was like a p of thunder!
Gu Gang saw the Shadow Attendant on the rooftop have its head blown to pieces, the shattered helmet fragments, skull fragments, and other matter spraying everywhere.
Some fragments, stained with purple blood,nded on Gu Gang''s face. He wiped his face and finished his sentence, "In their heads. Well, you''ve already blown its head off, so I guess my job is done."
Beside the machine gun, Tianyang had risen from the ground, half-kneeling. His arm was raised high, holding the massive handgun named Death Knell, with a wisp of hot smoke curling from its barrel.
Now Tianyang understood why Su Lie had engraved the name Death Knell on the gun. He hadn''t expected the gunshot to be so loud and the destructive power to be so brutal.
One bullet had blown the Shadow Attendant''s head clean off.
Now, the headless monster fell to the ground, its body rapidly dposing. In moments, only its clothes and staff remained, the rest melting into a pool of ck liquid.
Lowering the handgun, Tianyang felt a painful ache in his hand and a numbing sensation in his shoulder. He marveled at the immense recoil of Death Knell.
Had he not enhanced his physical abilities, the recoil alone would have torn his hand and dislocated his shoulder.
If Su Lie could handle Death Knell with ease, he must be at least a Level 4 Ascenders. This suggested that the secret of the gun must be formidable, enough to challenge even mid-level Ascenders.
At this moment, more Shadow Attendants were squeezing into the camp from all sides, using the Wanderers as cover. As they neared the walls, they swung their staffs down hard!
These creatures, as Gu Gang had said, were incredibly strong. One blow could create a gap in the wall.
The camp''s defenses suddenly became precarious!
Chapter 103 - Hold the Line
"Stop them!" Adam shouted, leading the charge towards one side of the wall. Two Shadow Attendants were battering the wall there. These attendants, with their purplish-red skin, wielded various crude metal weapons.
Though their weapons had no special function, they were extremely heavy, making their swings devastating.
As the attendants destroyed the wall, mindless Wanderers kept pressing forward, only to be asionally sent flying by the attendants'' weapons. Yet, this friendly fire was negligiblepared to the overwhelming number of dark creatures.
Adam leapt over the wall, his eyes glowing with a red battle light, and Star Essence surged from his longsword, transforming into a bright but non-dazzling silver radiance.
This Westerner shed downward, and the silver light surged like a flood, sweeping not only the two attendants but also many dark creatures behind them.
All the dark creatures caught in the silver flood were torn apart.
The two attendants were hit first, and after the flood passed, their bodies stiffened and quickly disintegrated into piles of dust.
With one strike, Adam cleared a vacuum area among the dark creatures, boosting the morale of the human warriors in the camp.
However, that single strike also consumed a significant amount of Adam''s Star Essence. He quickly drank a vial of replenishment fluid before charging at another Shadow Attendant.
Tianyang withdrew his envious gaze. The ability Adam had just used was called ¡±Shatter,¡± a power that only Level 4 Shuras could harness. The Shatter field would break the molecr structure of objects, causing them to "fall apart."
Most importantly, it had a wide coverage area, making it highly effective for rapidly clearingrge numbers of enemies.
This demonstrated why Level 4 was a significant milestone for any rank. For instance, before reaching this level, a Battle God couldn''t execute such extensive battlefield-clearing moves.
Other Ascenders joined the effort to intercept the Shadow Attendants, but their ranks were lower than Adam''s. Moreover, the remaining attendants began emitting a strange, deep purple mist.
The purple mist spread slowly, undispersed by the wind, forming several purple clouds around the camp.
Within the mist, the Wanderers and Mad Dogs'' will cages glowed intensely, their aggression escting to the extreme. The Mad Dogs charged even faster, and the Wanderers no longer lumbered but ran towards the defensive lines, crashing into them fiercely.
"Be careful!" Gu Gang shouted. "This mist suppresses our Star Essence and makes the dark creatures more ferocious!"
Sure enough, an Ascender organizing an attack was enveloped by the mist, and their visible Star Essence dimmed instantly.
This phenomenon was akin to how the Star Marrow Pir suppressed the dark creatures, only reversed.
The result was unpleasant, the Ascender''s attack strength and reaction speed both decreased significantly, causing them to be quickly overwhelmed by the attendant.
Gu Gang downed a replenishment vial, discarded the bottle, and pressed a hand to his chest.
His Star Essence turned earth-yellow, forming an illusory armor around him. The ethereal armor enveloped the big, bald man, giving his presence a solid feel.
After donning the ¡±Undying Armor,¡± a unique ability of his Bastion rank that seemed to resist the purple mist, Gu Gang roared and leapt over the wall.
He grabbed the struggling Ascender and tossed them out of the mist, then braced himself, lowered his center of gravity, and bent his legs slightly.
Using his shield, he blocked a strike from the Shadow Attendant. Then, like a lion, he roared, his fists swirling with vortex patterns, unleashing the Bastion''s ¡±Vortex Field.¡±
Tianyang, operating the machine gun to fire at the dark creatures outside the camp, nced over at Gu Gang. The Vortex Field was much smaller in scale and power than Han Shu''s, but Gu Gang''s vortex-enveloped fists delivered precise, relentless blows.
Each punchnded on an attendant, making it stagger. The vortex force tore, shredded, and pulverized the attendant''s cloth and flesh.
After a dozen punches, Gu Gangnded a heavy blow that sent the attendant flying, crashing into the rear defenses.
Tianyang wasted no time, adjusting the machine gun''s aim to fire powerful bullets at the attendant''s head.
Even with a helmet, the attendant''s head couldn''t withstand the machine gun''s barrage. After a dozen rounds, the creature''s head, along with its will cage, turned into a pulp of purple goo.
Gu Gang nced up at the rooftop, nodded, reinforced a nearby Ascender''s Star Essence barrier, and then charged at another attendant.
The battle gradually came under control. When thest attendant was in by Adam, the dark creatures'' assault slowed.
Momentster, they began to retreat, with even the Wanderers withdrawing into theplex alleys, seemingly responding to some call.
Regardless, the camp was temporarily secure.
| Outside the Small Building |
The ground outside was slick with the ck sludge left behind by the dead, dark creatures, turning the area into a rollingyer of pitch-ck muck. The air reeked with a nauseating stench, forcing people to build a barricade of stones at the main iron gate to prevent the putrid sludge from flowing inside.
When Tianyang got up from the rooftop, empty shell casings fell from his body, piled around him. The machine gun had ejected so many casings that they formed a small mountain!
He shook his head, realizing that the recent battle had likely consumed most of the convoy''s ammunition. Moreover, the camp''s walls were no longer as sturdy as before, with several gaps battered open by the Shadow Attendants.
Adam was ordering his team to seal the breaches and assign personnel to guard the perimeter outside the camp.
Yun Ze finally emerged from the vehicle, his head bandaged but looking well. He busied himselfforting the wounded and checking their supplies.
In the recent fight, no Ascenders had fallen, but even with thebined forces of the Sun''s Spear and Frostcloud Guard, they had lost five soldiers.
To prevent their bodies from being corrupted by the dark mist, the fallen were immediately cremated, and their ashes were buried in the small building''s backyard.
After the battle, the morale of the Sun''s Spear members remained intact, but the Frostcloud Guard''s morale was significantly low. Particrly among the regr soldiers, some kept their heads down, asionally ncing around with fear in their eyes.
Another few encounters like this, and the Yun family''s guard force might see a drastic drop inbat effectiveness.
Realizing this, Yun Ze nodded to Tianyang on the rooftop before approaching Adam.
"Captain Adam, things are looking grim. My men have never faced such a battle. They are exhausted both physically and mentally. If we stay here and the dark creatures attack again, we might not be able to hold them off and could face a total copse."
Adam was cleaning his longsword. "So, Mr. Yun Ze, what do you suggest?"
Yun Ze''s voice was somber and serious. "I suggest we leave immediately. Moreover, Teacher Kong''s condition isn''t good. I''m worried about his health. As for Wang Liangyi, I will notify him separately. Given his strength, he should have no problem leaving Gemstone Town."
"No!"
A cold voice interrupted.
Unnoticed, Wang Liangyi had returned. He crouched on the wall before jumping down. "We can''t leave now."
Yun Ze, puzzled, asked, "Why, Mr. Wang? Our situation..."
Wang Liangyi gestured for him to stop. "I understand. The situation is dire, but I still advise against leaving Gemstone Town. There are still three Shadow Knights."
Yun Ze was shocked. "What? There are three more of those monsters?"
Wang Liangyi nodded gravely. "After I killed one, I discovered the whereabouts of the others. I tried to hunt them, but they were too mobile."
"I chased them around Gemstone Town but couldn''t catch them. They are cunning and are gathering forces, likely nning the next wave of attacks or even multiple assaults."
Yun Ze, almost losing control, shouted, "Then we should leave all the more!"
Adam smiled wryly. "If Mr. Wang Liangyi is correct and there are three more Shadow Knights, we''ll surely be attacked on the way back. Those high-level dark creatures are highly mobile; our Falcon vehicles won''t shake them off."
Wang Liangyi agreed. "Exactly. If they catch up and damage our vehicles, we''ll be exposed in the wild with no defenses, leading to our ughter."
Adam stood up and sheathed his sword. "We must stay here and use the buildings for defense. With Mr. Wang Liangyi holding off the knights, we should manage for a while."
"Meanwhile, we should call for help from the base. Only with reinforcements can we hope to survive."
Wang Liangyi nodded firmly. "Precisely."
Both looked at Yun Ze.
He stepped back, sighed, and said, "Since you both say so, I have no objections. You are more knowledgeable in this matter."
Adam immediately summoned a team member to contact Yunxiang Base. He then discussed with Yun Ze to deploy Frostcloud Guard members to set up barricades and dig traps outside the camp in preparation for the defense.
After all this, Adam turned his attention to Gu Gang. "It''s your turn. You need to tell us where you encountered these monsters!"
Tianyang, Wang Liangyi, and the remaining active personnel all looked at Gu Gang.
Gu Gang rubbed his bald head and sighed. "In Hongni Town, we found something there."
Tianyang''s curiosity was piqued, and the others stared intently at Gu Gang.
He continued, "You all know Hongni Town was only recently opened to us prospectors. A few days ago, we discovered an underground space in that town."
Adam narrowed his eyes slightly. "An underground space? Why didn''t we receive a report on this?"
Chapter 104 - The Base
For a moment, Gu Gang''s expression was very awkward. His eyes swept the ground, as if searching for something. After a moment of silence, he spoke with a helpless tone, exining the reason. "If we reported it, the base would definitely close off exploration of Hongni Town. Captain, we just wanted to earn a bit more, so we didn''t report it."
Adam''s tone immediately turned stern. "By doing this, you have vited the prospector''s code! This behavior is enough to make you lose all your rights at Skyfort!"
Gu Gang sighed deeply. "Now it doesn''t matter. My people are all dead, and only I remain. After what happened in Hongni Town, I have nothing left. Even if I stay at Skyfort, I no longer have the ability to explore the Inverse Universe."
Adam shook his head vigorously. "You were foolish. Look at us now¡ªbecause you entered an unauthorized area, we''re all trapped here."
Gu Gang nced at him. "I can only say, I''m very sorry."
Yun Ze raised his hand, patting both men on the shoulder. "Gentlemen, talking about this now is pointless. Let''s first understand what happened in Hongni Town."
Everyone''s eyes turned back to Gu Gang.
Gu Gang rubbed his bald head and sat on the steps with a look of frustration. "After discovering that underground space, we conducted a preliminary exploration. Using sonar equipment, we found that the space beneath Hongni Town was astonishinglyrge¡ªit could fit another city inside."
"Later, the prospecting teams exploring the town held a meeting. Everyone agreed to keep the underground space a secret for now. Before the Yunxiang Base discovered it, we nned to return to Skyfort, prepare supplies, and recruit people to explore the underground space."
Havinge down from the rooftop and leaning against a column, Tianyang could roughly guess their intentions. These prospectors simply wanted to explore it first. If it were uncharted territory, there should be many valuable items. If everything went smoothly, they could raid the ce before reporting it to Yunxiang Base, ensuring the base got fewer treasures.
They had a good n, but it seemed like they had stepped on andmine.
A Sun''s Spear team member snorted. "Overestimating yourselves. If that underground space is as big as you say, just a few prospectors wouldn''t stand a chance. Even if you found something, you''d have no life to enjoy it."
Adam raised his hand, stopping the team''s mockery. Gu Gang''s group had already paid the price for their actions. There was no need to kick them while they were down.
Gu Gang looked at Adam gratefully, then continued, "Actually, that brother is right. We were overconfident, but at the time, everyone was blinded by the discovery. After some preparation, we gathered in Hongni Town and entered the underground space."
"We used a sonar system for exploration and didn''t have a clear idea of the scale until we went in ourselves. Only then did we realize how vast it was. We descended over three hundred meters vertically through a hole in a building, likely revealed by an earthquake. Otherwise, we might never have found that terrifying ce."
"We descended more than three hundred meters to the ground. Before us was absolute darkness, unlike the ck mist-covered sky of the Inverse Universe¡ªit waspletely devoid of light. Naturally, we were prepared and had brought lighting tools. But even with powerful spotlights, we couldn''t see the entire space."
"Judging by air flow and echo, we estimated it was an enormous space. This discovery excited everyone because the vertical hole showed it was man-made. Why would something be excavated underground if not to store something important?"
Even now, Gu Gang was somewhat excited as he spoke about the ce, gesturing emphatically. "That underground space must contain something important and valuable!"
Yun Ze asked the key question, "Did you find anything?"
Unfortunately, Gu Gang shook his head. "No. After our initial excitement, we began exploring. To avoid getting lost in the vast darkness, we used electronicpasses. After about half a day, we found a base."
Everyone''s expressions changed noticeably. Adam was the first to react. "What did you say? A base? What kind of base?"
Gu Gang gestured. "Simr to Yunxiang Base, butrger. There were Inverse Universe scripts at the entrance, so we preliminarily determined it was built by Inverse Universe residents. It might even be a refuge."
Yun Ze shook his head. "It can''t be a refuge. We''ve explored this area for years. The cities and towns like Gemstone Town here all have limited building heights. ording to archaeologists, the economic and cultural level of this area was only moderate in the Inverse Universe."
"So, I believe the Inverse Universe residents wouldn''t build a refuge in such a ce. Of course, I can''t say for sure since I haven''t been there."
Gu Gang waved his hand. "Whatever it is, that ce is a genuine base. We couldn''t understand the Inverse Universe scripts, but every so often there were texts and diagrams. Only a base would be this meticulous, right? Besides, we found armed tforms there that don''t exist in surface cities, indicating it had a nned security system."
Wang Liangyi, arms crossed, nodded. "Indeed, it seems to be a base."
Adam looked at the bald man, signaling for him to continue. "Go on."
Gu Gang''s expression began to turn grave, with a hint of panic creeping into his eyes. "At first, we were excited because we knew what an Inverse Universe base represented. But as we delved deeper, we started noticing things were amiss."
"In that base, we found some bodies. These bodies were covered in fungi, yes, like those glowing things in Gemstone Town. But that''s not important. What''s crucial is that those bodies seemed to be our people."
Yun Ze looked at him puzzledly. "Are you saying that the fortress once explored that base?"
Gu Gang nodded firmly. "Exactly, because their equipment was of the same type as ours, just different models. Inside, we even found a dismantled dimensional armed tform!"
Adam eximed first, "That''s impossible. I''ve been at Yunxiang Base for a long time, and I''ve never heard of such exploration by the base, nor have I seen any reports about Inverse Universe bases!"
Gu Gang lowered his voice, saying, "We couldn''t have been mistaken. But if you say so, Captain, there''s only one possibility, the fortress doesn''t want others to know about that exploration or the existence of that base."
Tianyang, leaning against the column, felt a slight stir in his heart. Su Lie had hidden a suitcase in Gemstone Town, and there were traces of the fortress exploring the base beneath Hongni Town. Was there a connection between these two?
"But regardless, even if the fortress had explored it, we still hoped to find something valuable inside. In the end, we didn''t find wealth; instead, we found a tree." Gu Gang paused there, seemingly lost in his memories, silent.
Yun Ze eximed excitedly, "Could it be the Pir of Star Marrow?"
Gu Gang was momentarily lost in thought until Adam shook his shoulder, prompting him to raise his head. "No, it''s something else. Larger, more sinister. It resembled a nt but had human features. Moreover, with limited light at the time, I couldn''t see clearly, only vaguely discerning a silhouette resembling a tree. And..."
"And that thing was covered in fungi. Some of the fungi even formed human-like shapes, like countless humanoid worms tangled together. What''s even more terrifying is that when we opened the hall, those fungi spread towards us at a visible speed."
"One of my men was covered by the fungi and quickly suffocated because he couldn''t escape."
Adam looked shocked. "Are you saying those things parasitize humans?"
Gu Gang nodded grimly, his expression horrified. "Yes, I could even see them desperately growing mycelium into the bodies. Those things were too sinister, like beasts preying. And in the hall, I saw those fungi-covered branches of that strange tree prating the dome of the hall. They might have grown down to the ground!"
Adam stepped back two steps. "The earthquake happened about two months ago, and shortly after, the fungi in Gemstone Town suddenly became strange. Could it be rted to that base, because a passage to the surface was opened, releasing something?"
Gu Gang looked nkly at the Sun''s Spear team leader and asked, "What happened to the fungi in Gemstone Town?"
Wang Liangyi interrupted, "Forget about that for now. You continue. How did you encounter the Shadow Knights afterward?"
Gu Gang smiled bitterly. "We were terrified in that hall. Several people ignored my orders and fired at that strange tree. As a result, the tree emitted a bizarre sound. Soon after, the Shadow Knights and their entourage emerged. They hunted us in the base, and we fled all the way, but I was the only one who managed to escape from Hongni Town."
He shrugged. "You all know what happened next."
Wang Liangyi''s eyes sharpened. "So, you don''t even know what the Shadow Knights and their entourage were protecting?"
"I wish I knew. That way, my men wouldn''t have died in vain," Gu Gang shook his head. "But unfortunately, I really don''t know. We only explored about a quarter, or even less, before running into that strange tree. After that, we were chased by the Shadow Knights and their entourage. I don''t think those bastards with purple-red skin would tell us what they''re protecting!"
Chapter 105 - The Old Dark Creature
"Captain, you need toe and listen to this," said a member of the Sun Spear Squad, poking his head out of the Falcon vehicle.
Adam looked over. "What''s going on?"
The team member''s face looked troubled. "We can''t contact the base, and we''re receiving some strange signals."
Strange signals?
Tianyang suddenly had a bad premonition.
Adam walked over quickly. After exchanging a nce with Yun Ze and Wang Liangyi, they followed him. Finally, Tianyang and Gu Gang also squeezed next to the vehicle.
The vehicle''s door was open, and the control panel in the cockpit was ying a voice message, "...It''s so dark and cold... Where is this? Someonee save me. Can anyone hear me? I need help..."
The voice was mixed with electronic noise, with poor signal reception. There were asional sharp, scratching sounds against the wall, adding a sense of terror to the message.
Hearing this message, almost everyone could imagine a scene; in a dark and cold space, someone was anxiously seeking help while something nearby scraped a sharp object against the wall, filling the air with danger and fear.
Adam tapped on the control panel screen, trying to switch channels, but each one received the same message.
"This is very abnormal."
Adam jumped out of the vehicle, his thick brows nearly knitting together. "All channels are being interfered with. If that''s the case, we won''t be able to contact the base. At least, real-timemunication will be difficult."
Yun Ze asked, "Is it possible to contact the source?"
The team member in the vehicle shook his head. "Tried, but there was no response, only a mechanical repetition of the same content."
Adam turned back and said, "Then send an encrypted message to the base. That''s the only way we can proceed."
The team member nodded and began drafting the message.
Tianyang squeezed in. "I just remembered something. I was once involved in a Star Pir recovery mission. During the mission, we received a distress signal. But it turned out that the signal was sent by a type of dark creature. It posed as a living being and was able to interfere with electronic signals. I¡¯m not sure how it managed to do that."
Adam''s face tensed. "Are you suggesting that the signal we''re receiving now might be interference from a dark creature?"
Tianyang nodded vigorously. "It''s very likely."
Yun Ze eximed, "If that''s the case, their goal must be to iste us. My God, is this something dark creatures can do? Are they capable of tactics?"
Adam wasn''t surprised. "High-level dark creatures are intelligent beings, so it''s not surprising that they can use tactics. Mr. Wang Liangyi once said that there are three Shadow Knights in Gemstone Town. Those beings have the ability tomand dark creatures. It¡¯s normal for them to use certain tactics. But I didn¡¯t expect that dark creatures would have the kind of ability Tianyang mentioned."
Tianyang stepped forward. "If we don''t eliminate the interferer, we won¡¯t be able to contact the base. Even if we send encrypted messages, I doubt they won¡¯t be intercepted by the dark creature. Here¡¯s the n, I¡¯ll find and eliminate the interferer. I know what it looks like."
Adam hesitated before responding.
Yun Ze shook his head decisively. "Let my people handle this. You¡¯ve just been through a major battle; it¡¯s time for you to rest. Just share the information about the interferer with us, and I¡¯ll take care of the rest."
Tianyang looked at Adam, who nodded. The youth then described the horn-headed creature he had seen in Metropolis to Yun Ze and the others.
After receiving this information, Yun Ze quickly left to find an Ascender and sent them a signal tracker to handle the task.
Adam pulled Tianyang aside and said quietly, "He doesn¡¯t trust you."
"I know."
Tianyang sighed lightly. "He¡¯s worried that I might take the opportunity to run away once I leave the camp."
Adamughed. "This Yun family disciple is known for his cautious nature. Otherwise, the Yun family wouldn¡¯t have let such a young man manage the mines and base activities here."
Tianyang waved his hand, trying to dismiss the unpleasant thoughts. "Forget it, let¡¯s not worry about him. By the way, Adam, can you tell me about the Shadow Knight and their attendants? I haven¡¯t heard of such creatures before."
Adam found a clean spot to sit, pulled out two food bars, and handed one to Tianyang.
Tianyang shook his head. "I¡¯m not hungry."
"Eat!" Adam insisted, forcing the food into his hand. "On the battlefield, you never know when the enemy will strike, so whenever you have the chance, you need to rest and eat to be ready for the next attack."
Tianyang felt it made sense, so he tore open the packaging, and took a bite.
Adam bit into a piece of the food bar and chewed while saying, "The Shadow Knights and their attendants, as well as witches and treants, are ssified as ¡°Old Darkfolk.¡±
"Old Darkfolk?" Tianyang had never heard of this term before.
"Yes, Old Darkfolk." Adam took a sip from his water bottle. "In almost every Inverse Universe, there are some very ancient dark creatures. These beings have existed for a long time, and this type of dark creature usually has its own unique ¡±traditions.¡±¡±
"Take our Inverse Universe 127 as an example. Among the Old Darkfolk we''ve discovered, witches leave behind unique symbols wherever they go and bring certain worship practices to other dark creatures."
"As for Shadow Knights and their attendants, they typically reside in sealed spaces. Their tradition is to protect certain things¡ªthings they believe to be important, or things designated by some other force."
"But what distinguishes Old Darkfolk from their peers is that tradition is just one characteristic. The most important feature is that these dark creatures show almost no signs of evolution."
Tianyang was taken aback and took another bite of his food bar after a moment. "So, do other dark creatures show signs of evolution?"
"Exactly." Adam finished the remaining food bar quickly. "During our exploration of the Inverse Universe, we''ve discovered some things, such as some frozen dark creatures. Not in our current Inverse Universe, since exploration here is still new and we haven¡¯t found such things yet. But in some of the higher-numbered Inverse Universe, simr discoveries have been made."
"Corpses, images, textual information... these all indicate that there are some very ancient types of dark creatures. They have stopped evolving, retaining certain behavioral habits that have been passed down. These are known as Old Darkfolk."
"Other dark creatures, however, evolve and adapt over time. Take Mad Dogs and Mysterious Archers, for instance. Fifty years ago, Mad Dogs were half the size they are now, and they mostly resembled young ones. As for Mysterious Archers, when they were first discovered, they used bone arrows. Now, they not only use firearms but energy-based weapons."
Tianyang frowned. "In just fifty years, the rate of evolution is so rapid?"
Adam sighed heavily. "Yes, and some researchers of the Inverse Universe believe that while we explore these realms, we are also stimting the ecological systems of these dark worlds. The Inverse Universe adjust the evolution speed and extent of dark creature in response to these stimuli tobat us*¡±invaders.¡±*"
Tianyang remained silent, suddenly feeling that perhaps people should give up on exploring the Inverse Universe. Unfortunately, this was not a decision he could make alone.
Moreover, as long as the Inverse Universe held Star Pirs and resources not found in the outside world, people¡¯s enthusiasm for exploration wouldn¡¯t be stopped.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The sound of building explosions came from outside the camp. These were the obstacles Adam had previously set up to hinder the dark creatures.
Adam stood up, and Tianyang followed him to the rooftop of a small building. From here, they saw a cloud of dust rising near the camp. The surrounding streets had mostly been sealed off, leaving only one road leading out of town.
If there were no surprises, explosives would be nted on that road. This would dy the dark creatures if they needed to withdraw from the town.
Through the rolling dust, Tianyang vaguely saw some figures moving towards the camp. Using his tactical vision to zoom in, he saw that they were members of the Sun Spear, but they appeared to be in a panic as if something was chasing them.
The next moment, Adam¡¯smunicator rang. "Captain, they¡¯reing! Wanderers, arge number of Wanderers areing!"
Adam took a sharp breath and shouted down the stairs, "The dark creatures areunching a second wave of attack. All personnel, prepare for battle!"
He repeated this several times.
The personnel who were resting in the camp jumped up upon hearing Adam''s rm, quickly grabbing their equipment and headed to their positions.
Tianyang also took out the Death Knell, infused it with Star Essence, loaded three bullets, and then drank a bottle of replenishing liquid.
Adam nced at the enormous handgun with curiosity, wondering how Tianyang had suddenly acquired such an exaggerated weapon. But there was no time to waste. The blond, muscr man jumped down to personally oversee the camp''s defense.
Before long, the personnel who had gone out to set traps and demolish buildings returned, quickly joining the camp¡¯s defense.
Tianyang took up a position on a section of the wall. The Ascender, who had been assigned to protect this line of defense, had been sent by Yun Ze to eliminate the interference signals. Tianyang took over his duties, leaving the machine gun firepoint on the rooftop to a regr soldier.
In the camp, everyone was on high alert. Before long, from the front where the buildings had been blown up, Wanderers began to crawl out of windows, doors, and other gaps.
They moved stiffly and shakily, but their steps were determined as they approached the camp.
Adam shouted, "These things are just cannon fodder. Don¡¯t waste too much energy on them. Open fire only when they get closer, especially snipers; your targets are the more dangerous Mysterious Archers. Don¡¯t waste ammunition and energy on the cannon fodder."
On the wall, Tianyang silently drew the Crimson Moon Warde and held an assault rifle in the other hand. His job was to deal with any Mad Dogs or attendants that tried to scale the wall, ensuring they didn¡¯t breach the camp.
However, Tianyang found it strange that in the ck tide that had already spread across the street, there were only Wanderers everywhere. Not only were there no Shadow Knight, but there weren¡¯t even any Mad Dogs to be seen¡
Chapter 106 - The Demeanor of the Great
A few minutester, a Wanderer triggered a proximity mine set by the soldiers at the front of the camp, and a burst of mes erupted. The explosion obliterated a small group of Wanderers.
Explosions like this continued to ur in front of the camp. The Sun Spear Squad, even the soldiers, were experienced fighters, and the mines they set were carefully designed.
With limited ammunition, they precisely calcted the explosive power of the proximity mines and cleverly designed their cement to maximize the damage.
However, despite the sight of Wanderers being blown to pieces, no one, including Adam, could find joy in it.
This attack wasposed solely of Wanderers, with no other dark creatures in sight.
It was clear that the dark creature¡¯smander intended to use the Wanderers to deplete human ammunition, but knowing this, the camp couldn¡¯t just ignore the threat.
After all, if Wanderers breached the defense line, they wouldn¡¯t give up on the "delicacies" right in front of them!
Reluctantly, Adam signaled for an attack. Thus, apart from the two snipers, everyone else continued to fire at the iing ck tide.
The number of Wanderers was even greater than before. Fortunately, Adam had ordered the demolition of buildings, blocking several streets and alleys. This prevented the Wanderers from advancing inrge numbers and quickly, forcing them to scatter and crawl through windows and gaps in the buildings before converging on the camp.
This significantly reduced the pressure on the defense line.
It allowed the defense fire to be conducted in an alternating manner, saving ammunition as much as possible.
Since the camp was unaware of when the truly dangerous units like Mysterious Archers and Shadow Attendants would appear, Adam instructed the Elemental Heart Ascenders to stay put. These powerful Ascenders capable of creating battlefield storms couldn¡¯t afford to waste their Star Essence on Wanderers.
Even Tianyang, who was stationed on the wall to prevent Wanderers from getting too close, was encouraged to avoid using Star Essence if possible. Instead, he used his rifle or weapons to destroy any approaching enemies.
The battle continued for nearly six hours, and when the streets outside the camp were almost submerged in the ck, rotting sludge of Wanderer corpses, the attack finally ceased, with the remaining Wanderers staggering away.
Some Wanderers that still lingered on the streets were cleared out by the soldiers.
Despite driving back the dark creatures with a decisive victory, no one could smile.
Ammo reserves were now less than thirty percent.
During the lull as the dar creatures withdrew, soldiers replenished proximity mines, repaired temporary barricades, and reinforced defense structures.
Tianyang sat on the wall, quietly drinking water from his canteen.
He identally saw Yun Ze jump down from the family¡¯s vehicle to find Wang Liangyi, who seemed to be discussing something.
But seeing Yun Ze¡¯s dejected profile, it was clear that the prominent family member was not in a good mood, likely because of some problem.
The two then went to consult with Adam. Tianyang withdrew his gaze, checked his rations, which couldst for two or three more days, and closed his eyes to rest.
After a while, he felt a slight movement and woke up to see Adam¡¯s bulky form clumsily climbing over the wall.
The blonde giant sat down beside Tianyang, his heavy armor ufortable but seemingly not removed. His thick legs hung over the edge of the wall.
¡°Lost contact.¡±
Adam shook his head and threw a stone.
Although his words seemed disjointed, Tianyang could infer a bi. ¡°So, the Ascenders sent to eliminate the interference haven¡¯t returned?¡±
¡°Yeah.¡± The burly man¡¯s voice was heavy with concern. ¡°The Yun family has lost contact with them, but Yun Ze is confident in his people, iming it¡¯s only a temporary issue.¡±
Tianyang¡¯s lips curled slightly. ¡°But it seems you don¡¯t have much faith in them.¡±
Adam smiled, his expression tinged with helplessness. ¡°What can I do? After all, it¡¯s the Yun family. I can¡¯t openly criticize them. I have to give them some face.¡±
Tianyang looked at the buildings faintly visible through the swirling ck mist. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the Shadow Knights, Mr. Wang Liangyi could be sent out, and we might be able to contact the base now.¡±
Adam nodded heavily. ¡°That¡¯s the troubling part. There are three Shadow Knights outside. If we risk sending Wang Liangyi out and theyunch a full-scale attack, our defenses might not hold for even a minute.¡±
¡°Are Shadow Knights very powerful? Aren¡¯t you a level 4 Ascender? Can¡¯t you handle them?¡±
¡°I could manage to hold off one at most, but without team support, it¡¯s hard to take down the opponent quickly. With three Shadow Knights outside, we need Wang Liangyi to stay put.¡±
Tianyang reminded him, ¡°Even if you want to maintain Yun¡¯s family¡¯s reputation, if the interference isn¡¯t resolved soon, it¡¯s uncertain how long we can hold out.¡±
¡°I understand that.¡± Adam crossed his arms, ¡°And I also know that if we can¡¯t contact the base for a long time, even if we hold the camp, people will lose confidence. So I have a n¡¡±
Tianyang looked at him.
Eight hourster, dark creatures attacked again. This time, in addition to therge number of Wanderers serving as cannon fodder, there were agile Mad Dogs and Mysterious Archers providing fire support.
Yun Ze also joined the battlefield, along with several Elemental Heart Ascenders responsible for suppressing the enemy¡¯s fire.
The Shadow Knights and their Attendants still hadn¡¯t shown up, keeping Wang Liangyi firmly in the camp. To prevent a Shadow Knight raid, Wang Liangyi couldn¡¯t take action throughout the battle.
After the battle ended, Yun Ze¡¯s lips were cracked, and the bloodshot veins in his eyes were much more pronounced than before.
If he was in such a state, the other soldiers were even worse off.
The Sun Spear Squad fared better, having been seasoned by the battlefield. Despite their disheveled appearance, their eyes still held a glimmer of determination.
The Frost Cloud Guards were in worse shape. As Adam had previously assessed, their situation was now proving his evaluation correct.
ustomed to cleanliness and convenient tools, they were now covered in grime due to the battle. Some equipment had been damaged by the Mysterious Archers, and their ingrained habits made them ill-suited to the current environment.
Their morale was severely affected, and their frequent nces at the gates indicated their anxietypared to the Sun Spear Squad.
All signs pointed to the Frost Cloud Guards reaching their psychological and physical limits.
At this time, there was still no news from the Ascender sent to eliminate the interference.
Three hourster, Yun Ze could no longer sit still and approached Wang Liangyi.
¡°Mr. Wang, it might be time for you to take action.¡±
Yun Ze looked resigned. He knew that Wang Liangyi was a key asset of the family. His father, Yun Sheng, had made significant sacrifices to bring this asset to his side.
It was meant to protect him and provide a strong ally to quickly umte merit.
Now was the time to use this key asset, even though Yun Ze was reluctant. He had no other choice.
Wang Liangyi seemed to have been waiting for Yun Ze¡¯s words. ¡°Indeed, we can¡¯t dy any longer. Our ammunition is almost depleted, and the temporary fortifications are beyond repair. This defense line is no longer solid. If we can¡¯t contact the base, I¡¯ll have to do what¡¯s necessary.¡±
Yun Ze knew what he meant. If the situation worsened, Wang Liangyi would abandon everyone else and focus on taking Yun Ze back to the base.
While this would likely ensure their return to the base, it would tarnish the Yun family¡¯s reputation and affect Yun Ze¡¯s future.
If the Yun family patriarch developed a poor opinion of him, it could even impact his inheritance rights. Therefore, Yun Ze would avoid this course of action unless absolutely necessary.
As they were discussing, footsteps approached, clearlying their way.
Yun Ze had to stop speaking and turned to see Adam and Tianyang approaching.
¡°Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Yun.¡± Adam got straight to the point. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, your people haven¡¯t returned yet. We need to consider alternative ns.¡±
Yun Ze forced a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Captain Adam; I¡¯m already discussing this with Mr. Wang Liangyi.¡±
Adam wasn¡¯t surprised and said inly, ¡°If you want Mr. Wang to deal with the interference, I wouldn¡¯t rmend it. Once Mr. Wang leaves, if the Shadow Knights attack, we¡¯ll be in serious trouble.¡±
Wang Liangyi said gravely, ¡°I¡¯ll return before the Shadow Knights arrive.¡±
¡°But that would deplete Mr. Wang¡¯s Star Essence significantly. Moreover, with the number of Shadow Knights, Mr. Wang might end up in a tough fight.¡±
Wang Liangyi frowned. ¡°But staying here won¡¯t help either. It¡¯s better to take a risk.¡±
Adam smiled and pushed Tianyang forward. ¡°Let Tianyang handle the interference. I know Mr. Yun has concerns, but I trust him. He won¡¯t drag everyone down at this critical moment.¡±
Tianyang quickly drew a dagger, causing Wang Liangyi to step forward and slightly block Yun Ze.
Unexpectedly, Tianyang reversed the dagger and handed it to Yun Ze. ¡°This is my mother¡¯s heirloom. I¡¯m leaving it with you for now. Make sure to return it to me when Ie back.¡±
Yun Ze took it, nced at it, and, after a moment of silence, returned the dagger to Tianyang. ¡°Since it¡¯s your mother¡¯s heirloom, I can¡¯t ept such an important item. You keep it. I trust you.¡±
This oue surprised Tianyang.
At this moment, Yun Ze disyed some of the demeanor expected of a prominent family member.
Wang Liangyi was still concerned. ¡°Even if you let him handle the interference, he¡¯s only a level 1 Ascender, right? The person Mr. Yun sent out was a level 2 swordsman, and he went missing. Sending this young man might be just as dangerous.¡±
Adam agreed with a nod but shifted the topic. ¡°That¡¯s why we need to make some arrangements, such as...¡±
Chapter 107 - The General Assault
On the rooftop of a building, amidst the swirling ck mist, a foot covered in deep purple slimended on the surface.
The foot had distinct human features but was covered with scales, and its thick, curved ws dug into the ground.
The slime oozed out from the scales on the foot...
Hiss¡ª
A low, beastly growl echoed through the mist. In the deep haze, faint yellow lights flickered, like a few small yellow bulbs glowing in the fog.
When a wolf-like head emerged from the mist, it became clear that the yellow lights came from six beastly eyes on the creature''s head.
These eyes, glowing with a faint yellow light and marked with deep brown vertical stripes, looked in different directions. The creature, with six legs resembling human limbs but with a beastly head, was apanied by a towering figure.
Wearing heavy metal armor smeared with various stains, including what looked like skin tissues and uneven scratches, the figure¡¯s exposed parts had noticeable purplish-red skin. Underneath, ck veins bulged and wriggled like worms, with no one knowing if they carried blood or something else...
In its left hand, it held a rough but extremely heavy shield; in its right, it held a long-handled heavy weapon, resembling a battle-axe with intertwined iron chains. The chains'' ends were adorned with the skulls of various creatures, most notably human ones.
Two eerie red lights glowed within the visor, as if the knight had emerged from a mysterious abyss. When it reached the edge of the rooftop, a purplish-red light subtly surrounded it.
This light, like mist, dispersed the surrounding ck fog. It became apparent that the knight was not riding the beast; instead, it was fused with it into a single, inseparable entity!
At this moment, the knight gazed into the distance. The mist of the Inverse Universe couldn¡¯t obstruct its view. Through the crimson haze, it clearly saw the distant human camp.
The camp¡¯s bonfires made the knight instinctively loathe them. It yearned to rush into the camp, extinguish the mes, and ughter the humans. Yet, it could restrain this impulse¡ªthis was the difference between high-ranking dark creatures andd lower-level monsters.
For over twenty hours, the knight had been monitoring the camp. It knew that a powerful Ascender resided in the base, preventing it from acting recklessly and forcing it to rely on the lower-ranked dark creatures to assault the camp and exhaust human forces.
Ancient knowledge, whose origins were unknown, warned the knight that with one or two more assaults, the camp would copse.
At that moment, the knight saw a figure leaving the human camp. It was a man with hawk-like sharp eyes¡ªthe very human warrior the knights feared.
For some unknown reason, this warrior had left the camp and entered a zone out of the knight¡¯s sight.
Without a human stronghold, the human camp was like a beast with its fangs pulled, no longer a threat.
Thus, the knight knew it was time to attack!
The warm scent and sweet flesh of humans made the knight unbearably hungry, but it controlled the raging desire in its chest.
Suddenly, the giant wolf-like head beneath its waist opened its nasal passages, stretching the lower jaw downward into a triangr mouth.
Inside this mouth,yers of yellow light illuminated the space, revealing several flesh-spiked, snake-tongue-like appendages.
These tongues quivered in unison, producing a silent roar that only dark creatures could hear.
In a building somewhere in town, several Wanderers aimlessly wandered through corridors and rooms. When the silent roar sounded, they stopped.
Momentster, the Wanderers turned around and exited the building through windows and doors.
These swaying figures quickly merged with others emerging from buildings, forming a filthy, gue-like river flowing toward the human camp.
In the flowing ck river, the barking of wild dogs began to rise as the man-faced mad dogs joined the horde. These beasts, aggressive by nature, were unwilling to move slowly like the Wanderers.
Thus, these vile creatures pushed aside the Wanderers, with therger female dogs even biting off the limbs of Wanderers that obstructed their path.
The Mysterious Archers with goat-like faces wereparatively quieter. These creatures, with bodies mutated into firearms, had excellent jumping abilities.
This allowed them to easily leap over buildings, whether intact or damaged.
Passing over the filthy river was evidently easier, so the Mysterious Archers arrived at the knight''s designated position earlier than other dark creatures.
Seeing that the path was blocked by human demolition, this time the ck river didn¡¯t need to pass through narrow windows or scattered gaps in buildings.
Amotion erupted behind the ck River as the shadowy retainers dragged their heavy metal weapons toward them. If the Wanderers or Mad Dogs didn''t clear the way in time, they would be swept away by the retainers.
The unlucky ones were not only dismembered but also had their will cages smashed by the retainers!
At every intersection, two or three retainers worked together, arriving at obstacles and wildly smashing their weapons.
The purple-red mist emanating from the retainers grew thicker and spread further with their increasing aggression, driving the dark creatures who inhaled the mist into a frenzied rage. They joined in the destruction, using their ws, teeth, and every avable part to help the retainers clear the obstacles in their path.
Thus, toward the human camp, soldiers began hearing the scratching sounds from afar and the rumbling thuds of pounding!
On the camp¡¯s wall, a soldier took out binocrs and looked outside in night vision mode. On the other side of the street, a wall that had previously blocked the path suddenly crumbled into pieces.
Large and small stones scattered on the ground, and from the huge gap, he saw three shadowy retainers raising their weapons and roaring silently!
In the next moment, the Wanderers surged around the retainers like a ck mudflow. Mad dogs ran through the river of ck mud, trampling over the obstructive Wanderers beneath their paws.
However, the first to attack were the enigmatic archers. A ck-red beam shot towards the soldier, and before he could even think of a desperate thought, the beam pierced through the binocrs and his head, causing his body to fall from the wall!
"They¡¯re here! They¡¯reing!" Adam roared. "Don¡¯t let your guard down; this is a general assault! They¡¯re going to crush us with all their might!"
"Use all your strength! Don¡¯t conserve ammunition. If we don¡¯t survive this, there will be no future!"
"Therefore!" Adam looked at the approaching ck tide, drew his longsword, and pointed it at the enemy. "Strike hard!"
The few automatic cannons on the rooftop roared first, with the muzzles spitting out long, bright mes. The powerful bullets formed a wild metal storm, sweeping across the dark creatures pouring down the street.
Wanderers and Mad Dogs were instantly taken down inrge numbers. The bodies, with their will cages shattered, began to disintegrate. Even those with only half their bodies left still used their hands and teeth, crawling with all their might toward the human camp.
Several Elemental Heart Level 2 warriors, led by Yun Ze, threw elemental light guns over the surrounding wall.
The gray-white elemental spears arced over the courtyard wall and, after reaching the highest point, fell onto the ck-d enemy forces, causing bursts of gray elemental storms.
Two Level 3 me Emissaries, working together, unleashed a massive explosion. An orange-red, scorching fireball rose in the center of the enemy formation, and when the energy reached its critical point, it released uncontrobly, resulting in a violent explosion.
The superheated fire waves consumed the dark entities, turning their bodies and will cages into charred remains in an instant!
Sensor mines, ster rifles, and even ster heavy artillery were deployed. The shes and mes of human weapons were clearly visible even in the misty, dark city!
The fortress-level Gu Gang continuously cast Ster Barrier spells on the War God-level Sublimators. The Star Essence flowed out of the bald man¡¯s body like a stream and was easily depleted. After Adam donned a barrier, only a small portion of Gu Gang¡¯s Star Essence remained.
Even so, after taking a replenishment potion, he put on Star Essence armor. Armed with a gauntlet and shield, he charged to the front line with other melee Sublimators.
Adam had long been stationed at the very front. He bore the brunt of the line¡¯s pressure, and once he started his first strike with his longsword, he didn¡¯t stop.
Amidst the flying sword shadows, a mass of dark creaturesid in front of the Western man. Despite this, the darkness before him was still so dense, like a mountain crushing him.
At this moment, Adam suddenly felt a jolt, cleaving through the skull of a Mad Dog. The captain of the Sun Spear Squad looked up, using the flickering mes to view the distant battlefield.
In the distance, a dense shadow surged into the dark enemy forces, and a floating red light emitted a cold and brutal killing intent!
Just then, a ster artillery shell flew across the battlefield andnded around that shadow. In the ensuing explosion, a heavily armed, shadowy knight appeared in Adam¡¯s view.
A man with short golden hair immediately shouted a warning. "Watch out, the Shadow Knight ising! Artillery, aim and fire!"
As soon as the words were spoken, a blue shell flew overhead, directly smashing towards the shadowy knight.
The Shadow Knight calmly raised his arm, swinging his heavy weapon in a circle, and then struck the ster artillery shell with a purple glow!
The shell exploded, sending a burst of blue mes across the battlefield. Amid the blue fire, the shadowy knight emerged unscathed¡
Chapter 108 - Whispers Behind the Door
The Shadow Knight¡¯s strike shattered the ster heavy artillery, and such power caused the morale of the human camp to plummet.
Especially the Frost Cloud Guard soldiers, whose eyes were filled with deep despair.
Fortunately, at this moment, a powerful aura erupted from the defense line.
Adam!
The Star Essence radiating from him was as intense as a silver me. The Level 4 captain took the initiative to charge forward, confronting the advancing Shadow Knight.
At this moment, a crimson glow flickered in Adam''s eyes, and a dazzling silver light surged from his right wrist.
The golden-haired man, filled with fierce battle intent, emanated an invisible aura that swirled like a storm!
As the two were about to sh in the center of the battlefield, Adam struck first, roaring as he swung his sword.
When the longsword descended, a torrent of silver light erupted from its tip, turning any dark creature blocking the knight into sand.
After all, this silver light carried the power of [Shatter]!
Faced with the onught of silver light, the Shadow Knight raised its rough and heavy shield. The surrounding purple-red mist quickly condensed into a purple shield before the shield.
The silver torrent crashed against this shield like a raging tide against rocks, but instead of breaking the tide, it shattered the rocks!
Indeed, the shield was immediately covered in fine cracks from the silver light. It shattered instantly, and the residual force struck the knight¡¯s shield, which also couldn¡¯t withstand the impact of the Shatter field and broke into pieces.
The Shadow Knight didn¡¯t hesitate to discard the crumbling shield and switched its long weapon from one hand to two, swinging it from left to right and sending a purple tide towards Adam.
Adam quickly crouched and rolled to avoid the mid-section strike. Before he could catch his breath, the knight¡¯s lower half, resembling a giant wolf¡¯s head, snapped at him.
The jaws, glowing yellow, trembled with terrifying hisses.
Adam didn¡¯t dodge; he thrust his longsword into the jaws, severing several of the fine tongues inside.
The Shadow Knight immediately retreated, and a ck, gooey substance poured out from the beast beneath it. An angry roar echoed from beneath the helmet.
Swinging its heavy weapon, the Shadow Knight charged again.
While Adam was engaged with this knight, two more Shadow Knights raced in from the left and right sides of the camp.
They looked slightly different, but overall, they were human-beast hybrids, surrounded by misty purple light with a cold and malevolent aura.
The appearance of these knights caused the morale of the human camp to plummet even further.
Just one Shadow Knight had already been a challenge for Adam. Now, with no Level 4 Sublimators left in the camp, things were looking grim!
At this moment, a wind suddenly rose on the battlefield, which quickly transformed into a powerful storm!
An overwhelming amount of pressure appeared on the battlefield, instantly attracting the attention of the two Shadow Knights.
One of the knights turned to look, and in its crimson vision, a sword appeared out of nowhere, floating towards it.
The seemingly light strike, without needing any special defense, might not even crack its helmet.
But the knight suddenly moved away, using the legs of the beast beneath it to push off. The ground caved in where it had been standing, and the knight leaped away.
Thus, the sword struck nothing.
Yet, in the next second, a straight but very fine crack appeared in the ground.
The crack, barely wider than a hair, extended dozens of meters deep into the earth, splitting the entireyer.
If the knight hadn¡¯t moved away, it would likely have been split in half, like the ground!
At this point, Wang Liangyi''s figure emerged from the ck mist. He casually swung at another Shadow Knight, even though he was far from it, making the action seem pointless.
However, between him and the knight, the dark creatures filling the battlefield nearly simultaneously froze, their bodies shifting and falling apart.
Like mowing grass, the dark creatures¡¯ bodies split apart. Even if some will cages were intact, only half of their bodies remained.
The Shadow Knight raised its heavy shield, the purple mist howling as it formed a barrier.
But all this was shattered in an instant!
The knight¡¯s barrier, shield, and arm holding the shield were all split in two!
The two Shadow Knights finally realized that defeating Wang Liangyi or even just dying him was extremely difficult with just their own strength.
They also understood that Wang Liangyi¡¯s earlier departure from the camp was just to lure them out of the darkness.
From within the helmets of the Shadow Knights and the jaws of the beast beneath them came threatening roars. They began to charge, the long weapons swirling with dense purple mist, like dragging a ball of purple-red mes.
As they gathered around Wang Liangyi, two balls of purple mes rose, simultaneously attacking the human warrior!
A blinding light and a more intense, explosive wind suddenly lit up the battlefield!
Even from two streets away, Tianyang could see the piercing light cutting through the thick ck mist and hear the deep, heavy roar of the wind.
The young man frowned slightly, as the sounds and intense light from the camp indicated that the battle there was extremely fierce.
It seemed Adam¡¯s n had deviated.
ording to the Western man¡¯s n, Wang Liangyi was supposed to deliberately leave the camp to lure the Shadow Knights out, thus easing Tianyang¡¯s burden.
But Adam didn¡¯t anticipate that while the Shadow Knights did appear, theyunched a full-scale attack and their numbers exceeded his expectations.
Tianyang didn¡¯t know the exact pressure the camp was facing now, but he knew that every minute and second were precious.
Without wasting any time, the young man carried the signal tracker and moved through the mist-covered town.
Soon, Tianyang stopped as the tracker indicated that the strange signal interfering with all channels was inside the building ahead.
The small building before him appeared to be some sort of open-ess structure. The door had a dark blue que with reversed text and a badge.
The ss door was marked with a blue stripe, and upon entering, there was arge hall inside.
On the wall directly opposite the door, there were stains, and the reversed text and badge were somewhat obscured.
In front of the wall was a row of metal cabs, still retaining their original shape. The cabs held ck instruments.
Most of the screens on these instruments were shattered and damaged, and they were scattered haphazardly, covered in dust.
In front of the cabs were several chairs, giving the ce ayout simr to a business hall in an upper-ss storage establishment.
To the right of the hall was a small door leading further inside the building.
The small door was slightly ajar, and Tianyang pushed it open.
The light revealed a corridor, with a carpet stillid out. Of course, after years of neglect, the carpet was soiled and its original color was barely discernible.
At this moment, a faint voice came from deep within the corridor: ¡°... I¡¯m here; someone help me¡¡±
The soft, low murmur, like a whisper, sent shivers down Tianyang¡¯s spine, as if he were being crawled over by a bug in the middle of a deep sleep.
Tianyangposed himself, lowering the gun so that the light from the attachment would only illuminate the area around his feet.
He crouched and moved silently along the wall without windows, advancing like a cat.
After a moment, he stopped, noticing that the carpet ahead had visible signs of being wet. Under the light, the carpet was damp, and Tianyang extended a finger to lightly touch it.
When he withdrew his finger, it was stained with blood!
Looking ahead into the darkness of the corridor, Tianyang¡¯s expression grew serious.
¡°... So dark, so cold¡¡±
The barely audible voice drifted through the corridor like a ghost¡¯sment in a graveyard, with a hint of resentment flowing through the words.
Apanied by the ethereal, ghostly words, a faint but sharp scratching sound came simultaneously.
This reminded Tianyang of the first time he encountered the spreader, who had disguised itself as a woman and used its long, sharp nails to scratch the walls, producing a sound simr to what he heard now.
Finally reaching the end of the corridor, he found a room.
The door was tightly shut. The light revealed that the area below the doorframe was stained with blood. A foul odor, reminiscent of dead rats, wafted from inside, making Tianyang¡¯s stomach churn.
Holding his breath, the young man gently pushed the door open. It wasn¡¯t locked and slowly opened a small gap.
As soon as he opened it, a hand reached out through the gap.
Tianyang was startled and almost fired, but the light shining through the gap revealed it was a severed arm.
The break was bloody and mangled, with even the white bones still attached to the flesh.
Tianyang¡¯s scalp tingled, and he could roughly guess the nature of the world behind the door.
¡°Is anyone there? I need help¡¡±
The voice from inside the room came again, filled with pleading and desperation, making one want to rush in to rescue.
Tianyang carefully suppressed his impulse, raising his hand to push the door open further.
The light revealed an office-like space inside, with desks and chairs overturned and various unidentifiable instruments scattered on the floor.
The floor, desks, chairs, instruments, and even flower pots were sttered with dark red blood. The stuff seemed not yet congealed, making it look thick and disgusting!
Human body parts were strewn all over the ce, like discarded food waste, emitting an unbearable stench.
Near the door, Tianyang saw a head. It had been partially bitten off, and the remaining half was filled with terror.
The eyes were wide, almost popping out, forever frozen in a scene of despair from before death.
Tianyang recognized the face¡ªit was one of the Sublimators sent by Yun Ze to eliminate the interference.
¡°Where is this? Please, someone help me¡¡±
The voice came from above.
Tianyang held the assault rifle with one hand and reached for the hilt of the Crimson Moon Warde with the other. He then slowly raised the gun. The light from the attachment projected a beam that climbed the walls, covered with winding bloodstains and fragments of human tissue.
After a moment, the light finally reached the ceiling. As the beam moved, a hand suddenly appeared in the light and quickly retreated back into the darkness¡
Chapter 109 - Desperate and Evil
Before Tianyang could move the light, a heavy, dull thud came from above. He swiftly jumped backward, leaping out of the door and onto the corridor outside.
Only then did he shine the light.
Instantly, an indescribable figure appeared in the light. It was as bizarre, twisted, evil, and terrifying as the ck entity encountered in the metropolis that interfered with electronic signals. This entity had a horn-like head.
Unlike the previous ck entity, this creature had multiple arms and legs, and Tianyang could even see several human faces on its body.
The faces'' mouths moved incessantly, producing a continuous, fragmented murmur, ¡°Where is this? Please help me¡¡±
¡°...I¡¯m here; someone help me¡¡±
¡°Help! Help!¡±
If there were a mirror, Tianyang would bet his face looked awful. Despite having participated in several missions and witnessed the so-called [ck Prince] in Valley Town, this creature still made him extremely ufortable.
Its body seemed like a patchwork of damaged human bodies. One section even had a silver-white uniform from the Yun n¡¯s guards!
At this moment, the entity opened its body, stretching out the stitched-together human forms with its massive, powerful muscles.
The monster then transformed into a form resembling an octopus, with a ¡°tentacle¡± formed by entwined arms and thighs, striking out from the door like a thick boot, aiming at Tianyang!
The young man sidestepped and fired the assault rifle. As he avoided the attack, he activated the continuous fire mode, sending bursts of azure light into the monster''s body.
The beams of starlight energy easily pierced through the monster, leaving beautiful blue specks at the edges of the wounds, resembling a starry sky.
Despite its bizarre appearance, this ck entity that interfered with electronic signals was not particrly strong. It was weaker than even the purplish-skinned dark sentinels and certainly less formidable than the mad dogs.
It seemed their abilities were focused on signal interference, so their physical strength couldn¡¯t match that of other ck entities. As a result, this monster was forced to retreat under the assault rifle''s fire.
Suddenly, the horned head of the creature turned toward Tianyang.
A strong sense of danger surged through him. He dashed toward a window on the left side of the corridor while directing the rifle to fire a beam at the creature¡¯s strange head.
An inaudible high-frequency sound wave emanated from the horned head, creating ripples that filled every inch of the corridor.
ss from doors and windows shattered, spraying like bullets. Large cracks extended across the walls of the corridor, quickly covering them!
The sound waves abruptly stopped as the starlight beam struck the horned head. It seemed the creature''s will cage was located within that horned head.
After the beam pierced through it, the muscle bundles beneath the monster began to rot and decay, causing the tangled human bodies to fall apart.
Momentster, the office inside the door was filled with a thick, ck sludge, with damaged human bodies floating on top.
Tianyang got up from the floor, his vision heavily blurred. He shook his head to focus.
He then felt something warm and sticky flowing from his nose and ears. After checking and shining the light on his hand, he found it covered in blood.
Sitting down against the wall, Tianyang felt slightly weak.
If he hadn¡¯t dodged in time and crashed through the window into the room, he might have been turned into mush by those high-frequency sound waves.
Currently, bleeding from the nose and ears was a minor injury.
After resting for a while, Tianyang took out hismunicator, hoping to contact the camp, but there was no response. It seemed the battle at the camp was intense, with no extra manpower avable formunication.
The young man put away themunicator, braced himself against the window sill, and stood up. He nced at the remains in the room, finding nothing worth recovering, and headed back the way he came.
He needed to return to the battle. Although the battlefield likely had no shortage of Sublimators at his level, he still needed to rejoin the fight.
Back in the small building''s hall, as he was about to exit, a puff of dust fell before Tianyang¡¯s eyes.
His pupils constricted slightly. Without wasting time looking up, he jumped backward like a projectile. Just as he moved, arge shadow swept across his previous position.
Several silver hairs floated in the air.
Tianyang crouched on the ground, his bangs now shorter by a section. If he had been even half a second slower, it wouldn¡¯t have been just a few hairs missing, but perhaps his whole face.
His heart pounded heavily, like a drumbeat echoing through the hall. Indescribable fear gripped him tightly.
Though he saw nothing, Tianyang knew this unexpected visitor was no ordinary threat.
Suddenly, the ground shook, making Tianyang feel as though he were drunk. He quickly pressed his hand against the floor to steady himself.
The next moment, something fell from above the building,nding with a dull thud in the open space outside the door.
The ss door shattered instantly, and several cracks extended from outside into the hall, one even reaching Tianyang¡¯s feet!
Looking outside through the swirling dust, Tianyang saw several points of yellow light.
Then came a whistling sound of heavy objects sweeping, followed by a gust of wind that blew away the dust and made Tianyang''s silver hair flutter backward.
The swirling, mist-like purple-red glow allowed Tianyang to see without the light that this was abination of a human and a mount.
The armor, forged from an unknown metal, was thick and disheartening. The metal spikes on the armor were all straight and disorderly.
Supporting this armor was a body with purplish-red skin. It had the same skin color as the dark sentinels but was significantly stronger.
The upper body was human-like, but from the waist down, it merged with the body of a beast, resembling a lion or tiger. The lower half, like a mount, had seven legs.
Indeed, the number of limbs was asymmetrical, but the human-like feet were hardly pleasing to the eye.
Especially the beastly head, with petals-like ps around the nose and mouth area and a split tongue that looked like flower stamens, was particrly revolting.
Even though Tianyang had never seen such a thing before, he knew very clearly what he was dealing with.
A Shadow Knight!
The boy was unsure if there was now an additional Shadow Knight or if one had been lost attacking the camp.
In any case, when two crimson lights appeared beneath the knight¡¯s thick helmet, Tianyang knew he had to flee!
Without any intention of fighting, he turned and ran, unleashing his star energy at its maximum speed.
Tianyang had no intention of confronting the Shadow Knight; it was beyond his capability, at least, at this moment.
As he moved, the Shadow Knight outside also acted. Its nearly three-meter-high body charged toward the small building like a war chariot. The structure couldn''t withstand the knight''s pressure, causing the hall''s main entrance and the second-floor walls to copse entirely.
The knight paid no heed to whether this would topple the building. Amidst the swirling dust and falling debris, it locked onto Tianyang. With its seven-legged mount, the knight forcefully crashed into the building, advancing deeply.
Boom!
As Tianyang ran through the corridor, a tremendous noise came from behind. The ground shook violently, and the right wall began to copse in pieces.
Without turning back, Tianyang could imagine the scene of the knight smashing through the building.
This small building was doomed!
In the blink of an eye, Tianyang had dashed into the office where the horned head had been. He raised his gun and fired continuous shots with the assault rifle, sting the wall ahead into a mess of holes.
Tianyang didn¡¯t stop. He mmed into the wall, creating a breach.
Amidst the flying debris, he emerged onto a street. After rolling a few times to dissipate the impact, he sprang up just as a loud crash came from behind.
The Shadow Knight had emerged from the narrow alley, wielding a thick shield, and plowed through all obstacles. It also smashed the low buildings on either side of the alley.
Tianyang turned, raised his gun, and fired several beams, hoping to dy the knight.
However, the knight raised its shield, and purple mist swirled around it, covering the surface of the shield.
The starlight beams hit the shield like pebbles thrown into the sea, causing no noticeable effect!
The Shadow Knight¡¯s other hand lifted a long-handled battle de, broad and thick. Simply raising it caused a chilling sound.
When the de was swung, a fierce gust of wind hit Tianyang. The assault rifle in his hand was suddenly shattered and splintered by the knight¡¯s weapon.
Tianyang¡¯s hand holding the gun was raised high, and the immense force transmitted through the rifle to his arm. Had it not been for his enhanced physical field, he would have doubted whether the pulling force alone could easily tear his arm apart!
Now, his arm wasn¡¯t severed, but the muscles were severely strained, leaving his arm sore, numb, and weakly hanging.
Without hesitation, Tianyang turned and ran, sprinting down the straight street.
The world around him became a blur of somber light and shadow. Since awakening, Tianyang has been confident in his speed.
But now he was facing a Shadow Knight renowned for its mobility. Whether he could shake off the relentless figure behind him was uncertain.
The heavy footsteps of the Shadow Knight reverberated in Tianyang¡¯s ears, showing no sign of diminishing, indicating it was pursuing him closely.
Tianyang¡¯s assessment was correct; the Shadow Knight was relentlessly pursuing him. Though its speed was fast, it wasn¡¯t much faster than Tianyang. It could keep up but couldn¡¯t overtake him in the short term.
The crimson light beneath the knight''s visor grew brighter. On the street shrouded in dark mist, it was as if a red streetlight had illuminated.
The thick and broad battle de was raised, and the surrounding purple-red mist swirled and entwined with the de, intensifying its killing intent.
At the peak of its killing intent, the Shadow Knight swung the de horizontally.
A sharp scream suddenly echoed near Tianyang¡¯s ear, like thousands of vengeful spirits wailing in agony¡
Chapter 110 - Returning to the Camp
Tianyang turned around and saw the heavily armored Shadow Knight swinging its sword horizontally. The purple mist on the de quickly expanded and spread like flowing water, almost dividing Tianyang''s vision in half!
With all his might, Tianyang dove forward. He felt a chill on his head and a few strands of silver hair fluttered as the purple light quickly receded, dissipating among the buildings on the street.
Momentster, the surrounding buildings trembled violently. The areas affected by the purple light turned semi-transparent, like crystal ss.
Then, those parts of the walls silently crumbled into countless tiny dust particles, spreading out with the ensuing gusts of wind.
Immediately, the street was filled with swirling dust, creating a hazy scene.
Tianyang was astonished. The Shadow Knight¡¯s earlier strike seemed to have some ability to destroy material molecules. Although the attack appeared weak, its destructive power was truly astonishing.
The buildings on both sides of the street were only partially stripped of their walls, yet their main structures were still damaged. Several nearby buildings, like giants with their legs cut off, emitted groaning noises as they toppled and copsed.
The street''s environment became chaotic.
As Tianyang got up from the ground, he saw that the Shadow Knight was not only in pursuit but also dragging its heavy sword on the ground.
The purple mist roared again, and with a powerful upward sweep, the de lifted off the ground.
The de, sending countless fragments of stone flying, created a tidal wave of de light that swept across the ground, heading straight for Tianyang.
His face changed drastically. Using his full star energy, he moved sideways at an extremely fast speed. From a standstill to high-speed movement, there was no buffer at all!
This allowed him to narrowly avoid the tidal wave of purple mist.
The de light sliced through the buildings lining the street, clearing a straight ¡±path.¡±
Heavy footsteps approached as the Shadow Knight charged forward. After releasing two more powerful de waves, its surrounding purple light mist diminished by a third, indicating that such attacks were highly draining on its energy.
Yet, it was still formidable.
Tianyang¡¯s gaze shifted between the knight and the newly cleared path, making a swift decision.
He turned to face the knight.
Drawing the Crimson Moon Warde, its edge gradually glowed with a scarlet light under the infusion of star energy.
Escaping through the cleared path while being pursued by the Shadow Knight was impossible. The only chance to leave the battlefield was to cripple the knight¡¯s mobility.
Tianyang aimed at the three legs on the left side of the Shadow Knight, which were unarmored. If sessful, the high-temperature cutting of the Crimson Moon Warde should be able to sever them.
Calcting the knight''s speed and observing its movements, Tianyang knew that the next strike would determine life or death, so he didn¡¯t dare to be careless.
Atst, when the Shadow Knight was about ten meters away, the creature raised its right hand, lifting the heavy sword high, ready to deliver a fatal blow to Tianyang.
The moment had arrived for the boy to act!
He leaned forward, transforming into a silver streak, darting toward the knight¡¯s shield side.
His silver hair streamed backward as he passed under the knight¡¯s shield in an instant. The Crimson Moon Warde shed horizontally, embedding itself into the knight''s firstrge thigh on the left!
The red glow under the knight¡¯s helmet intensified. Its left hand swung urgently, and the heavy metal shield brought a violent gust, crashing into the silver streak.
A scarlet light had already crossed the knight¡¯s side and the knee areas of the three legs. Before Tianyang could retreat, he was struck from behind by the heavy shield, sending him flying like a projectile.
He shattered a window of a nearby building, and upon hitting the wall at the end of the hall, a dense web of cracks spread out. Tianyang fell to the ground once more.
Meanwhile, outside the building, the Shadow Knight¡¯s three legs suddenly spewed forth a stream of purple-red blood.
The left thigh was severed at the knee, causing the knight to lose bnce and fall to the ground. The four right legs iled in a futile attempt to stabilize.
Inside the building, Tianyang, bleeding from his mouth and nose, struggled to stand by bracing himself against the wall.
Looking through the window, he saw the Shadow Knight lifting its sword and swinging it forcefully!
The boy quickly rolled to the left, feeling a gust of fierce wind and a thunderous roar behind him. The sword crashed into the wall, shattering itpletely.
Staggering, Tianyang got up and, avoiding looking back at the knight, dashed through arge door at the front.
Exiting the building, he fled into an alley, quickly putting distance between himself and the Shadow Knight.
After feeling the evil aura fade, Tianyang slowed his pace.
At this point, his chest ached, and he felt some relief after coughing up a mouthful of blood.
Reflecting on the encounter, Tianyang still felt a lingering fear. It was fortunate that he attacked the knight''s left side; the monster had a shield in its left hand and a sword in its right.
If he had attacked the right side, he would have been struck by the sword, not the shield.
In that case, it wouldn¡¯t have been just a bloody injury; he might have been cut in half by the sword!
"Seems like I got lucky." Tianyang wiped the blood from his mouth and smiled, but the pain in his back made him gasp.
Though the Shadow Knight didn¡¯t pursue, the creature¡¯s lower half, resembling a lion or tiger, had its head spread out. From its mouth, a cluster of forked, flower-like tongues trembled, emitting sounds beyond human perception.
In the darkness somewhere, two points of eerie red light suddenly appeared...
¡¡
Tianyang was now very close to the camp battlefield. The sounds of artillery roars, explosions, and the frenzied howls of the dark folk were audible.
By the window of a copsed building, a figure was writhing. It was a wanderer missing its legs, crawling on the ground.
Unfortunately, steel rebars stood upright at the window. As the wanderer tried to crawl out, its belly was scraped by the rebars.
So, the creature hung at the window, yet it remained persistent, facing the battlefield direction, constantly scraping with its hands, hoping to pull itself out of the window.
This action only served to tear the wound further without any other effect.
The Crimson Moon Warde silently descended, piercing the wanderer''s back and entering its body, prating the will cage in its chest. The de tip emerged from the chest, nailing it into the wooden window frame.
When withdrawn, the wanderer finally stopped moving and ceased to harm itself. Its body began to dpose and rot, turning into a stream of sticky mucus.
Tianyang took two steps back, sheathed the sword, and shook his head before slipping out through the other side of the window.
He moved quickly.
He knew that after two more alleys, he would reach the street where the camp was located.
He wasn''t sure if the camp could withstand the attack. To be honest, Tianyang was quite worried.
As he was about to turn a corner, he suddenly noticed a purple mist swirling around the corner. In that deep purple mist, the boy saw a foot.
The foot had purple-red skin.
It was a Shadow Attendant!
Changing from an advance to a retreat, Tianyang leaped back. Before hended, he saw the wall around the corner suddenly shatter. A metal staff covered in spikes emerged from the flying debris.
The staff was then swung in a circle, raised high.
At that moment, the Shadow Attendant, lying in ambush behind the corner, stepped on the debris, enveloped in deep purple mist, and crashed into the alley, blocking Tianyang¡¯s path.
It could actually set up an ambush!
Tianyang was greatly surprised but didn¡¯t stop moving. While pulling back to gain distance, he drew his pistol, the Death Knell!
The attendant, assigned by the Shadow Knight, had a face like a mummified corpse beneath its helmet, with its mouth open. ck teeth were revealed behind its dark purple lips.
It roared, raising the metal staff high and charging at Tianyang.
The Death Knell was raised, and a bullet chamber lit up on its rotaryponent.
The deafening gunfire erupted in the alley, its prating sound overpowering even the chaotic noise from the battlefield.
Tianyang held the gun with both hands, his arms raised high. The massive recoil made him lean slightly backward, one foot lifting off the ground.
A devastating energy beam from the Death Knell sted into the attendant¡¯s head.
The furious energy from the gun¡¯s muzzle scoured the attendant¡¯s head. If time were slowed a hundred times, one could see the attendant¡¯s helmet deforming, heating, and liquefying under the energy.
Then, the mummified head inside rapidly developed tiny, barely perceptible holes.
As time advanced even a little further, the helmet was torn into strands of iron wire, bouncing, scattering, and melting in the energy beam.
The attendant¡¯s head was shattered like broken porcin, with the holes connected by fine cracks.
The next moment, the head was transformed into countless tiny, indistinguishable particles, rising with the energy beam and quickly vanishing.
Unfortunately, Tianyang¡¯s vision couldn¡¯t capture the brief event.
He only saw a burst of silver-white me pass over the attendant¡¯s head. The body still moved forward a few steps, and the raised staff was not lowered.
But the part above the neck had disappeared. The area swept by the silver me had an uneven cut surface, was fully carbonized, and even reflected a ck shine.
It looked like a piece of cut ck crystal.
The attendant stopped in front of Tianyang, suddenly kneeling, leaning backward, and beginning to disperse.
Soon, only a pool of ck, slimy mud remained on the ground. Floating in the viscous sludge was a purple-red heart.
The heart crystallized in an instant, with a hazy purple light flickering within it.
Tianyang used his sword to pick up the crystallized heart, cleaned it, and ced it into his waist pouch.
He then avoided the ck sludge, crossed the alley, and entered a building lying across the street.
Finally, Tianyang arrived on the main road to Gem Town. In the distance, the human camp was enveloped in mes. Using the firelight, Tianyang adjusted his tactical visor¡¯s range and saw that the dark creatures had piled up a wave around the small building.
The ck tide was almost spilling over the top of the wall!
-
Shadow Knight: This is a higher-ranking, more powerful figure typically characterized by superiorbat skills and possibly leadership roles. They often serve as elite warriors ormanders in dark forces.
-
Shadow Retainer: This refers to a subordinate or lesser entity under the Shadow Knight. Retainers are usually tasked with more specific or lower-level duties and may serve directly under higher-ranking figures like Shadow Knights.
Chapter 111 - The Ebb Tide
The situation at the camp was indeed dire.
Although Wang Liangyi was holding off two Shadow Knights on his own and Adam was taking on one as well, the remaining dark creatures were still too numerous, especially with a group of Shadow Attendants skilled in siege tactics among them.
These creatures could release a deep purple mist, which, when inhaled by dark creatures, would make them go berserk, enhancing all their attributes by a third. As a result, the Mad Dogs and Wanderers charged at the camp with a frenzy, as if injected with adrenaline.
At present, only one of the multi-barrel machine guns on the rooftop was still roaring; the others had long since run out of ammunition and be mere ornaments.
The gunners, out of options, had to pick up rifles and head down to the lower defense line to provide support.
On the camp¡¯s walls, several Ascenders with War God ss were all wounded. Whether in Night Walker uniforms or the Frost Cloud Guard¡¯s long robes, their attire had been torn into strips by dark creatures.
If not for the protective armor guarding their vital areas, they might have already been forced to retreat from the defensive line. Even so, the star essence radiating from their bodies had dimmed significantly since the battle started.
The faint silver glows were now dull, like flickering candles in the wind, seemingly about to be extinguished at any moment.
As for the few Elemental Hearts inside the walls, their star essence had long been drained, especially the two mebringers of rank 3. They had copsed to the ground like puddles of mud, with a few empty bottles of star essence replenishing fluids discarded beside them. Though the star medicine in their bodies was slowly restoring them, it was ultimately a drop in the bucket.
Yun Ze sat on the steps, his hands trembling as he looked bitterly towards the gate.
There, a few Ascenders and soldiers were still resisting desperately, but Yun Ze didn¡¯t know how much longer they could hold on.
In the heat of battle, a soldier¡¯s star magazine ran dry. He quickly ejected it and reached into his multi-purpose pouch, only to find that it was empty.
He froze for a moment, and in that split second of distraction, a Mad Hound bit into his leg!
The soldier let out a scream and used his rifle as a club, smashing it against the Mad Hound¡¯s head. But instead of letting go, the beast bit down even harder.
With a twist of its head, the creature tore the soldier¡¯s leg offpletely!
The soldier let out a blood-curdling scream as he fell to the ground, unable to stand. Before he could get back up, four or five Wanderers had already grabbed his other leg and started dragging him out of the defensive line!
The soldier struggled desperately, his fingers digging into the ground until they bled, but he was still dragged out of the line. As he lifted his head, his vision filled with terrifying faces.
In the next moment, the Wanderers, Mad Dog, and other monsters lunged at him, tearing his body apart.
Blood poured from the soldier¡¯s mouth. In a daze, he remembered that he had promised a girl during the counterworld campaign that he would take her to the beach when he got back.
But now he would never return...
"Ah!" Watching hisrade being dragged into the mass of enemies and devoured, a Yun family guard finally lost control, clutching his head and screaming, "Let me go back! Let me go back."
"I don¡¯t want to stay here; I don¡¯t want to die¡"
Despairing words echoed across the battlefield, but they were quickly drowned out by the frenzied howls of the dark creatures.
There was no room for the slightest mistake on the battlefield, so this soldier soon met the same fate as hisrades.
The camp¡¯s numbers were dwindling rapidly, especially among the Frost Cloud Guard soldiers. Their psychological resilience was never as strong as that of the Sun Spear Squad, and coupled with theirck of experience, their mortality rate was extremely high.
By now, only a few of Yun Ze¡¯s ordinary soldiers remained.
On the camp wall, an Ascender was struggling to fend off two Shadow Attendants. But then, a third attendant suddenly appeared, raising a twisted weapon high and bringing it down towards the Ascender¡¯s head.
The Ascender was too exhausted to dodge or parry, resigning himself to his fate. At that moment, a red light streaked across the battlefield, piercing the Attendant¡¯s head.
It was the Crimson Moon Warde!
The de glowed with a crimson light, the superheated edge slicing through the Attendant¡¯s helmet and head as easily as cutting through tofu, emerging from the monster¡¯s mouth.
The Attendant wasn¡¯t dead, though, but then a stream of silver-white energy shot through, disintegrating its chin and neck!
The creature copsed onto the wall, its half-severed head still embedded with the warde, rolling down from the pile of dark corpses below.
A foot stepped on the head, and the Attendant¡¯s eyes rolled upwards, seeing a face that still bore traces of youth.
The owner of the foot bent down, grasped the warde, and, with a flick, split the Attendant¡¯s head¡ªand the will cage inside it¡ªin two.
Tianyang retrieved his warde and leaped up the wall, using the bodies and heads of the Wanderers as stepping stones.
With a horizontal sweep of the Crimson Moon Warde, the two Shadow Attendants pressuring the Ascender lost all four of their arms, which flew into the air. Tianyang then kicked the creatures back over the wall.
Without waiting for the Ascender to thank him, the boy performed a swift turn, sweeping his warde along the wall. The red light shed, and over a dozen Wanderer heads were sent flying.
Yun Ze saw this scene and couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. Tianyang¡¯s return¡ªdid it mean the interference had been eliminated?
He couldn¡¯t wait to shout towards the wall, ¡°Tianyang, is the missionplete?¡±
Tianyang nodded and then rushed towards the other dark creatures.
Yun Ze, with his legs trembling slightly, managed to stand up and quickly got into a vehicle.
His fingers tapped on the screen of the control panel, activating an icon to startmunicating with the base.
This time, there was indeed no interference signal.
After a while, themunicator beside the screen buzzed, "This is Yun Xiang Base, Mr. Yun Ze? What¡¯s the matter?"
Yun Ze almost copsed onto the screen, using all his strength to shout, "Reinforcements! We need reinforcements! We¡¯re surrounded; please send help immediately!"
On the camp walls, Tianyang had just split open the head of a Mad Dog. He nced at the two Shadow Attendants whose arms he had severed, seeing them struggling to get back up, and his expression grew solemn.
Even with his arrival on the battlefield, the situation remained unchanged. Looking around, the area surrounding the camp was swarming with dark masses; the monsters seemed endless.
Surveying the battlefield.
Adam was still battling the Shadow Knight, but it was clear that he was at a disadvantage.
The Shadow Knight was enveloped in a purplish-red mist, wielding its heavy weapon with both single and double-handed strikes.
The Shadow Knight moved withrge strides and agility. Its attacks were simple¡ªhorizontal cuts, vertical shes, pushing, pulling, and swinging¡ªyet these basic moves were executed with terrifying power.
Adam didn¡¯t dare engage with the creature head-on, often only being able to counterattack after evading its deadly strikes.
Under the Shadow Knight¡¯s sweeping, tidal wave-like attacks, the fact that the Western man could barely hold it off was already quite remarkable.
As for Wang Liangyi, he had drawn the other two Shadow Knights to the edge of the battlefield. There, the ck mist was thick, and despite the scattered firelight, Tianyang could only asionally catch glimpses of Wang Liangyi leaping around, with bursts of eerie purple light from the Shadow Knights ring up now and then.
Time quietly passed, and on the wall, the young man had fought to the point of numbness, his arms barely able to lift anymore.
The star essence that once glowed brightly on his body had long since dimmed, and the injuries he sustained from the Shadow Knight¡¯s heavy shield strike were gradually worsening. This made Tianyang¡¯s breathingbored, often forcing him to gasp for air through his mouth to keep going.
Just as Tianyang was unsure how much longer he could hold on, he suddenly sensed a powerful aura erupt in the distance. It was like a storm, overwhelming in its intensity, and it disappeared as quickly as it came.
Straining to look in that direction, Tianyang saw something fall from the sky through the ck mist shrouding the battlefield.
When it rolled to a fire pit, Tianyang''s pupils dted slightly¡ªit was a head.
The head of the Shadow Knight!
His spirits lifted.
The Shadow Knight pressing Adam back suddenly froze in its tracks, and then, after a few quick attacks forced Adam to retreat, it turned its head towards the distance.
It seemed to be listening for something, but apart from the frenzied howls of the dark creatures, there was no other sound on the battlefield.
Yet, the Shadow Knight turned and silently left the battlefield, heading in the opposite direction of the camp. In no time, it disappeared into the streets lined with buildings, vanishing into the endless ck mist.
Tianyang was stunned¡ªthe Shadow Knight¡¯s reaction was as if it had received some kind of order.
Could it be that in its ecosystem, there was a higher-levelmander above it?
Whatever the case, once the Shadow Knight left the battlefield, its attendants began retreating as well. These helmeted figures, dragging strange weapons and d in fabric or light armor, started to withdraw.
The ck tide began to recede; the Mad Dogs and Phantom Archers followed, and eventually, even the Wanderers started to retreat.
However, some Wanderers, not being the brightest creatures, remained on the battlefield, but they seemed not to have received any order to attack. They no longer assaulted the camp, instead, they wandered aimlessly around.
Only those close to the camp, still drawn by the scent of humans, asionally howled and moved closer.
But they posed no real threat anymore.
Tianyang slumped down on the wall, cing the Crimson Moon Warde beside him, though he no longer had the strength to lift it.
After a brief rest, numb thoughts began to resurface in his mind.
We made it through!
We actually made it through!
Someone shouted in celebration, and soon the camp was filled withughter while others sobbed in relief.
This battle had been incredibly difficult.
A few minutester, Wang Liangyi returned to the camp. He was carrying a bundle, and when he tossed it to the ground, it unwrapped, spilling out several materials.
Materials from the Shadow Knights.
There were several crystallized organs, an eyeball that still rotated, three bones that glowed with dark purple starlight, and a few sharp fangs the size of thumbs¡
In total, there were over a dozen materials, causing many Ascenders¡¯ eyes to widen in astonishment.
Wang Liangyi was also wounded. After greeting Yun Ze, he immediately climbed into the vehicle¡¯s medical chamber. No one opposed his actions.
After all, he was the strongest person in the camp and had contributed the most. If he hadn¡¯t held off two Shadow Knights, the consequences would have been unimaginable, so he had every right to receive treatment first.
At this time, Adam, dragging his tired body, approached the wall and patted Tianyang¡¯s knee. "How are you holding up? You alright?"
Chapter 112 - Full of Secrets
Tianyang responded with a smile, though it was a bit weary. "I won¡¯t die, but my back got hit by the Shadow Knight. I think it injured my internal organs."
Adam''s expression changed. "You collided with a Shadow Knight?"
Tianyang nodded. "So now you understand why the Yun family''s Ascenders didn¡¯t return."
Adam''s expression grew serious, and his eyelids trembled slightly, almost imperceptibly. "I really didn¡¯t expect there to be four Shadow Knights in the town. It''s too strange. Why would these thingse here? If they were just hunting down that prospector, there wouldn¡¯t be so many Shadow Knights acting together."
Tianyang thought for a moment and said, "Maybe they don¡¯t want Gu Gang to leak anything about that underground base."
Adam¡¯s face froze and, after a long pause, it finally rxed a bit. "It seems you¡¯re right. They are its guardians. Naturally, they don¡¯t want more people to know that there¡¯s something in that underground base. Something important!"
A sharp pain shot through Tianyang''s back, and he couldn''t help but let out a small cry. Adam noticed andughed. "When Mr. Wang Liangyies out, I¡¯ll have the Yun family let you use the medical pod."
Tianyang was taken aback but then said, "How can I ept that? I''m not the only one who got hurt."
Adam spoke in a tone that left no room for refusal. "It''s settled then. I just heard from Yun Ze that he has already contacted the base. You saved everyone¡¯s lives, so you deserve to be in that pod."
"When we get back, I¡¯ll write a detailed report. You should get some contribution points. Oh, and if you have time, try to describe those dark creatures who were causing the interference as urately as possible."
"Providing the fort with new information on dark creatures will also earn you rewards, including but not limited to contribution points."
"Alright."
Since Adam was so insistent, Tianyang didn¡¯t refuse and simply agreed.
Sure enough, when Wang Liangyi came out, someone from the Yun family arranged for Tianyang to receive treatment.
Lying in the medical pod, with all his equipment removed, the young man finally closed his eyes in exhaustion.
He didn¡¯t know how long had passed when he vaguely heard voices. Tianyang slowly opened his eyes, yawned, and found himself lying in a room in a small building in the camp.
He quickly reached out to his side and immediately felt the sheath of the Red Moon de. A quick nce showed that the Crimson Moon Warde, Death Knell, and his armor were all ced next to him.
Tianyang hurriedly put on his gear, finally feeling at ease. He moved a bit, and though his back still ached slightly and his breathing was a bitbored, his injuries had significantly improvedpared to before.
In this condition, as long as he didn¡¯t run into a Shadow Knight, he could still handle otherdark creature.
Since no one was disturbing him, Tianyang checked his Ascender status, and some information appeared in his mind.
[Rank 1: Assassin
ss Abilities: Weakness Sensing, Instant Annihtion
Ascension Progress: 91%
Enhanced Field: Physique +1
Next Rank: Eradicator]
Tianyang eximed in surprise. His Ascension progress had reached 91%. It seemed that the events in Arid Valley Town, the defense of the camp, and taking down Zhou Wang had all significantly boosted his Ascension progress.
At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t take long before he could max out his progress and advance to the next rank.
He couldn¡¯t help but feel excited, wondering what abilities the Eradicator rank would bring.
Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Adam walked in. The big man had bandages on his head and hands. Seeing that Tianyang was awake, Adam was momentarily stunned before breaking into a grin.
"You¡¯re awake! That¡¯s good. I was about to wake you up. Get ready; the convoy from the base is almost here, and we can head back."
Tianyang was surprised. "The base''s forces arrived so quickly?"
"Quick?" Adamughed heartily. "Not quick at all. You¡¯ve been asleep for more than a day. It seems you slept quite soundly. Luckily, the dark creatures didn¡¯t attack during this time. Otherwise, you might have been killed in your sleep."
Only then did Tianyang realize he had been lying there for a whole day. No wonder the reinforcements arrived as soon as he woke up.
"Go wash your face and eat something. We might run into some dark creatures on the road, so it¡¯s best to be fully prepared," Adam said before mentioning he had other matters to attend to and leaving.
Tianyang took out some water and a food bar and started eating to replenish his strength. Meanwhile, in another room, Kong Zhang and his students were packing up various instruments.
When Yun Ze entered, the old man was instructing his three students. "Take out all the specimens and burn them. The experiments are done, and the data has been collected. These things are too dangerous to bring to the fort."
One student hesitated. "If we use sealed containers and expose them to light 24 hours a day, there shouldn¡¯t be much of a problem. Besides, professor, although we¡¯ve collected the necessary data, we still need the specimens for further research, right?"
"Absolutely not, Yan Kai!" Professor Kong''s tone was firm and stern. "We already know that while these things'' cells stop moving in the light, their cellr activity isn¡¯t diminished. This means light only suppresses their growth. But if given the chance, they¡¯ll seize it to reproduce!"
"If there¡¯s any mishap during transport and these things leak outside the fort, it won¡¯t be long before Sky Fort is overrun with spores!"
The student named Yan Kai mumbled quietly, "The specimens are so small. What could happen if we take some back?"
"Yan Kai!"
Professor Kong''s voice became harsher. "How many times have I told you? When conducting Inverse Universe research, you can never be too careful. With your temperament, it seems you¡¯re not suited for this line of work. When we get back, you should learn from another professor."
The expression on Yan Kai¡¯s face changed instantly under his helmet, and he quickly said, "No, no, professor! I was just speaking casually. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be extremely careful. Please don¡¯t send me away."
"No, I¡¯ve already decided. That''s final."
The student was about to continue pleading, but Yun Ze shot him a re that forced the words back down his throat.
"Professor Kong, the convoy from the base is almost here. Let me apany you to the vehicle to rest," Yun Ze suggested.
Kong Zhang didn¡¯t object and, after giving a few more instructions to his students, followed Yun Ze out.
The other two students hurriedly began packing up the instruments, while Yan Kai stood frozen on the spot, unable to believe that he had just been dismissed by Professor Kong.
Professor Kong was an expert in Inverse Universe nt research and often needed assistants due to his frequent trips into the Inverse Universe. Working under him not only provided rich learning opportunities but also came with a generous stipend from the fort. More importantly, they were usually well protected, making the job much saferpared to other roles in the Inverse Universe.
Receiving a generous stipend while working in safety was an opportunity that would be hard toe by elsewhere.
But now, this was to be Yan Kai''sst job.
And once news of his dismissal by Kong Zhang spread, other experts and schrs would unlikely hire him. This meant that Yan Kai would have to find another job, and no other job would be as easy as this one.
"Make way!"
"Seriously, don¡¯t just stand there. Didn¡¯t you hear what the professor said? Help us burn these things."
One of the students threw all the specimens into an incineration barrel, gave Yan Kai a re, and shook his head as he walked away.
Yan Kai looked at the specimens, and suddenly, a thought crossed his mind.
Two hourster, the base¡¯s convoy arrived at Gemstone Town. Seeing the heavily armed soldiers securing the camp¡¯s perimeter, the survivors finally felt a sense of safety.
They no longer had to live in constant fear.
The base had dispatched nearly half of itsbat personnel this time. After all, the Yunxiang Base''s military resources were limited. Furthermore, after learning that there were Shadow Knights, mid- to high-level dark creatures, in the area, the base didn¡¯t dare to take any chances.
If they had sent insufficient forces, it wouldn¡¯t have been a rescue mission but a death march.
Moreover, Tianyang was surprised to find that Shen Mozhu had alsoe. Although the base¡¯s deputy director looked refined and schrly, not like a warrior, the fact that he dared toe here personally indicated that he was no weakling.
This was confirmed when Wang Liangyi showed the deputy director great respect upon seeing him.
Tianyang believed that even if Shen Mozhu was slightly weaker than Wang Liangyi, he was undoubtedly a powerful figure of the same level.
Thinking back to the first time he saw this deputy director, who was then watering flowers, Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit uneasy.
After meeting with Yun Ze, Adam, and the others, Shen Mozhu instructed the survivors to board the vehicles in preparation for departure.
He then pulled Adam aside and asked in a low voice, "Where is the prospector?"
Adam nced towards the small square to the east and replied, "He¡¯s over there. I have someone watching him."
Shen Mozhu smiled with satisfaction. "Good. Make sure to put him in my vehicleter. There are some things I need to ask him personally."
Adam, picking up on his tone, inquired, "Deputy Director Shen, is it rted to the underground base beneath Red y Town?"
Shen Mozhu¡¯s expression shifted, and his gentle, harmless eyes behind his sses grew sharp: "It seems that guy has leaked quite a bit of information. Adam, tell your men to keep their mouths shut about anything rted to Hongni Town."
"If I hear even a whisper about Hongni Town at the base, I¡¯ll hold you ountable!"
This was probably the first time Adam had seen Shen Mozhu so stern, and it startled him. He quickly agreed, but his mind raced with thoughts.
Shen Mozhu wasn¡¯t surprised at all about the underground base beneath Hongni Town. Moreover, he insisted on keeping the matter secret. This suggested that the underground base was no simple facility and that Shen Mozhu had known about it for a long time.
The more Adam thought about it, the more curious he became about what secrets that base might be hiding.
Turning around, Shen Mozhu returned to his usual demeanor, acting like a kind and gentle person and chatting warmly with everyone he encountered.
When he saw Tianyang, the deputy director smiled warmly. "I¡¯ve heard from Adam that you eliminated the source of the interference and even escaped from a Shadow Knight. Impressive. Now I understand why Commander Ling reminded me several times to keep an eye on you."
"It seems he thinks you have great potential."
Tianyang responded humbly, "I''m not anything special; I just had some good luck. Deputy Director Shen, you''re too kind."
Shen Mozhu chuckled, patting Tianyang on the shoulder. "Your injuries haven¡¯t fully healed yet, right? When we get back, I¡¯ll have the best doctors at the base take a look at you."
"Thank you, Deputy Director Shen."
"No problem." Shen Mozhu casually nced at Gu Gang before turning to discuss the return journey with Yun Ze.
An hourter, Tianyang was sitting in a Falconbat vehicle, watching as Gemstone Town receded into the distance through the window.
The young man lightly touched the pocket holding the data chip left by Su Lie¡
Chapter 113 - Yun Feng
The return journey was unusually smooth. The convoy didn¡¯t encounter any more attacks from the dark creatures, and Tianyang and hispanions sessfully arrived at Yunxiang Base by noon the next day.
Upon returning to the base, Tianyang was granted half a day''s rest and informed that Yun Ze wanted to meet with him the following day.
As for the reason, Tianyang was well aware¡ªit was nothing more than the matter concerning Zhou Wang. He wasn¡¯t particrly worried about it, as the tactical eye had recorded Zhou Wang¡¯s actions at the time. Once the data was extracted, it would be clear who was right and who was wrong.
In the afternoon, Adam arranged for Tianyang to undergo a thorough examination at the base''s medical center. Tianyang then spent another half-day in the treatment pod, and the doctor instructed him to return to the medical center once a day for the next three days.
Unfortunately, there was no one like Xun with a radiance-rted profession here; otherwise, it would have been much more convenient for Tianyang.
In the evening, he returned to his previously assigned dormitory. After dinner, the young man sat down, picked up hismunicator, and began drafting a report.
This report was about the "Horn-Head" entity. Adam had mentioned that this report could earn him a substantial amount of contribution points.
Although Tianyang already had a fair number of contribution points to his name, who wouldin about having more?
[Codename: Disruptor
Danger Assessment: Level 2
Summary: From what I know, this type of dark creature has appeared twice. The first time was during the "Recover Star Pir" mission in the metropolis, and the second time was in Gemstone Town.
Although the disruptors that appeared on both asions had significant differences in their physical characteristics, themon feature was a head resembling a horn, which seemed to be a special organ used to amplify and transmit disruptive signals.
The disruptor has the ability to interfere with ourmunications. The disruptive signal it emits can infiltrate various channels, thereby crippling ourmunications.
It is currently known that killing the disruptor can terminate the disruptive signal.
The disruptor itself has limitedbat capability, with average physical strength. A star-element beam can easily prate its body. Therefore, it is initially assumed to be a support-type dark creature.
Appendix: The exact appearance and location of the disruptor''s will cage are still unknown. It is spected that it might be inside the horn-like organ, but further confirmation is needed.
Report Submitted By: Night Walker Raven Squad, Tianyang]
After ensuring everything was correct, Tianyang sent the short report to Adam, who would submit it along with the mission report.
With the report submitted and nothing else to do, Tianyangid down and quickly fell asleep.
The next morning, just as Tianyang finished washing up, there was a knock at the door.
He opened the door to find Adam standing outside. The tall and sturdy man from Wesnd was surprisingly not wearing his usual armor today but was instead dressed in the Night Walker uniform.
Seeing Tianyang, Adam gave a warm smile. "I figured you probably haven''t had breakfast yet. Since I need to take you to Yun Ze''s officeter, I thought we could grab breakfast together."
Tianyang asked him to wait for a moment, then went back inside to grab his uniform before heading out with Adam.
Adam nced at him a few times and said, "After we return, you can apply to rece your team uniform."
Following Adam''s gaze, Tianyang noticed a few cuts in his uniform, likely sustained during the battle in the town. The battle had been so intense that his uniform was stained with many marks, and despite having been cleaned, it still looked somewhat worn out.
However, these cuts were not very obvious, and Tianyang hadn''t noticed them until Adam pointed them out.
It seemed that this big guy was more attentive than he appeared.
During breakfast, Tianyang asked Adam about a card reader and getting his firearm repaired. The former was to read the data chip left behind by Su Lie, and thetter was to restore the full power of his "Death Knell" weapon.
After taking a bite of bread, Adam replied, "As for the card reader, I happen to have one, so I''ll lend it to youter. As for the gun repair, there is a machinist at the base, but he has a bit of a temper. I can introduce you to him, but whether or not he agrees to repair it is up to him."
Tianyang had no objections to this.
At 9:15 AM, Tianyang walked into Yun Ze''s office. True to the reputation of the Sky Fortress'' Yun family, even the office was more impressive than most.
At leastpared to Shen Mozhu''s office, which resembled a botanical garden, Yun Ze''s office was more spacious and luxuriously decorated.
The wall on the left, which was covered with an array of firearms, was particrly eye-catching.
"Good morning."
Yun Ze appeared to have been in the office for a while, busy handling official duties. Hearing the footsteps, he looked up and, holding a data pad, stood up.
After tapping on the screen a few times, he handed the data pad to his assistant and then invited Tianyang and Adam to sit down.
Adam came prepared, cing an instrument on the table and getting straight to the point. "Mr. Yun Ze, this is a device borrowed from the Information Department. It can connect to Tianyang''s tactical electronic eye and retrieve the data inside. If you have no objections, we can take a look now at what exactly happened between Tianyang and Zhou Wang at that time."
Yun Ze smiled warmly, giving off a pleasant and approachable demeanor. "Then I''ll leave it to you, Captain Adam."
Adam operated the device, activated an interface, and looked at Tianyang. "I need your electronic eye''s serial number and authorization code."
Tianyang provided the necessary information, and Adam entered the data into the device, connecting it to the electronic eye.
After finding the data from that day at the strange building in the town, Adam selected it for yback.
The screen first showed a briefcase, followed by some camera shaking, indicating that Tianyang had likely been attacked.
Next came a blur of light and shadow, then the image shifted to an interior space. A beam of elemental energy shed across a corner of the screen, erupting into a small elemental storm.
"Come out, why are you hiding? You''re supposed to be strong, so why are you hiding now?"
Zhou Wang''s voice echoed from the screen, and upon hearing it, Yun Ze''s expression slightly changed.
What happened next was exactly as Tianyang had described. The battle, initiated by Zhou Wang, ended with Tianyang counterattacking and killing him.
When the yback ended, Yun Ze remained silent, staring at Zhou Wang''s twisted expression on the screen.
Adam disconnected the tactical eye and turned off the device. "Mr. Yun Ze, as you can see, this fight was indeed started by Zhou Wang. Moreover, you saw that Zhou Wang intention to kill."
"In such a situation, I believe Tianyang had no choice but to kill him."
"What do you mean by ¡±had no choice?¡±"
Yun Ze raised his head, his eyes void of any emotion, sweeping over Adam and Tianyang.
Adam''s heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Yun Ze wasn¡¯t going to let this slide? He started to worry.
Unexpectedly, a smile gradually spread across Yun Ze''s lips. "Tianyang didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so there''s no need for forgiveness. Instead, I should apologize to him. I had no idea Zhou Wang was this kind of person, willing to kill someone over a personal grudge!"
"In fact, I should thank Tianyang. Thank you for helping me get rid of him; otherwise, he would have brought disgrace to me and the Yun family in the future!"
Adam finally breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed this matter could be resolved satisfactorily after all.
"Since Mr. Yun Ze isn''t pursuing this matter, we''ll take our leave," Adam said as he stood up.
Yun Ze also stood. "Let me see you out."
"No need..." Adam was about to decline when the office door was suddenly pushed open rudely, and azy voice spoke, "Who said you could leave?"
Adam and Tianyang exchanged puzzled nces, while a barely perceptible anger flickered in Yun Ze''s eyes.
Regarding the Zhou Wang incident, even without the evidence from the tactical eye, Yun Ze had not doubted Tianyang''s ount. He knew Zhou Wang''s character too well¡ªnarrow-minded and reckless.
The only reason Yun Ze insisted on hearing Tianyang''s side of the story was to give himself an out and save face for the family.
Now that Tianyang had provided evidence, it was only natural for Yun Ze to not pursue the matter further. This approach not only showed his magnanimity but also allowed him to build a rapport with the Night Walkers. It was a win-win situation.
But now, someone was questioning his decision.
Who was Yun Ze? He was the authority of the Yun family at the base!
If word got out about this, Yun Ze''s authority would inevitably take a hit.
A figure swaggered into the room, well-dressed and tall, with short, light-colored hair and deep, dark eyes that had a hint of silver in them.
He wasn''t wearing any protective gear, clearly indicating that he was also a Sublimator.
Moreover, he bore a striking resemnce to Yun Ze.
"Second Brother?" Yun Ze was momentarily stunned when he recognized the neer. "What are you doing here?"
Beside him, Tianyang heard Adam whisper, "This is Yun Ze''s second brother, Yun Feng."
The young man finally understood¡ªit was another member of the Yun family, which exined the resemnce to Yun Ze.
The man named Yun Feng shook his head. "I heard you were trapped in Gemstone Town, and the family was in a panic, so they sent me here. If things were bad, I''d have to make a trip to Gemstone Town myself. Luckily, you''re fine, which saved me a lot of trouble."
"But Fourth Brother, how could you be so foolish? They showed you a video, and you just let them go? What, has our Yun family be so worthless that someone can just kill one of our guards, and you act like nothing happened?"
"If this gets out, who would be willing to fight for us in the future? As a leader, if you don''t stand up for your people, you''ll lose their loyalty sooner orter."
Yun Ze''s expression grew darker as he listened. How had Yun Feng learned about Zhou Wang''s death so quickly upon arriving at the base? There was no doubt someone had informed him.
With this thought, Yun Ze silently fumed.
But outwardly, he maintained a smile. Despite the growing darkness in his eyes, Yun Ze said with a smile, "Second Brother, you might not know this, but Zhou Wang struck first and even tried to kill. Even if he hadn''t died, I would have expelled him from the Yun family."
"I can''t have people think that just because the Yun family is powerful, even a mere guard can do as he pleases. The family''s reputation is at stake, and I had to handle this matter carefully. Don''t you agree, Second Brother?"
Yun Feng''s smile gradually faded, and his lips tightened. "So, what you''re saying, Fourth Brother, is that I would allow my subordinates to act recklessly?"
"Of course not." Yun Ze''s smile remained unchanged. "I know you have the family''s best interests at heart. You just didn''t know the full story, so you thought I handled it poorly."
"Come,e, let me exin everything to you in detail. If you still think I didn¡¯t handle it well, we can let the elders decide."
Since the Yun brothers had matters to discuss, Tianyang and Adam took the opportunity to excuse themselves. This time, Yun Feng didn¡¯t stop them.
It seemed Yun Ze¡¯s mention of the family''s reputation was too heavy a burden. If Yun Feng continued to interfere, it might tarnish his own standing beyond repair.
Chapter 114 - The Mystery of the Past
It seemed that the rtionship between the Yun brothers was far from harmonious. Evenrge families have their own troubles...
As they left Yun Ze''s office and walked through the base''s corridors, Tianyang''s thoughts began to wander.
Unconsciously, he followed Adam into a corridor. This corridor sloped downward, and as they went deeper, the boy noticed the temperature around them gradually increasing.
Snapping back to reality, Tianyang realized that they were surrounded by gridded barriers. Beyond the gridsid a world of pipes.
Various pipes,rge and small, crisscrossed in aplexwork, creating a geometric beauty.
"What is this ce?" Tianyang asked, voicing his curiosity.
Adamughed heartily. "I''m taking you to meet the engineer. He¡¯s deep within the underground piping area. Without me to guide you, you could wander around here for a day and still not find him."
Tianyang agreed wholeheartedly. After descending the sloping corridor and stepping onto the ground, they found themselves in a maze of interconnected passageways. asionally, there were maintenance doors for repair workers to enter and exit.
Although Adam hadn''t mentioned it, Tianyang roughly guessed that these pipes were probably part of the base''s transmission systems. However, from the looks of it, these pipes, like the base''s facilities above, were quite old.
Some pipes even had patches, which made Tianyang break into a cold sweat. If there was an energy leak and an explosion urred, what would happen to the base?
Clearly, this wasn¡¯t something he needed to worry about. Adam, who was walking through the area with big strides, showed no concern at all.
It seemed that the personnel at the base were already used to the aging facilities.
This made Tianyang even more impressed with the engineer who lived here. What kind of person would dare to live in a ce where idents and disasters could happen at any moment?
How big must his heart be?
"Uncle Tie is our best engineer, but he used to be a developer in the Fortress Weapon Development Department."
Walking through thebyrinth-like passageways, Adam''s steps were heavy, and the echoes of his boots almost drowned out his words.
"But he has a terrible temper and doesn''t get along with people. Once, he shed with his superior and was demoted. Uncle Tie was so angry that he quit and came to our base to work as an engineer, specializing in repairing and maintaining these underground pipes."
Adam suddenly stopped, and Tianyang almost bumped into him.
The Western man stood still for a moment before saying, "I remember now; it¡¯s this way."
He turned into a side passage.
Tianyang''s mouth twitched. Wasn''t this the person who imed to know the ce well? It turned out even he didn¡¯t recognize the way!
This doesn''t inspire much confidence, Captain Adam.
Fortunately, Adam didn¡¯t get lost. When he finally stopped, they were in front of arge, rust-covered, dark-red metal door.
Adam knocked hard on the door.
After a short while, the inte by the doorframe crackled to life. "Who is it?"
"It''s me, Adam."
There was no response from the inte, but a momentter, the iron door creaked open. A middle-aged man with grayish-yellow hair poked his head out from behind the door. His eyes were sunken, and his skin was dry.
Deep lines framed his mouth, and his lips were tightly pursed in a look of displeasure.
"What are you doing here?"
The middle-aged man inside didn¡¯t seem inclined to let anyone into his room.
Adam blinked and said, "Earlier, Minister Shen gave me some tobo. But you know, I don''t smoke, so I thought of you, Uncle Tie. I just got back from a mission and came to see you."
Only then did Uncle Tie grunt and open the door wider. "Smooth talker. You want me to fix something again? I''ll tell you now, if it''s junk metal, don''t waste my time."
When Tianyang stepped into the room, he almost backed out. If not for that dark-red, rusted iron door that Uncle Tie had closed behind them, he might have turned around and left.
The space inside wasn''trge, roughly the size of the dormitory that Tianyang had been assigned to. But even in this small space, there were metal shelves, several boxes filled with parts, and a workbench.
There wasn¡¯t even a bed in the room. Judging by the nket rolled up in a corner, it seemed that this middle-aged man slept on the floor every night.
However, it wasn''t the cramped space that made Tianyang ufortable, but the choking smell of smoke in the air.
It seemed Uncle Tie had just been smoking, and not just one cigarette. The room was filled with a hazy cloud of smoke, and the cheap tobo smell made Tianyang cough, his ears turning red.
Uncle Tie gave Tianyang a brief nce, then walked over to the workbench and picked up a part to continue working on it. "When did you get yourself a follower?"
Adam pulled out an aluminum box from his pocket, opened it, and revealed neatly packed tobo inside.
He ced the tobo on the table, and Uncle Tie took it, sniffing it deeply. "Not bad. So, what do you want me to do?"
Adam then pushed Tianyang forward. "It¡¯s not me who needs your help, Uncle Tie, but my friend here. His gun is broken, and he¡¯d like you to take a look."
Without a word, Uncle Tie extended his hand.
Tianyang didn¡¯t hesitate and ced his gun, the Death Knell, into Uncle Tie''s hand.
Uncle Tie, who had been focused on the machine tool, suddenly felt the weight in his hand and looked over.
When his gaze fell on the Death Knell¡¯s body, his pupils dted, and his expression grew excited. "It''s this? How did you get your hands on it?!"
Tianyang was startled. Could it be that this man knew Su Lie? Otherwise, why would he be so excited to see the Death Knell?
The middle-aged man examined the Death Knell carefully for a moment before calming down. "Oh, I was mistaken. I thought it was a gun I had designed, but this one isn¡¯t bad either. It has a fierce design, unlike today¡¯s guns, which are so light and small, like a woman¡¯s."
Adam chuckled. "Isn''t that the truth? So, Uncle Tie, can you fix it?"
Uncle Tie rolled his eyes. "In this base, if I can''t fix it, no one can. But it¡¯ll take some time since this is an outdated model."
He casually ced the Death Knell on the workbench and said no more, resuming his work on the parts.
Tianyang wasn¡¯t sure what to make of this and looked at Adam.
Adam smiled. "We''ll leave it to you, Uncle Tie."
He tugged at Tianyang, signaling for the boy to follow. The two of them walked out of the iron door, and after it closed, Tianyang actually felt that the air in the piping area was fresher than in Uncle Tie''s small room.
"Uh, what about Uncle Tie?" Tianyang asked.
"Don''t worry. Since he didn¡¯t refuse, he¡¯ll definitely fix your gun." Adam patted the boy''s shoulder, indicating that there was no need to worry.
They returned to the surface, and Adam went to his dormitory to lend his card reader to Tianyang.
After thanking him, Tianyang returned to his dormitory alone, eager to find out the contents of the data chip.
After closing the door, Tianyang took out the chip and inserted it into the slot of the card reader.
Information quickly appeared on the device''s screen as it began to analyze the chip''s contents. The entire process took only a few seconds.
But for Tianyang, every second felt excruciatingly long.
When the words "Analysis Complete" appeared, Tianyang didn''t want to waste another moment and immediately clicked on the read icon.
After a blur of light appeared on the screen, a voice came through. "Can you see clearly, Weiyang?"
"Yes, Lie, it''s clear."
The image then sharpened, revealing the interior of a building. Tianyang could see a window in the distance and a floor cluttered with misceneous items.
The camera shifted, and a man appeared in the frame. He looked about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes.
A circle of blue stubble covered his chin, suggesting it had been days since hest groomed.
He was wearing a Night Walker uniform, but the uniform was dark red, and the insignia on it was different from Tianyang''s.
It also had a silver crescent moon, but instead of the silhouette of a traveler beneath it, there was a figure holding a sword.
Finally, Tianyang''s gaze fell to the man''s waist, where a gun was hanging.
Death Knell!
Tianyang''s breath caught in his throat. He had finally seen Su Lie! This man, who could be his biological father, was appearing before him for the first time as a vivid image.
In the footage, Su Lie nodded and said, "Let¡¯s rest for a bit before we head down."
The camera moved, and a few more people appeared in the frame.
Among them was even a woman with ck hair cascading like a waterfall and a mole at the corner of her mouth.
The person filming then asked, "Lie, why did you want me to record this?"
Su Lie was standing by the window with a cigarette between his lips, which he lit and took a drag from. "The higher-ups said this mission wouldn¡¯t be documented. But I think it¡¯s better to have a record, just in case it bes useful someday..."
The person filming chuckled, "Lie, you¡¯re overthinking it. Our missions as Breakers are always top secret, and they¡¯re never recorded in the archives."
"This time is different," Su Lie said, shaking his head. "Trust me, I have a feeling this mission won¡¯t be as simple as it seems..."
The image blurred, and when it cleared again, the screen was pitch ck. A swath of green light swept across the screen, revealing a rugged terrain. The surroundings seemed to be an open space with no visible reference points.
If it weren¡¯t for the asional shadow of a person passing through the green light, Tianyang would have thought the camera equipment had malfunctioned.
The footage had jumped from the interior of a building to some dark, open space, indicating that the video had been edited.
At that moment, Su Lie''s voice was heard on the screen: "Stop; Yin Qi seems to have found something."
Footsteps echoed from the screen, and the slender figure of the ck-haired woman appeared in the frame.
She pointed ahead, her voice low. "I¡¯ve detected Mad Dogs, but their numbers are unknown. Those things'' eyes have degenerated. However, I suspect their sense of smell has be even more urate."
As soon as she finished speaking, faint barking could be heard from the screen.
Su Lie chuckled. "No need to guess¡ªthey¡¯re here!"
He grabbed the Death Knell hanging from his waist and pointed it into the darkness. The others quickly drew their weapons, and momentster, the loud shot of the Death Knell echoed from the screen.
After a brief pause in the footage, it resumed, showing that the battle was over.
Su Lie and the others seemed to be resting, and the person filming remarked, "I never would¡¯ve thought there was such arge space beneath Hongni Town, and even underground dwellers. Lie, how big do you think this ce is? It looks like it¡¯s as big as a city..."
Tianyang shuddered.
Hongni Town!
An underground space!
Wasn¡¯t that the ce where Gu Gang and the others had gone? So, seventeen years ago, Su Lie had already been there!
What was he doing there?
Chapter 115 - The Calamity Compass
Sure enough, it wasn¡¯t long before the scene on the screen changed, showing Su Lie¡¯s team arriving at a base entrance.
They seemed to have known that there would be an underground base here, as they brought the necessary tools and quickly created an opening in the tightly sealed door.
What followed was exploration andbat.
During this process, the footage was either shaky or edited. As a result, Tianyang couldn''t see clearly, only that Su Lie¡¯s team was searching for something.
Additionally, they encountered various ck creatures, including the Shadow Knights.
A few minutester, the screen wentpletely dark. Tianyang thought it might be over, but seeing the progress bar still active, he continued.
He swiped his finger across the screen, and when the image reappeared, he stopped.
The next image showed a well-lit room. Through the window, it was pitch dark outside; it was unclear whether it was night or if the filming location was still within the Inverse Universe.
Su Lie appeared in the frame, moving a chair to sit in front of the camera. He was holding what seemed to be a metal te.
Su Lie sat down, stared at the metal te in silence, and then suddenly sighed.
He shook the metal te. ¡°I sacrificed many brothers for this. In that damned ce, only Yin Qi and I made it back. But Yin Qi was severely injured; I don¡¯t know if she¡¯ll survive.¡±
Su Lie cradled his head; his expression hurt. ¡°I now have doubts about the higher-ups'' motives, so I think it¡¯s necessary to record what I¡¯m about to say. After all, we sacrificed so much for this. And¡¡±
He stopped abruptly, his gaze deep and thoughtful.
After a moment, Su Lie straightened up and held the metal te up, pointing to a line of engravings. ¡°I¡¯m d I learned the Inverse Universe script from Jing Nan, so I can understand what this says. This is probably something the higher-ups didn¡¯t anticipate. If they see this footage, they might regret choosing me for this mission.¡±
¡°Cmity Compass.¡±
Su Lie pronounced each word clearly. ¡°Cmity means disaster; I understand that. As for ¡±Compass,¡± it seems to be some sort of tool used by the Inverse Universe residents, but whatever... what¡¯s important are the following words.¡±
The man on the screen looked at the engraving with a serious expression. ¡°We¡¯ve engraved this information, hoping that future generations will know what we have done. As for whether it was right or wrong, that¡¯s for them to judge.¡±
¡°ording to the ¡±Fan Wenzhe¡ªDemon Tomb Research Report,¡± we found that tomb and confirmed it contained unimaginable things.¡±
¡°Many of ourrades believed that what was inside that tomb could help humanity resist the Eternal Night. We organized several teams to explore the tomb.¡±
¡°But the oue was disappointing. The tomb contained too many unknowns and dark, evil tomb guardians. Many of our teams vanished without a trace inside the tomb. Only the leader of thest team escaped and warned us that we must seal the tomb.¡±
¡°There is something terrifying inside, and he swore that if it was released, it would hasten the destruction of our world.¡±
¡°Unfortunately, we didn¡¯t take it seriously at first, leading to a series of mistakes. But it was toote to regret it.¡±
¡°The survivor quickly went mad and could no longer work or live normally. Shortly after, the entities from the tomb sent their minions, and those terrifying beings not meant for this world found us.¡±
¡°We had no choice but to seal off the base, hoping to keep them out. Meanwhile, we destroyed all records rted to the Demon Tomb. Indeed, the tomb should never have been discovered, let alone opened.¡±
¡°But we still have some personnel at another base. We wanted to contact them, butmunication was cut off. Now, we can only send a team to notify them to destroy any rted records.¡±
¡°So, we created this Compass. It not only guides the team to Base No. 2 but also records our actions. I hope the world won¡¯t fall into the Eternal Night because of our foolish actions.¡±
At this point, Su Lie put down the metal te and turned it over to show the camera.
The other side of the metal te disyed a tangle of seemingly meaningless lines.
It looked like a chaotic mess.
Su Lie pointed at the lines, ¡°This might be a map or something, but it¡¯s encrypted by the Inverse Universe residents using some method. Personally, I think the higher-ups at the Fortress intend to find the Demon Tomb; otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have sent me to lead the team into the base.¡±
¡°It¡¯s damnable. If I hadn¡¯t found that ¡±Fan Wenzhe¡ªDemon Tomb Research Report¡± during a previous mission, none of these terrible events would have happened.¡±
Su Lie wiped his face. ¡°To get to the point, the information recorded on this thing is terrifying. Humans and the inhabitants of the Inverse Universe also call themselves humans¡ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a coincidence or something else. But this title fills me with deep fear.¡±
¡°We¡¯ve spected more than once that the roaming monsters in the Inverse Universe are transformed from Inverse Universe residents. If they were once humans, then what about us¡ Will we also be like them someday in the future?¡±
¡°And also, this metal te was protected by several Shadow Knights. At the time, I didn¡¯t understand why those damned things would protect it. Now I have a terrifying thought¡ªcould those knights...¡±
Suddenly, the sound of movement interrupted Su Lie¡¯s words, and he left the frame. After a while, he returned.
¡°Good news! Yin Qi has woken up; at least she¡¯s not dead.¡±
¡°But now there¡¯s a dilemma. I¡¯m debating whether to turn this thing in. If I do, there¡¯s no doubt I¡¯ll receive great praise. Perhaps they¡¯ll make me the next Night Walker Commander as promised.¡±
Su Lie shook his head, ¡°But if they decipher the map on this [Compass] and find Base No. 2, obtaining the location of the tomb¡ I¡¯m not sure if the Fortress has the means to open the tomb. If the things inside are released, will the world outside be affected?¡±
¡°Maybe I need to talk to them first¡¡±
Looking at the camera, the haggard-faced man with stubble nodded firmly. ¡°That¡¯s how it will be!¡±
The recording ended.
Tianyang took out the chip, checked the card reader to ensure no residual information was left, and then stored the chip safely.
The boyid back on the bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought.
Tianyang still didn''t know whether Su Lie ultimately handed over the metal te, but the fact that Su Lie went missingter was undeniable.
Moreover, this matter involved high-ranking members of the Fortress, but it was unclear who specifically was involved.
Also, Su Lie was a Breaker, and it was the first time Tianyang had heard of such a position within the Night Walkers.
Unfortunately, Tianyang had only recently joined the Night Walkers, so he was unaware of many internal details. But it seemed that regardless of whether Su Lie handed over the metal te or not, the Fortress had covered up the incident.
It was possible that the blockade of the roads leading to Hongni Town was the Fortress''s doing. With Hongni Town reopening for exploration after seventeen years, it appeared that there were a few left who knew about the incident.
Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t have allowed prospectors to freely enter the town.
Even Deputy Minister Shen Mozhu was unaware of the details, showing just how deeply concealed the matter was!
The boy, rubbing his forehead, thought, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s best to put this matter aside for now.¡±
The situation was tooplicated!
If even the high-ranking officials of the Fortress were involved, then even clinging to the Night Walkers¡¯ support didn¡¯t guarantee safety.
Recalling the recent incident where someone sneaked into the apartment, seemingly searching for Su Lie¡¯s journal, it was likely that some people had not forgotten the matter and were still searching for the so-called Demon Tomb. More importantly, how did they find out about the journal being in his possession?
All this indicated that he was already entangled in the situation. Continuing the investigation might just lead to his own downfall.
To get to the bottom of this, one would need either significant power or sufficient strength. Unfortunately, Tianyangcked both at the moment.
In light of this, he had no other choice but to endure and restrain himself.
For the next two days, Tianyang felt downcast, with thoughts of Su Lie lingering like a thorn in his heart.
One day, after finishing treatment at the medical center and feeling dejected, he wandered around the base to clear his mind. As he passed under some twisted, sickly Inverse Universe trees, he suddenly heard a soft cry, a delicate voice that seemed to belong to a woman.
Apanied by the sound of branches snapping, a dark shadow fell from above Tianyang. Instinctively, he reached out and caught the falling figure, finding himself cradling an exquisite young woman in his arms.
She was petite and frail, wearing mechanic''s clothes, with a few smudges on her face. However, this didn¡¯t diminish her beauty; instead, it made her look even more charming and yful.
The girl, who appeared to be around Tianyang¡¯s age, had a pair of clear, tranquil eyes that seemed to cleanse the soul. Looking into her eyes, Tianyang was reminded of the bright moon in the night sky outside.
They were equally radiant and bright.
As Tianyang momentarily lost focus, the girl lifted her hand and gently brushed the fine strands of hair from his forehead. ¡°So beautiful, so pure silver. Is it natural?¡±
¡°Huh?¡±
Tianyang snapped back to reality and quickly set the girl down. ¡°Are you alright? How did you end up in the tree?¡±
The girl showed a row of white teeth and stuck out her tongue, saying, ¡°I was repairing the sensor tower. I missed my step, and luckily you caught me, or I would have fallen badly.¡±
She blinked her dreamlike eyes and took Tianyang¡¯s hand. ¡°By the way, I haven¡¯t thanked you yet. I¡¯m Xiaoniao. What¡¯s your name?¡±
¡°Tian... Tianyang.¡±
¡°Tianyang?¡± The girl named Xiaoniao closed her eyes and said, ¡°As broad as the sky, as bright as sunlight. It¡¯s such a lovely name.¡±
Tianyang shivered slightly, surprised that this girl had interpreted his name with a meaning simr to Su Lie¡¯s.
Chapter 116 - Making a Mountain Out of a Molehill
The young girl opened her eyes and saw Tianyang lost in thought. She waved her small hand in front of his face. "Hey, what''s wrong with you? Did I say something wrong?"
Tianyang snapped out of it. Lacking much experience interacting with girls, he shyly said, "No, you were right. What you said is almost exactly what... an elder of mine once told me."
"Really? Then I''m truly honored."
The girl really lived up to her name, lively like a little bird, chirping non-stop. "Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s fate that brought us together? I fell down, and you just happened to catch me."
"Your name is Tianyang, and mine is Xiaoniao. Don¡¯t little birds like to fly freely under the bright sunlight?"
As she spoke, the girl even mimicked the pping of wings.
Blinking her eyes, Xiaoniao suddenly said, "Why don¡¯t you marry me?"
Tianyang started coughing violently. He seriously doubted his ears were malfunctioning. If not, then this girl''s courage was a bit too much, wasn¡¯t it?
Xiaoniao burst outughing. "I''m just teasing you. I need to go fix something. See you next time."
She picked up the small wrench that had fallen earlier, squeezed through a few strange trees, and climbed up the sturdy frame of the sensor tower.
Tianyang shook his head, seemingly infected by Xiaoniao¡¯s optimism. The gloom he felt earlier hadpletely vanished.
Hismunicator buzzed, and he received a message from Adam. ¡±Where are you? Uncle Tie has fixed your gun. He''s waiting for you at the dormitory.¡±
Tianyang quickly replied, ¡±I''ll be back right away.¡±
He walked briskly toward the dormitory area and approached his own dorm. From a distance, he could already smell the strong scent of smoke.
A middle-aged man in dirty mechanic overalls was squatting by the door, smoking a cigarette.
At his feetid the ¡±Death Knell.¡± This caught the eyes of passersby, who couldn¡¯t help but nce at the exaggeratedly shaped handgun. However, they quickly coughed from the strong smoke and hurried away.
"Uncle Tie."
Tianyang called out, running over and opening the dormitory door. "Come in and have a seat."
Uncle Tie rolled his eyes, looked at him, and said nothing. He picked up the ¡±Death Knell¡± and walked inside. Fortunately, before entering, he stubbed out his cigarette, which was burnt down to the butt, and then stepped into the room.
Once the door closed, the middle-aged man casually ced the ¡±Death Knell¡± on the table. "I managed to fix two of the damaged crystal slots. Thest one is beyond repair. The materials and parts for this thing are pretty much obsolete. There''s no extra material in this rundown ce to fix thatst crystal slot, so you''ll have to make do."
"Also, I reced some of the powerponents with newer developments from recent years. This should help you save about half of your star energy. I also adjusted the recoil. It should be much less now, so even with just one hand, you should be able to fire it."
Tianyang picked up the ¡±Death Knell.¡± The surface still had many scratches, but it felt like new. He tried infusing star energy into it, and sure enough, it only took less than half of his star energy to fill up a crystal slot.
"Thank you so much, Uncle Tie. This really helps me out. Do I need to pay you anything, like contribution points?"
Tianyang was so enamored with the repaired ¡±Death Knell¡± that if Uncle Tie wasn¡¯t there, he would have run straight to the shooting range to test it.
Uncle Tie shook his head. "I don¡¯t have many contribution points, but I have enough. No need for more. Just answer me one question, where did you get this thing?"
Tianyang was taken aback and quickly organized his thoughts before saying, "A friend gave it to me."
"You''re lying!"
To his surprise, the middle-aged man roared, his eyes sharp and the veins in his neck bulging, clearly very agitated. "Adam was there that day, so I couldn¡¯t say anything. But the truth is, I know this gun. Because I made it, and there¡¯s only one in the entire fortress."
"It¡¯s called Death Knell! Isn¡¯t that right?"
Tianyang was stunned. He hadn¡¯t expected that the ¡±Death Knell¡± was actually made by the middle-aged man in front of him.
Uncle Tie took a few deep breaths, then lowered his voice. "What¡¯s your rtionship with Su Lie?"
Another bolt from the blue.
Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but ask back. "You know Su Lie?"
Uncle Tie snorted through his nose. "It¡¯s hard not to. That bastard always stole things from me. Even this ¡±Death Knell¡± was something he took from me."
"That bastard even said he''d pay me backter. But then, he suddenly disappeared. Along with this gun, he vanished without a trace, and it¡¯s been seventeen years now."
Uncle Tie rolled his eyes. "You still haven¡¯t answered my question."
Tianyang gave a wry smile. "I don¡¯t know what my rtionship with him is, but apparently, he¡¯s the one who gave me my name."
Uncle Tie narrowed his eyes slightly. "Could it be..."
He hesitated, then finally waved his hand. "Forget it. Seeing the ¡±Death Knell¡± again means I can finally put this matter to rest. It was thest gun I ever made, my final work. Since it¡¯s in your hands now, use it well, and take down as many dark creatures as you can!"
Tianyang quickly replied, "I will, Uncle Tie."
Uncle Tie walked to the door. "If it ever breaks, you can alwayse to Yunxiang to find me for repairs, as long as I¡¯m alive. But don¡¯t mention Su Lie to anyone. Remember, don¡¯t tell anyone you know Su Lie!"
At that moment, Tianyang could sense his goodwill. "I will, Uncle Tie."
The middle-aged man with graying hair finally left.
The next day, Tianyang bade farewell to the Yunxiang base and boarded the high-speed train back to Sky Fortress.
His injuries had mostly healed, and now, even if he had to fight, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem. He had been away from Sky Fortress for about ten days or so, and it was time to return to his team.
As he boarded the train, Tianyang headed to the car indicated on his ticket, his thoughts wandering, recalling what Uncle Tie had told him yesterday.
As he passed through a section of the train, he identally bumped into someone.
The person he bumped into staggered a few steps back and snorted coldly. "Walking without looking? If you don¡¯t need your eyes, why not donate them? They¡¯re just a waste on you anyway!"
Although this person spoke rudely, it was Tianyang who bumped into him first, so he looked up and apologized. "Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to."
When they got a good look at each other, both eximed, "It¡¯s you?"
It turned out the person he bumped into was Yunze''s second brother, Yunfeng!
"Mr. Yunfeng, is everything alright?"
Several guards from the Yun family quickly approached, surrounding Yunfeng and casting hostile nces at Tianyang. Among them, an Ascender who wasn¡¯t wearing protective gear took a step forward, exuding an oppressive aura.
This Ascender seemed to be at least a Rank 2, possibly even Rank 3. Although he did create some pressure on Tianyang, having once faced a high-ranking expert like Wang Liangyi, the pressure from this person was insignificant inparison.
Yunfeng straightened his clothes and looked at Tianyang calmly, saying, "It''s nothing; I just got bumped into by this kid."
The Ascender immediately barked, "Do you have any idea who Mr. Yunfeng is? His status is extremely noble. If you injured him, could you bear the consequences?"
Tianyang, feeling displeased, replied, "I already apologized."
The Ascender sneered, "Bumping into Mr. Yunfeng isn¡¯t something an apology can simply resolve."
Tianyang raised his eyebrows and said, "So, what do you want to do about it?"
Yunfeng raised his hand and gently patted the Ascender on the shoulder. "Forget it, I¡¯m fine. No need to make a mountain out of a molehill or people might think the Yun family is domineering and unreasonable."
The Ascender immediately lowered his stance and stepped back, "Understood."
Thinking the matter was settled, Tianyang nodded at Yunfeng and turned to leave.
"Stop." Yunfeng deliberately stretched out his words.
Before he could move, several guards blocked Tianyang''s way.
With a smile, Yunfeng said, "I just said not to make a big deal out of it, but I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t hold you ountable. How about this? I noticed your handgun looks interesting. Leave it, and you can go."
Tianyang turned around and replied in a deep voice, "No way!"
The Ascender sneered, "A piece of junk, and you think it¡¯s a treasure! Mr. Yunfeng taking an interest in it is your good fortune. Don¡¯t refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"
A glint of silver shone deep within the young man''s eyes as he said, "And what if I have no choice but to drink this forfeit today?"
"How dare you!"
The Ascender roared, and the carriage was immediately filled with an intense aura. "If you don¡¯t hand over the gun today, I¡¯ll take it myself!"
Tianyang met his challenge head-on. "Let¡¯s see if you have the ability!"
Just then, the sound of footsteps approached, and a female guard hurriedly rushed in.
Yunfeng frowned, raising his hand to signal, and the Ascender immediately understood, withdrawing his aura to avoid harming the female guard.
The female guard ran straight to Yunfeng''s side and whispered something to him, causing the expression of the second son of the Yun family to turn peculiar.
When she finished, Yunfeng forced a helpless smile and cleared his throat. "Well, it seems I¡¯ve got something else to do. I don¡¯t have time to tangle with him."
The Ascender, who was facing off with Tianyang, was stunned, thinking he must have misheard. He¡¯d been with Yunfeng for some time now and had never seen him back down so easily.
"I said, let¡¯s go! Are you deaf? Do you want to donate your ears too?" Yunfeng raised his voice slightly, snorted, and then left with a flick of his sleeve.
The Ascender could only re at Tianyang begrudgingly and said, "Consider yourself lucky."
Tianyang responded with a smile, "My luck has always been good."
Annoyed, the Ascender rolled his eyes, and with that, Tianyang parted ways with the Yun family entourage.
Finding his seat, the young man plopped down and exhaled a little in relief.
Although he didn¡¯t think Yunfeng would dare to deal with him recklessly on the train, it would have been troublesome. This oue was the best possible, though he couldn¡¯t understand why Yunfeng suddenly changed his mind.
Remembering the female guard, Tianyang thought it was likely they had received some important news and didn¡¯t have time to deal with a minor character like him.
It seemed his luck was indeed pretty good!
Chapter 117 - A Gift of the Pen
The day after returning to the fortress, Tianyang woke up early. He issued a verbalmand, and the smart home assistant automatically opened the curtains, revealing a sparse rain falling against the window, creating winding streams of water.
The fortress had entered its rainy season, which meant the uing days would be dominated by overcast skies and rain. asionally, there might be brief spells of sunshine, but they wouldst no more than two or three days before the rain and wind returned.
Tianyang recalled that during the rainy season in the Lower District, the water level in the canal behind their shack would rise. The water would often overflow, flooding into their home. At such times, Tianyang would help his mother fill the gaps in their shack with various materials, trying to keep the water out. Despite their efforts, the floor would always end up damp, making life difficult.
Compared to those days, life was much morefortable now that he lived in an Upper District apartment with all its modern conveniences. Unfortunately, his mother could never enjoy this improved life.
Taking a deep breath, Tianyang got out of bed, deciding to visit the cemetery today and report back to his team tomorrow. The food customization machine prepared a simple breakfast with sufficient calories for him. After eating, Tianyang took a shower and then changed into some old clothes. When he opened his wardrobe, he realized he might need to buy a few sets of casual clothes¡ªafter all, it wouldn''t be appropriate to always wear his Night Walker uniform, regardless of the asion.
Before leaving, Tianyang grabbed his Crimson Moon Warde. After the recent infiltration incident, he couldn''t afford to be careless anymore. As for his "Death Knell," its unique design would attract too much attention, so he decided it was best not to use it casually within the fortress.
When he reached the ground floor, the rain had lightened up, though the sound of raindrops striking the fortress dome was still quite loud. Tianyang rode his unicycle out of the apartment and stopped by a nearby flower shop to buy a bouquet of fresh flowers before heading to the cemetery.
Even in the rain, Tianyang saw a procession of about a dozen people marching down an Upper District street. They held banners demanding the reduction of privileges for Ascenders, loudly chanting slogans. Despite the rain hammering on the fortress dome, their voices rang out clearly. The march was led by a few Upper District residents, with the rest of the participants beingmoners¡ªunited by the fact that they were all ordinary people.
In recent years, voices opposing the dominance of Ascenders over most of the resources had grown louder, and Tianyang had heard about it. However, this was his first time witnessing a protest in person, and he found it quite intriguing.
As he passed through amunity square, Tianyang also noticed a gathering organized by the Church of the Lord of War. Several ck-robed priests from the church were preaching to the residents of the fortress.
In Tianyang''s fortress, as in many other fortress cities, the majority of people were followers of the Lord of War. The church had a long history, having risen to prominence hundreds of years ago with countless adherents.
It was said that a century after the appearance of the Kraft Gate, a great empire once emerged on Earth. Back then, there were no fortress cities, and nearly everyone lived under the empire''s rule. Alongside the empire, a church that revered the culture of the Inverse Universe, the Church of the Shining Darkness, also rose to prominence. This churchter became the empire''s state religion. However, the empire''s glory was short-lived, and within a few decades, it fell into decline.
After the empire vanished, a century of chaos ensued, during which the Church of the Shining Darkness also fragmented. Then, a centuryter, another church quietly emerged¡ªthe Church of the Lord of War. It was said that this church, which rose during the Age of Chaos, was the sessor to the Church of the Shining Darkness.
Regardless, the Church of the Lord of War has passed down through the ages and has be one of the world''s four major religious sects today.
"War is not for ughter; it is for protection. When you go to the battlefield, never forget what you are fighting for..."
In the square, a priest with their face hidden under a hood was preaching to the crowd. Their voice was soft but full of charisma, sounding like a woman. The priest raised her hand, drawing a line from her forehead to her chest, then lightly tapped her chest three times with a clenched fist: "May the Lord of War protect you..."
As Tianyang passed by, she lifted her head and nced at him, and for a moment, their eyes met. In that brief instant, Tianyang saw a pair of determined ck eyes.
Their gazes crossed for a moment before they looked away. Before long, Tianyang arrived at the fortress cemetery.
The rain might have made the cemetery look particrly quiet. With his warde slung over his back and flowers in hand, Tianyang walked through the ck gates of the cemetery.
Inside, a straight path stretched ahead, lined with solemn ck tombstones. There were only a few scattered figures in the cemetery, quietly standing by the graves.
Here, even the wind seemed to carry a heavy sense of longing for the deceased, whispering softly above the cemetery.
Tianyang walked down the path with his head down, holding the bouquet as he headed toward his mother''s grave. Suddenly, someone appeared in front of him, making him stop abruptly to avoid a collision.
To his surprise, it was someone he recognized.
The man wore a dark, high-cored long coat. His gray hair was tousled by the wind, and the lines around his mouth were pronounced, yet his eyes were as sharp as those of a young man.
Calm and dignified.
It was none other than Liu Jinglin, a mentor from Tianqing Academy!
"Is it you? Mr. Liu, are you here to pay respects too?" Tianyang raised his voice slightly, his words echoing in the quiet surroundings.
However, the other people in the cemetery were too far away to hear what Tianyang was saying.
After a brief moment of surprise, Liu Jinglin quickly returned to his usualposure, offering a polite smile as he replied, "Yes, I''m here to visit an old friend."
He paused for a moment before asking, "And you?"
He thenughed at himself. "Listen to me, what nonsense am I saying? Of course, peoplee here to pay their respects."
Tianyang nodded lightly. "My mother is buried here."
Liu Jinglin''s expression gradually became solemn. "I''m very sorry."
Tianyang shook his head, indicating that he didn''t mind. He then stepped aside and bowed his head slightly. "I''ll be on my way now, Mr. Liu. I''lle by for your lecture next time."
Liu Jinglin gave him a warm smile. "You''re wee to attend anytime. Honestly, young people like you aren''t usually interested in Inverse Universe civilization."
Tianyang replied casually, "You mightugh, but at first, I wanted to learn the Inverse Universe script. But when I found out there wasn''t such a course, I came across your Civilization History ss instead, so I decided to take it."
"I see." Liu Jinglin''s eyes flickered as he reached into his pocket and took out a fountain pen. "Here, take this as a keepsake. You can use it to practice your writing. And by that, I mean the Inverse Universe script."
Tianyang looked at the pen. It had a rounded body with a deep, rich color, and the cap was adorned with silver engravings¡ªvery elegant.
"This... how could I..."
Tianyang instantly liked the pen, but since he wasn¡¯t particrly close to Liu Jinglin, he felt uneasy epting it. His mother, Nan Fei, had always taught him not to casually ept gifts from others, so he hesitated.
Liu Jinglin smiled and slipped the pen into Tianyang¡¯s chest pocket. "It''s not worth much; don''t think too much of it. Also, if you want to learn the Inverse Universe script, feel free toe by the academy. I''ll teach you."
"That would be great; thank you so much, Mr. Liu." Tianyang expressed his sincere gratitude.
Although Old Xu had lent him a book on the Inverse Universe script, having someone like Liu Jinglin guide him would definitely make things much easier.
"No need to thank me. Alright, I¡¯ll be off now. Goodbye."
Liu Jinglin lightly patted Tianyang''s arm and then turned to leave.
Tianyang nced at the pen in his pocket, feeling a wave of joy that even lightened his steps.
...
As he left the cemetery, Tianyang received two text messages on hismunicator.
The first was a reward notification.
[You have received a mission reward notification.
Reward Category: Gemstone Town Defense Battle.
Reward Content: Contribution Points.
Contribution Points:
Disruption Signal Neutralization: 500 points
Interference Eliminator Kill: 300 points
Camp Defense Assistance: 500 points
Submission of Interference Report: 500 points
Total Contribution Points Earned: 1800 points.
All rewards have been issued. Please check your ount.]
1800 points!
It wasn¡¯t a huge amount, but it wasn¡¯t insignificant either. Tianyang hadn¡¯t expected to earn any contribution points from his trip to Gemstone Town.
With this, Tianyang now had a total of 6420 contribution points on hand, not counting the 2000 points he had lent to Yan Bing.
If his mother were still alive, he might have used these contribution points to set up a small shop for her to pass the time. But since she was gone, Tianyang hadn¡¯t decided what to do with them, so he put the matter aside for now.
The second message was from Yan Bing. "Commander, are you back?"
Tianyang replied, letting him know he had returned. He was about to head to his bike when Yan Bing quickly responded. "Commander, are you free tonight? I¡¯ve finished my surgery, and I¡¯d like to buy you a drink."
Tianyang chuckled and readily agreed, setting a time and ce with Yan Bing before leaving the cemetery.
| Night Eagle Bar. |
This bar was located on Amber Street in the Upper District, one of the busiest streets in the area. Amber Street was not only home to various shopping centers but also entertainment venues like the Night Eagle Bar.
When Tianyang arrived at the bar''s entrance, he looked up to see a sculpture of a soaring eagle above the door.
As he was about to enter, a bar security guard stopped him. "Sorry, no weapons allowed inside."
The guard¡¯s eyes were clearly fixed on the Crimson Moon Warde strapped to Tianyang¡¯s back.
Tianyang took out his ID card. After verifying his identity, the guard''s attitude made aplete turnaround. "Oh, you''re a Night Walker officer. Please, go right in."
Inside the bar, the air was thick with the scent of alcohol and perfume.
Tianyang was no stranger to this kind of atmosphere. He had frequented the Volcano Bar in Caddy often enough to be ustomed to such a peculiar mix of smells.
He nced around, searching for Yan Bing, and soon spotted the officer at the bar not far ahead.
Next to the bar, four or five men were either sitting or standing, chatting with a pretty female bartender behind the counter.
One of the men, who looked under thirty, was handsome with an exaggerated expression. He picked up a ss of wine and handed it to the bartender.
Just then, Yan Bing stood up with a grin, said something to the man, and then took the ss, downing it in one gulp.
Unexpectedly, the man¡¯s face darkened, and he suddenly kicked Yan Bing in the stomach. Amid the startled cries of the female bartender, Yan Bing fell to the ground, vomiting the drink he had just swallowed.
Seeing this, the calm expression on Tianyang¡¯s face gradually turned into a dark scowl...
Chapter 118 - They Are Comrades
The handsome man jumped off the high stool, dusted off his clothes, and spread his hands as he looked at Yan Bing on the ground. "What are you doing?"
Anger shed in Yan Bing''s eyes, but he forced a smile on his face. "Mr. Xie Miao, I just... I just drank the ss for Xiao Ju. I didn¡¯t do anything."
"This is ¡°nothing?¡±" The man named Xie Miao exchanged a nce with hispanions behind him, then chuckled. "Listen to him, saying he didn''t do anything..."
His expression suddenly changed, and he shouted manically, "I gave this woman a drink because I favored her. She must drink it whether she wants to or not. But what the hell does it have to do with you? Who do you think you are to drink it for her?"
Xie Miao lifted his foot. "ying hero, are you? I''ll teach you a lesson!"
He kicked out viciously, aiming the tip of his shoe straight at Yan Bing''s heart!
Just as it was about to hit, a foot suddenly came from the side, blocking Xie Miao''s kick and knocking it off course. The impact left Xie Miao''s ankle tingling with pain.
Xie Miao''s expression froze. He couldn''t believe someone dared to intervene and angrily turned his head.
He saw a silver-haired, ck-eyed boy whose left eye seemed to be a cybeic imnt, asionally flickering with an electric blue light.
"Who the hell are you?"
Xie Miao took two steps back, clutching his ankle.
Yan Bing initially felt a wave of relief, but then he said sternly, "Sir, this has nothing to do with you. You don''t need to¡ª"
"As long as you are a member of the Raven Squad, I can''t pretend I didn''t see this," Tianyang said calmly, his gaze moving to Xie Miao. "Moreover, he attacked first, so I can''t just ignore it."
Xie Miao sized Tianyang up and down. "Raven Squad, white hair... Are you the Ascender Second Lieutenant who took down the Qin family?"
Tianyang admitted it openly. "Yes, that''s me. No matter who you are, now you have attacked a Night Walker soldier in a public ce. I believe you owe him an apology."
He pointed at Yan Bing, who had just been helped to his feet by the female bartender.
Xie Miao was stunned for a moment, then burst intoughter. "You can''t be serious? Asking me to apologize? Don¡¯t think that just because you took down a third-rate family, you''re something special. Night Walker? So what? I''m a Night Walker too, and my rank is higher than yours!"
"I''m a Lieutenant!"
He pointed at himself and shouted, "Now, Second Lieutenant. You injured me. I want you to apologize right now!"
Tianyang remained unafraid. "Ridiculous. If you''re also a Night Walker, then you should know that attacking a fellow soldier is a more severe crime! If you don''t apologize, perhaps the Commander will have something to say about this."
"You''re threatening me?" Xie Miao took a step closer, nearly face-to-face with Tianyang.
He pointed at Yan Bing and shouted, "Soldiers like him are a dime a dozen! They''re cannon fodder, expendable! Do they deserve to be called myrades? And you dare to threaten me over this piece of trash?"
"They enter the Inverse Universe just like us, facing no less danger. They make sacrifices just like us, sometimes even giving their lives. So, yes, I believe they are ourrades!" Tianyang stood his ground, responding sharply.
Hearing this, Yan Bing''s hands clenched tightly, his eyes glowing with a new light.
The few soldiers who hade with Xie Miao, members of his squad, were also taken aback by Tianyang''s words.
But the most surprised was Xie Miao himself, not only because Tianyang had openly defied him but also because of the boy''s statement.
He realized that after Tianyang''s words, not only did the Raven Squad soldier look at him with respect, but even his own subordinates were starting to see him differently.
A surge of anger welled up within him.
Xie Miao felt that his authority over his men was slipping. And with a Second Lieutenant daring to insult him to his face, he lost all hisposure.
Drunk and furious, Xie Miao threw a punch at Tianyang''s face!
"Spouting nonsense and defying your superior, I''ll make you kneel!"
If it had been the old Tianyang, standing so close and with Xie Miao attacking suddenly, he might have taken that punch for sure.
But after all the battles he''d been through, especially being hunted by the Shadow Knight, those life-and-death experiences had sharpened his senses and reflexes considerably.
Almost the moment Xie Miao''s shoulder moved, Tianyang instinctively reacted.
He evaded Xie Miao''s punch, quickly moving behind him and using the [Disassemble] technique taught by Han Shu to take him down.
Xie Miao hadn''t even realized what had happened before his world spun upside down, and he found himself on the floor.
Although the fall didn''t hurt much, his pride was in tatters.
Xie Miao got up and red at his men. "What are you standing there for? Get him! Now!"
The soldiers hesitated at first, but after Xie Miao yelled a few more times, they exchanged nces, and then charged at Tianyang.
In the Upper District, and especially in a bar, Tianyang didn''t want to escte the situation, so he refrained from using his Star Resonance abilities.
As the soldiers rushed him, he frowned.
Just then, someone barged in from the side, tackling the soldiers to the ground. It was Yan Bing. However, he was quickly overwhelmed and pinned down, taking a beating. As Tianyang moved to help, he felt a breeze behind him¡ªXie Miao had already kicked at him.
With no other choice, Tianyang dodged, stepped back, and once again swept Xie Miao off his feet.
Looking back at Yan Bing, he saw that thetter could only curl up, arms shielding his head, as fists rained down on him.
Tianyang let out a cold snort and was about to intervene when something caught him by surprise¡ªXie Miao grabbed him from behind.
At this rate, Yan Bing would either be beaten to death or end up in the hospital for some time.
Suddenly, a foot kicked into the fray, sending one of Xie Miao''s subordinates flying. The next moment, someone began punching and kicking, and within a few moves, Yan Bing was rescued.
Tianyang looked closely¡ªit was actually Cang Du. The ponytailed young man was still holding a bottle of liquor, coldly scanning Xie Miao''s remaining men, who didn¡¯t dare make a move.
Then he looked at Tianyang. "Are you nning to just stand there?"
Tianyang smiled, then mmed his head into Xie Miao''s nose. Thetter cried out in pain, stumbling back while ring at both Tianyang and Cang Du.
Finally, he shouted, "Just you wait! This isn''t over!"
He turned to leave, but Cang Du suddenly smashed his bottle at Xie Miao''s feet. "Hold up, pay for your drinks before you go. We''re not covering your tab."
Xie Miao looked furious, but after clutching his nose, he quickly paid the bill and left.
With the incident over, the bar staff started cleaning up. Tianyang walked over to Cang Du and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"None of your damn business." Cang Du sat down at the bar and knocked on the counter. "Give me a bottle of Gentiana."
Gentiana was a type of strong liquor. Tianyang had once tried it at the Volcano Bar, and after just one ss, he was so drunk he passed out. Kaidi had often scolded Nan Fei for it afterward.
Tianyang studied the ponytailed young man. He seemed to be in a bad mood¡ªcould it be that he had just gone through a breakup?
Tianyang cleared his throat. "Anyway, thanks for earlier."
"Stop it." Cang Du took the bottle of liquor from the bartender and twisted it open. "I wasn''t helping you. I just couldn''t stand that guy named Xie."
He took a swig of the strong liquor, then jumped off the stool and walked away, reeking of alcohol.
At that moment, Yan Bing finally walked over, his face bruised and swollen, but he seemed to be alright.
"How did the surgery go? Was it sessful?" Tianyang sat on the high stool at the bar and ordered a light drink. Light drinks had a lower alcohol content, and since Tianyang knew his limits, he didn''t dare drink anything too strong.
Yan Bing took the ice pack the female bartender handed him and smiled as he pressed it to his forehead. "It went smoothly. After filling in the biomaterial, I feel like there''s no difference from before."
Tianyang nced at the female bartender behind the bar. "Is she your friend?"
Yan Bing looked a bit shy. "She''s my fianc¨¦e. Her name is Xiao Ju. Tonight''s herst day working at the bar, so she won''t being back here anymore. That''s why I thought I''d invite you over for a drink, but I didn''t expect all that to happen."
"Sir..."
Tianyang knew what he was about to say and waved his hand. "You don''t need to say anything. I just did what needed to be done."
Yan Bing nodded. "Then have a few more drinks on me!"
"Alright," Tianyang agreed wholeheartedly.
...
The next day, when Tianyang woke up, his temples were throbbing painfully on both sides, making him feel miserable.
He smiled wryly as he got out of bed. Sure enough, alcohol was something best consumed in moderation.
After having breakfast, he drove to the Night Walkers'' headquarters building. He took the elevator to the squad''s quarters, and just as he was about to push the door open, it was mmed open from the other side.
Or more precisely, it was flung open!
Cang Du stormed out, his face full of anger, and even bumped into Tianyang without saying a word before running off.
What''s going on?
Puzzled, Tianyang walked into the quarters. Passing the partition, he saw that everyone was in the hall¡ªHan Shu and the others were all there.
Han Shu was sitting in the central high-backed chair, his legs crossed on the conference table, smoking silently.
On either side of him, Lao Xu and Ji Yu were sitting in silence.
Tianyang could clearly feel that the atmosphere in the hall was strange. It was obvious that Cang Du had stormed off in a huff for some unknown reason.
And no one even nced at him as he returned to the squad.
With no other option, Tianyang cleared his throat and said, "Captain, I''m back."
Han Shu grunted in response, uncrossed his legs, and stood up. "I''m heading out for a bit. Lao Xu... you take care of things."
Leaving those words behind, the stubbled captain, reeking of smoke, walked past Tianyang and out of the room.
Ji Yu also stood up without saying a word and silently walked to his room at the back of the hall.
Left with no choice, Tianyang sat down beside Lao Xu. "What''s with them? Why are they all acting so strange?"
Lao Xu shook his head and smiled bitterly. "It''s my fault."
"What happened?"
Lao Xu sighed. "I''m leaving, Tianyang. I''ve already submitted my retirement request to themand, and they''ve approved it. So from now on, I won''t being back here."
"What?!"
Tianyang jumped to his feet. "Why? Didn''t you say you''d work another year or two before retiring? Why so sudden..."
Chapter 119 - Thoughts of Retirement
| In Lao Xu''s room. |
"Here, these are for you." Lao Xu pointed to the potted nts on the shelf. "I already have some at home, and I don''t have space for these. Your ce is still a bit empty, so you can use them as decorations. It''s always good to have some greenery in your room."
He then enthusiastically led Tianyang to the bookshelf in the corner. "I don''t really need these books anymore, so I''ll give them to you as well. And that book, ¡±Deciphering the Inverse Universe''s Script¡± you don''t need to return it. Whenever you have time,e visit my ce, have a meal, or something."
Tianyang frowned and asked, "You still haven''t told me why you''re leaving so suddenly."
Lao Xu scratched his head, leaned against the window, and looked outside. "I wouldn''t say it''s sudden. I''ve been thinking about retiring for a while now. I just hadn''t found the right opportunity until recently. A few days ago, the Tianqing Academy offered me a teaching position. I figured, since I have a fallback option now, there''s no need to stay in the Night Walkers anymore."
"Might as well make way for younger guys like you to shine."
But Tianyang felt that this wasn''t Lao Xu''s true reason.
Lao Xu looked up at the fortress in the sky. "I''m not young anymore; I lost the sharpness I had when I was younger. I''m not like our Captain, who has no attachments. To be honest, I''ve been thinking about retiring ever since we came back from Wild Valley Town."
"Those things are terrifying, Tianyang. When we were being chased by that tree demon in Wild Valley Town, I almost thought I wouldn''t make it back. Do you know what I was thinking at that moment?"
Of course, Tianyang had no idea, so he shook his head.
Lao Xu smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling with crow''s feet. "I was thinking, if I die, what will happen to my wife and daughter at home? Especially my daughter¡ªshe''s still so young. I haven''t held her enough yet. So, yes, I was really scared..."
The man''s shoulders started to tremble slightly. "I was really scared that if there was a next time, I really wouldn''t make it back."
For a moment, Tianyang didn''t know what to say. He could only pat Lao Xu on the shoulder to offer somefort.
Lao Xu rubbed his eyes, wiped his face, and forced a smile. "Even though Cang Du was really angry, at least I won''t have to live in fear anymore. Tianyang, aren''t you going to wish me well?"
Tianyang smiled. "Then I wish you a long life, so I can keeping over to your ce for free meals."
"You brat, all you think about is freeloading!" Lao Xuughed heartily, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. Perhaps deep down, he didn''t really want to leave the Night Walkers.
Lao Xu left.
His room became empty, but Tianyang''s room was now filled with a lot of stuff.
Closing the door, Tianyang didn''t immediately start organizing. Instead, he walked to a terminal in the corner.
He tapped on the terminal''s screen, entered his passcode, and logged into the Night Walkers'' internalwork.
Once connected to thework, Tianyang opened a search window and entered the name "Su Lie."
His fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before finally pressing down.
The screen disyed the words "searching," but after a moment, it returned with "no records."
Tianyang frowned slightly. Su Lie''s uniform, although the markings were slightly different from those of the Night Walkers, was still undoubtedly a Night Walkers'' uniform. How could there be no records?
Could it be that his file was deleted?
Or perhaps...
Tianyang then searched for "Breakers," but this time, the response indicated that hecked the necessary clearance to ess the information.
Now, he wasn''t sure whether Su Lie''s file had been deleted or if it was just stored in the ¡±Breakers¡± system.
This raised another question, what exactly were the ¡±Breakers?¡±
Perhaps this was something he could ask someone else about.
But if it was information he wasn''t supposed to know, asking might raise suspicions.
After thinking it over for a moment, Tianyang decided to set the matter aside for now. Back at the Yunxiang Base, he had also nned to temporarily put the issue of Su Lie on hold to avoid drawing the attention of certain higher-ups in the fortress.
The next day, Tianqing Academy had a lecture by Liu Jinglin, and Tianyang attended. This particr lecture was about the military civilization of the Inverse Universe.
Based on the evidence collected so far, the Inverse Universe¡ªat least this No. 127 Inverse Universe¡ªhad sufficient military power.
However, there were no obvious signs of warfare in the Inverse Universe, which suggested that their military strength served more as a deterrent. This was something to be envied¡ªa world without war was truly beautiful.
After ss, Liu Jinglin seemed to have noticed Tianyang earlier and nodded at him, gesturing for him to follow.
Tianyang followed him to an office.
After closing the door, Liu Jinglin had his assistant bring in two cups of water. "Can I ask why you''re interested in learning the characters of the Inverse Universe?"
Tianyang answered seriously, "We often have to enter the Inverse Universe, so I thought if I could understand their writing, it might be helpful during missions."
He remembered the video left by Su Lie and wondered if it would have been better if Su Lie hadn''t known what was written on the Cmity Compass. So when he said this, the young man wasn''t entirely certain.
Liu Jinglin didn''t seem to notice and instead looked at Tianyang with some appreciation. "That''s a good idea. Actually, much of our research on the Inverse Universe relies heavily on explorers like you bringing back valuable items from that world."
"Unfortunately, many explorers don''t recognize the characters of the Inverse Universe, so they often miss out on precious and valuable items. By the time we schrs realize this and re-enter the Inverse Universe to retrieve them, they''re usually already gone."
"So, do you have a way to learn?"
Tianyang nodded. "I have a friend who gave me a copy of ¡±Deciphering the Inverse Universe¡¯s Script.¡±"
Liu Jinglin smiled, a subtle expression on his face. "Oh, that book. What a coincidence¡ªit''s actually authored by me."
Tianyang also smiled. "In that case, I¡¯ll make sure to study it thoroughly."
Liu Jinglinughed heartily. "Actually, the characters of the Inverse Universe are quite easy to learn. At least, the ones we know of, which resemble square shapes, are not too difficult to master."
¡°These characters are very representational, almost like simplified pictographs. Through methods like patterns, meanings, and ideograms, we¡¯vepared the Inverse Universe characters with ours and rified the meanings of most characters.¡±
¡°Of course, there might be some semantic deviations at times. However, our understanding of the Inverse Universe characters has elerated our research into that peculiar world.¡±
A knock on the door interrupted the conversation. Liu Jinglin¡¯s assistant entered and said, ¡°Professor Liu, your wife has arrived.¡±
Hearing this, Tianyang knew Liu Jinglin had other matters to attend to, so he stood up to leave. ¡°I won¡¯t keep you any longer, Professor. I¡¯lle back for your next ss.¡±
¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you out.¡± Liu Jinglin escorted Tianyang out, and a graceful and dignified woman entered.
This must be Liu Jinglin¡¯s wife. Tianyang nodded in greeting and left.
As soon as he left Tianqing Academy, he received a notice from Han Shu, instructing all members to return to the team quarters for a new mission briefing.
Upon arriving at the team quarters and passing through the partition, Tianyang saw that Han Shu and the others were already there.
Old Xu¡¯s chair was empty, and Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit reflective.
Han Shu had his legs propped up on the table, his expression much more rxed than the previous day, showing no signs of lingering dissatisfaction over Old Xu¡¯s retirement.
He still had a cigarette in his mouth and announced the mission details. ¡°We just received a task from Four Eyes. The fortress is organizing a joint operation.¡±
¡°A joint operation?¡± Cang Du¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°It¡¯s been years since we had one!¡±
Han Shu nodded. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. The reason this is happening is due to the situation in Wild Valley Town. After our report was submitted, the fortress leadership took it very seriously. They believe we can¡¯t ignore the ck Prince from Wild Valley Town; otherwise, they might end up nurturing a new king.¡±
¡°So, the fortress decided that the Night Walkers and the Storm Legion would join forces, deploying sufficient troops to tten Wild Valley Town. The detailed content and strategic ns will be sent to your personalmunication devicester, so make sure to check them.¡±
Tianyang raised his hand. ¡°Captain, when will the operation take ce?¡±
¡°In three days,¡± Han Shu flicked off the ash from his cigarette. ¡°Arge number of troops will be transported by high-speed train to gather at the Lighthouse Base. We¡¯ll be leaving in batches, and our team¡¯s departure is set for three days from now.¡±
Jiyu nced at the empty chair. ¡°Did Old Xu get wind of this?¡±
Cang Du snorted. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? If not, why would he choose to retire now, of all times?¡±
Tianyang then realized why Old Xu had chosen to retire early¡ªit was due to the news of the joint operation.
Han Shu pped the table. ¡°Alright, alright. Whether Old Xu stays or leaves is his own decision. He has served the Night Walkers for over twenty years, and ording to fortress regtions, after serving for more than fifteen years, one can choose to retire.¡±
¡°Old Xu chose to leave at this time for his own reasons. No one can me him, including me!¡±
Although Cang Du didn¡¯t entirely agree with Han Shu¡¯s statement, he didn¡¯t argue further.
Han Shu pointed at him. ¡°You, take Tianyang to the supplies warehouse and have them bring out the strategic materials list for him to select from.¡±
Cang Du, displeased, said, ¡°Why is it always me? Can¡¯t Ji Yu go instead?¡±
Ji Yu smiled without responding.
Han Shu threw an ashtray at Cang Du. ¡°You brat, go because I said so. Stop talking back!¡±
He then turned to Tianyang. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve used up all your contribution points?¡±
Tianyang shook his head.
¡°Good,¡± Han Shu saidzily. ¡°For a major operation like this, the allocated resources will definitely be insufficient. If you want to make a profit from this operation, it¡¯s best to go to the warehouse and exchange some extra supplies with your contribution points.¡±
Cang Du closed his eyes and said, ¡°What extra supplies could a rank 1 need? Don¡¯t end up losing more than you gain and then regret it.¡±
¡°You still sitting there?¡± Han Shu picked up the ashtray and almost threw it. ¡°Go now, or you won¡¯t be part of this operation!¡±
Young and ambitious, Tianyang wouldn¡¯t miss such a major operation. Reluctantly, Cang Du stood up and pointed at Tianyang. ¡°Come with me. Do as I say¡ªdon''t ask, don¡¯t talk¡ªnot a single word!¡±
Ji Yu rolled his eyes. ¡°Crazy!¡±
Chapter 120 - Exchanging Supplies
Tianyang agreed wholeheartedly with Ji Yu¡¯sment.
Cang Du wasn''t inherently a bad person, but he had a somewhat awkward personality, leading to inconsistencies between his words and actions, like that night at the Night Owl Bar. He clearly wanted to help but was too reluctant to admit it. What an ungracious guy!
Tianyang followed him to the elevator and went down to the first floor of the headquarters. After passing through several identity checks in a long corridor, they finally arrived at the supply warehouse.
Despite being called a warehouse, it was clear that not just anyone could enter. Thus, Tianyang and Cang Du stood in front of a window.
A young female soldier appeared at the window. Her gentle voice came through the inte. ¡°How can I assist you?¡±
Cang Du pointed at Tianyang. ¡°This is a newbie. It¡¯s his first time here at the supply warehouse. He wants to exchange for some extra strategic supplies. Could you provide him with a detailed list of avable materials?¡±
The beautiful soldier smiled warmly. ¡°Of course. Please present your identity card.¡±
Cang Du gestured to the istion screen at the window. ¡°ce your identity card on this.¡±
Tianyangplied, cing his identity card on the screen. The screen disyed some information as it read his details. After confirming his identity, the soldier sent a detailed list of supplies to Tianyang¡¯s personalmunicator.
Themunicator¡¯s signal light blinked, and a document appeared on the screen. Tianyang opened it, revealing aprehensive list of supplies!
Cang Du said indifferently, ¡°You can browse the directory and search for the categories of supplies you need. You can also use keyword searches to find what you¡¯re looking for.¡±
¡°Once you decide what you want to exchange, just tell the administrator. Afterpleting the exchange at the window, the supplies will be delivered to the team quarters within three hours.¡±
¡°That¡¯s about it. There¡¯s nothing else to pay attention to. You can choose what you want here. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±
Tianyang was about to thank him, but remembering Cang Du¡¯s earlier instruction to not say a word, he swallowed his words.
What a difficult person...
After Cang Du left, Tianyang sat in a nearby rest area. He found that the categories of exchangeable supplies were quiteprehensive: weapons, armor, survival gear, medicines, explosives, vehicles, and even powered exoskeletons!
Tianyang¡¯s mouth twitched. Would someone really use a powered exoskeleton on the battlefield? If it were for collection, that might make sense. But using it in battle seemed unnecessary, although powered exoskeletons did have a significant advantage in harvesting low-level enemies.
Tianyang carefully considered his needs. He definitely didn¡¯t need powered exoskeletons or vehicles, and these items cost tens of thousands of contribution points, far beyond what an ordinary person could afford.
For weapons, the Crimson Moon Warde and the Death Knell were sufficient. There didn¡¯t seem to be a need for energy rifles like the Assault Rifle unless he was nning topete with soldiers for kills.
But it wouldn¡¯t hurt to take a look...
Tianyang opened the weapons category and was immediately overwhelmed by the extensive list. Weapons were divided into firearms, swords, bows, and shields, with each category having dozens of detailed items.
He browsed casually.
[Sonic Star Energy Gun: Uses a transducer to generate powerful omnidirectional sound waves. The weapon''s emitter guides the beam, creating a wide-area beam covered in energy, capable of indiscriminate attacks.
Power Assessment: Level 4.
Exchange Points: 4500.]
[Star Matter Diffusion Hand Cannon: Uses a particle elerator to rapidly eject star matter energy, causing widespread diffusion damage.
Power Assessment: Level 3.
Exchange Points: 3200.]
[Radiant Sniper Equipment: Employs a 4th-generation cluster emitter to fold star matter energy into high-density beams, with a maximum shooting distance of 1800 meters.
Power Assessment: Level 3.
Exchange Points: 3500.]
[Inferno (Sword): A longsword forged from heat-conductive material, capable of converting infused star essence into high-temperature mes. The mes wrap around the de, effective against enemies vulnerable to heat and fire.
Power Assessment: Level 2.
Exchange Points: 2700.]
[Invisible de (Knife): Features a built-in transducer in the handle to produce an invisible de formed by high-frequency beams, with properties of invisibility and cutting.
Power Assessment: Level 2.
Exchange Points: 2200.]
The lengthy list made Tianyang¡¯s head spin. He closed his eyes for a moment, considered his needs, and then resumed browsing.
He spent nearly two hours selecting items based on his needs and avable contribution points. He finally decided on the following items:
[Shock Grenade: When activated, it releases a powerful high-voltage electric field that causes severe damage to enemies within its range.
Power Assessment: Level 2.
Exchange Points: 300.]
[Gravity Grenade: A dangerous tactical device that creates a ten-square-meter gravity copse field after a one-second dy. No known material can withstand the folding effect of the copse field.
Power Assessment: Level 4.
Exchange Points: 3500.]
[Star Essence Supplement Type 2: Restores 20%-30% of total star essence, limited to one bottle per day.
Exchange Points: 600.]
[Star Matter Stimnt: Stimtes the internal star essence to peak activity levels, enhancing all abilities. Limited to one bottle per day.
Exchange Points: 500.]
Tianyang exchanged four shock grenades and one of each of the other items.
After settling the ount, he was left with a pitiful 620 contribution points.
Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but exim about how little his contribution pointssted.
As Cang Du said, within less than three hours, a set of personal strategic supplies was delivered to Tianyang. Looking at the scattered items in the box, Tianyang was reminded that these items had to be used wisely and not wasted!
Three dayster, Tianyang arrived at the transfer tform for assembly. The tform was exceptionally lively today.
Several Night Walker squads were concentrated on various decks. Tianyang roughly estimated that there were over twenty teams on the transfer tform alone!
Among them, Tianyang recognized several familiar faces.
There was the balddy Lida, who had participated in the Star Pir Recovery mission; Liang Sen, the captain of the Hignd Eagles; and other team members or Captains.
Additionally, Tianyang saw the arrogant Kun Lan and Xie Miao, whom he had fought with at the Night Owl Bar.
Of course, thetter two didn¡¯t look pleased to see him.
¡°Tianyang.¡±
A clear and melodious voice came from behind him, like a gentle stream.
Tianyang turned around and saw Xun waving at him, with Doctor Luo Shan beside her.
The teacher and student walked together, both in white long coats with golden-winged insignias, symbols of the battlefield medical team.
It seemed that Doctor Luo Shan was participating in the mission this time and had brought along the brilliant-ranked Xun.
When Doctor Luo Shan appeared, Han Shu¡¯s rugged face broke into a smile. He walked over and, with a familiar motion, reached for the doctor''s rear.
Doctor Luo Shan caught his hand with a smile and pinched his arm. ¡°There are so many people here; you don¡¯t need to be so enthusiastic.¡±
Han Shu exaggeratedly cried out, ¡°Ouch, ouch, let go; quickly let go.¡±
¡°Stop pretending! Keep it up, and I¡¯ll pinch harder!¡± Doctor Luo Shan pinched him a few more times before letting go. She knew Han Shu well; as a high-ranking figure, he was tough and wouldn¡¯t really feel pain.
Han Shu rubbed his arm and grinned, lightly bumping the battlefield medic. ¡°My dear Luo Shan, even though you pinched me so hard, I know what you¡¯re really thinking. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t havee all the way here, right?¡±
Doctor Luo Shanughed, her face flushed with a bright red hue. ¡°Han, you really are a high-ranking figure; your skin is so thick it¡¯s almost impervious to knives and guns. Could you stop being so narcissistic? I¡¯m just apanying Xun anding to speak with Tianyang.¡±
Han Shu clutched his chest in mock agony. ¡°No, you¡¯re lying to me. My dear, I can¡¯t breathe; you need to help me.¡±
Doctor Luo Shan red at him and turned her gaze elsewhere to avoid seeing him.
Xun approached Tianyang and took out a silver box, handing it to him. ¡°Here!¡±
Tianyang epted it. ¡°What is this?¡±
¡°Two emergency syringes. You might need them in critical moments,¡± Xun said, looking at him with a charming smile.
Doctor Luo Shan raised her voice from behind. ¡°Kid, make sure to keep them. Xun used her own contribution points to exchange for these!¡±
Xun¡¯s face turned bright red, and she looked back at Doctor Luo Shan with a helpless expression. ¡°Teacher¡¡±
Doctor Luo Shan, with a smile and her mouth covered, hummed a tune and looked away as if she hadn¡¯t just said that.
Tianyang epted the box without hesitation. ¡°Thank you. After the mission, I¡¯ll treat you to a meal.¡±
¡°Great!¡± Xun nced at the clock on the tform. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte. I¡¯ll head out with my teacher now.¡±
Just as Tianyang was about to respond, he suddenly felt a light tap on his shoulder.
¡°Tianyang! Is it really you? What a coincidence! Are you also participating in this joint operation?¡±
A clean and pleasant voice rang out, like a gentle breeze on a summer afternoon stirring a wind chime.
Xun¡¯s face was full of surprise because standing next to Tianyang was another young girl who appeared to be about their age.
The girl had an asymmetrical short hairstyle, with a crystal bird-shaped hairpin on the shorter side.
She wore the ck uniform of the Night Walkers, which made her petite frame look even more adorable. To Tianyang¡¯s surprise, she had a slender sword hanging at her waist.
The sword was only 4 centimeters wide, and both the scabbard and the hilt were pure white. The hilt featured elegant lines forming a pattern resembling clouds.
As Xun observed the petite girl, the girl also stared back at Xun.
Then they both spoke simultaneously, ¡°Tianyang, who is she?¡±
In the distance, Han Shuughed. ¡°My team members are indeed popr; this kid is just like me.¡±
Doctor Luo Shan rolled her eyes at the remark.
Chapter 121 - Pre-War Mobilization
¡°This is Xun. She¡¯s Dr. Luoshan¡¯s student.¡±
¡°This is Xiaoniao¡¡±
When introducing Xiaoniao, Tianyang¡¯s expression grew somewhat strange. ¡°I thought she was a mechanic before, but now it doesn¡¯t seem like it... So, you¡¯re a Night Walker too.¡±
Xiaoniao blinked and said, ¡°I never said I was a mechanic. I just enjoy fixing machines; it¡¯s more of a hobby.¡±
Well, Lao Xu liked nting flowers, the Captain liked drinking and flirting, and having a Night Walker who liked fixing machines wasn¡¯t really that strange...
As Tianyang¡¯s thoughts wandered, Xiaoniao enthusiastically took Xun¡¯s hand. ¡°Sister, you¡¯re so beautiful and gentle. Are you Tianyang¡¯s girlfriend? I never expected him to have a girlfriend like you. If I were a man, I¡¯d be insanely jealous!¡±
Tianyang coughed awkwardly, and Xun¡¯s face turned bright red.
¡°No, that¡¯s not the case,¡± Xun quickly said. ¡°I¡¯m not his girlfriend, and... we should be about the same age, so you can just call me by my name.¡±
Indeed, women were sensitive about age, especially when the other party was also a beautiful youngdy.
No, what I should be concerned about right now¡
¡°Alright, if that¡¯s what you want, I¡¯ll call you Xun.¡± Xiaoniao¡¯s expression was excited and joyful. ¡°So Xun isn¡¯t Tianyang¡¯s girlfriend, which makes me relieved.¡±
The surrounding teens were puzzled.
What are you relieved about?
Xiaoniao looked at Tianyang with a beaming smile. ¡°Because I really like Tianyang. When he caught me at the Yunxiang base, I thought, this must be a guardian sent by heaven.¡±
¡°Ah, it¡¯s love at first sight!¡±
¡°What!¡±
Both Tianyang and Xun eximed in surprise.
Especially Tianyang, who not only turned red but was also flustered.
Xiaoniao took quite a turn there.
¡°So when I saw Xun earlier, I was worried. What if Xun also liked Tianyang? What if Xun was his girlfriend?¡±
Xiaoniao ced her hand over her heart and sighed. ¡°Now I¡¯m relieved. Since Xun isn¡¯t his girlfriend, I still have a chance.¡±
¡°By the way, Xun, you don¡¯t like him, do you?¡±
Xun¡¯s heart raced, her ears turned red, and her face was flushed. She was at a loss for words.
¡°Our Xun doesn¡¯t like Tianyang,¡± Luoshan said, appearing out of nowhere, cing her hands gently on Xun¡¯s shoulders with a smile.
Xiaoniao¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°Really? That¡¯s great¡¡±
¡°Because our Xun actually loves Tianyang from the bottom of her heart,¡± Luoshan added slowly.
¡°Ah?¡±
¡°What?¡±
¡°What?¡±
The three young people were stunned, and Xun reacted the fastest. ¡°Teacher, what are you talking about? I¡¡±
Luoshan interrupted her. ¡°Isn¡¯t it? You used your contribution points to exchange for two emergency syringes for him. If that isn¡¯t love, then what is?¡±
The beautiful, golden-haired, golden-eyed woman smiled at Xiaoniao. ¡°Liking someone or loving someone isn¡¯t just about words. At the very least, it should be like our Xun, putting it into action.¡±
Xiaoniao took two steps back, seemingly deeply shocked, and bit her pink lips. ¡°I¡ I will prove myself through action too!¡±
Wait¡
¡°Alright then, I look forward to seeing your performance.¡± Luoshan continued to add fuel to the fire.
No, I¡
Xiaoniao clenched her fists and suddenly pointed at Tianyang. ¡°Wait for me; I¡¯ll show you!¡±
With that, the young girl walked away with determined steps.
I said wait a minute. Why did nobody ask for my opinion?
Tianyang was both amused and bewildered.
What¡¯s going on here...
¡°Let¡¯s go, Xun, we need to prepare too.¡± Luoshan pulled Xun along in another direction.
After walking a bit farther, Xun whispered, ¡°Teacher, why did you say such strange things?¡±
Luo Shanughed and replied, ¡°You¡¯re fine in every way, except that you¡¯re too thin-skinned. If I hadn¡¯t stepped in, your little Tianyang would have been snatched away by now.¡±
¡°What are you talking about, teacher? Stop joking around.¡±
¡°Alright, alright, I won¡¯t say anything more.¡±
| Lighthouse Forward Base. |
Upon arriving at the base again, after leaving the station and walking into the base za, Tianyang noticed that there were more vehicles and personnel.
Everywhere he looked, there were supply vehicles transporting materials from the fort to the warehouse. These materials would then be sent to the Deste Valley Town to provide strong support for the uing joint operation.
As for the personnel, they included the Night Walker teams that had arrived in batches over the past two days and a group of regr troops trained by the Iron Wall Legion.
There were no Ascenders among the regr troops, but their numbers wererge, making them the main force on the battlefield.
The soldiers would operate war vehicles and various heavy weapons, using their numerical advantage to suppress the lower-ss dark creatures.
As they walked through the za, the base¡¯s broadcast repeated. ¡°Officers with the rank of Second Lieutenant and above, please gather at the base¡¯s operations hall! Officers with the rank of Second Lieutenant and above, please gather at the base¡¯s operations hall!¡±
Han Shu instructed Yan Bing to organize the men to collect Raven Squad¡¯s supplies from the warehouse, then led Tianyang and the others to the operations hall.
The operations hall was located on the west side of the base. When Tianyang and the others arrived, the hall was bustling with peopleing and going.
Upon reaching the designated area for Raven Squad, just as they got settled, the broadcast in the hall started again. ¡°Please be silent; the pre-operation mobilization meeting is about to begin. Generals are about to enter. Please remain calm.¡±
The broadcast repeated several times before the hall finally quieted down. After a moment, a tall woman with a slender figure stepped onto the high stage.
Her long ck hair, parted in the middle, danced lightly in the air with her movements. Even though it was only a profile, her cold and stunningly beautiful silhouette made most people forget to breathe.
Her dark purple military uniform added a touch of stern military aura to her snow-white, cold plum-like demeanor. The golden stars and intricate patterns on her uniform¡¯s cor and sleeves indicated her rank as a general.
Han Shu softly remarked, ¡°The Storm General is here. She¡¯s probably the only woman in the fort I can¡¯t chase.¡±
Tianyang looked at him skeptically, thinking that the team leader''s girlfriend might not be so numerous either.
Han Shu red at Tianyang, ¡°Are you thinking that my girlfriend doesn¡¯t seem to be many?¡±
Tianyang quickly shifted his gaze to avoid provoking Han Shu. On the high stage, the female general had already positioned herself in the center, her white-gloved hands resting behind her, standing straight.
Though a woman, she exuded boundless sharpness. Especially her phoenix eyes, with their ink-like ck pupils, seemed to radiate a tangible killing intent.
She didn¡¯t speak, her gaze slowly scanning the entire hall. When she saw Tianyang, her eyes slightly narrowed.
Tianyang suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right eye. The starlight within him seemed to be stimted, its activity reaching a peak.
The faint glow startled Han Shu, who saw a sh of light in Tianyang¡¯s right eye, and the pain vanished without a trace.
The general¡¯s lips curved into a barely perceptible smile. Her gaze left Tianyang and moved on to others.
As Tianyang¡¯s starlight settled down, the faint glow quickly faded, returning to normal.
¡°What did you do!¡± Han Shu whispered urgently.
Tianyang looked aggrieved. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± Han Shu said, stroking his chin. ¡°That woman on the stage is someone even I can¡¯t provoke. Don¡¯t stir up any trouble.¡±
At this moment, the female general cleared her throat. ¡°Everyone present should know me. But here, let me introduce myself.¡±
¡°My name is Fei Mei, General of Storm, and themander of this joint operation. Today, I will address two matters.¡±
The woman, still standing with her arms behind her, her expression cold, continued with a frosty voice: ¡°First, this operation will open the War Rankings. The rankings will be divided into two parts, the squad rankings and the individual rankings. The basis for the rankings is naturally military achievements, so everyone should feel free to go all out and ughter!¡±
Tianyang had never heard of the War Rankings before and looked towards Han Shu.
Thetter, visibly excited, waved his hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ll exinter. Damn, the War Rankings are finally open. I might be able to move our squad¡¯s quarters to the fifth floor this time!¡±
The hall buzzed with discussions. Most people seemed to know what the War Rankings were, and everyone¡¯s face was filled with excitement and eagerness, as if they had received a huge stimulus.
At this time, Fei Mei raised a hand.
The hall fell silent again.
¡°The second matter is that the strategic objective of this operation is to tten Deste Valley Town. I believe you have seen the operational n and know that the ck Prince has appeared in that town.¡±
The cold and proud general¡¯s eyes shot a cold glint. ¡°That thing is a candidate for the ck King. If left unchecked, a ck King might soon appear in the Inverse Universe, which the fort does not want.¡±
¡°So, we must prevent its emergence before the ck King appears! Therefore, I require you to kill every ck citizen in Deste Valley Town without leaving a single one alive!¡±
Thest sentence, delivered with a murderous aura, made the air feel stifling.
At that moment, someone exaggeratedly shouted, ¡°Willing to serve you, Your Majesty!¡±
Immediately, including Tianyang, hundreds of gazes in the hall focused on that person.
It was an extremely handsome man, smiling broadly, seemingly indifferent to the crowd¡¯s attention, and fixated on the general on stage.
Han Shu whispered, ¡°Remember this fool. His name is Qi Sihao. In the entire Sky Fort, he¡¯s the only one brave enough to flirt with the woman on stage. If one day he gets poisoned and silenced, I won¡¯t be surprised.¡±
¡°By the way, keep your distance from him. Foolishness can be contagious!¡±
Hmph!
Tianyang suddenly felt a bit dizzy, the objects in the hall appearing slightly blurred. After a while, things returned to normal.
The boy then realized that he wasn¡¯t the only one feeling this way; many others had also fallen to the ground.
On the high stage, Fei Mei had already turned and left, clearly connected to the strange urrence in the hall with her cold snort.
¡°Ha! She looked at me. After all these years, she finally looked at me.¡± Qi Sihao, who had been called a fool, was getting up from the ground.
Good grief, he was even bleeding from his nose, probably targeted by the power in the general¡¯s cold snort. Yet despite this, Qi Sihao was overjoyed.
Tianyang¡¯s mouth twitched slightly. Could it be... he really is a fool?
Could it be?
Chapter 122 - The Battlefield
After the mobilization meeting ended, the personnel gradually exited.
They had a day of rest before departing for Deste Valley Town the next day.
However, this applied to Storm and the Night Stalkers; the regr troops had already set out today. They would arrive early at the town and prepare the battlefield.
As they left the hall, Cangdu suddenly said, ¡°One day, I want to stand on that high stage too!¡±
Han Shu looked at him and chuckled, ¡°You¡¯d better work hard for that. To stand on that stage, you need to have at least Rank 7 strength.¡±
Tianyang¡¯s thoughts stirred. The team leader was referring to the woman just now¡ no, no, the General Fei Mei was at least a Rank 7 powerhouse!
So far, based on information from fortresses around the world, the highest rank achievable is Rank 9.
Although, theoretically, schrs studying Ascenders believe that the path of Ascendance should be an endless road. There should be ranks beyond 9.
Unfortunately, in the past three hundred years, Rank 9 has been the peak achievable by Ascenders.
There are no reports of stronger beings appearing, so people estimate the strength ceiling for Ascenders at Rank 9.
Thus, Rank 4 is considered the watershed for Ascenders, and those above Rank 7 are regarded as high-level powerhouses!
It seemed that General Fei Mei was quite young, which was surprising. But then again, if she didn¡¯t have that kind of strength, how could she secure her position as a general?
After all, she was a key figure in the fortress¡¯s second echelon, a position not just anyone could hold.
Of course, this is not absolute. For instance, the head of the Strategic Department is said to be an ordinary person.
However, the department responsible for strategy doesn¡¯t necessarily need highbat power.
¡°Team Leader, what did General Fei Mei mean by War Rankings?¡± Tianyang asked.
Han Shu irresponsibly pushed Cangdu, ¡°Go on, exin it to him.¡±
Cangdu immediately jumped up, ¡°Why is it always me!¡±
¡°Because you aspire to be a general,¡± Han Shuughed heartily. ¡°So now you should learn how tomunicate with subordinates. A good general must master many skills. Communication is undoubtedly one of the important ones.¡±
Cangdu, somewhat skeptical, began to exin to Tianyang. Han Shu then called Jingyu to check the supply preparations.
¡°The War Rankings, formally known as the War Achievements Rankings, are designed to stimte participants¡¯ performance on the battlefield.¡±
Cangdu exined almost mechanically, ¡°As General Fei Mei mentioned, the War Rankings are usually divided into squad rankings and individual rankings. The former determines the corresponding financial budget based on ranking, which is used to improve squad conditions and increase squad equipment. It also decides the location of the squad quarters!¡±
¡°As for the individual rankings, rewards are varied. Contribution points are the basic reward, but there are also various equipment, weapons, and resources. The most important are materials for Ascender mediums, like Star Crystals.¡±
¡°Of course, you¡¯re still far from using Ascender mediums. But it¡¯s good to get such things now. Therefore, even low-ranked individuals will work hard for war achievements. Every time the War Rankings are open,petition is fierce.¡±
Looking at Tianyang, Cangdu concluded, ¡°As a rookie like you, don¡¯t think too much. On such a battlefield, only those above Rank 4 have a chance to earn a lot of war achievements.¡±
¡°Of course, those with low attack capabilities, like our team leader, will be at a disadvantage.¡±
Having finished, Cangdu walked off impatiently without giving Tianyang a chance to ask further questions.
The departure time quickly arrived.
The next day, Tianyang boarded the Raven Squad¡¯s Hawk Battle Vehicle. After all members had arrived, the vehicle entered the za. It merged with other teams¡¯ vehicles, forming several long convoys heading towards the base¡¯s gate.
On the vehicle, Han Shu handed Tianyang a wristwatch-like device, saying it was for recording war achievements.
Tianyang put it on and looked out the window. On both sides, there were streams of vehicles. This didn¡¯t even include the regr troops that had departed yesterday; otherwise, the scene would have been even more impressive.
Apanying the expedition was a logistics team of several thousand people. They would be responsible for the operational support of the mission, including vehicle and machinery maintenance, and treating the wounded.
Luo Shan and Xun were in the logistics team, but at this moment, Tianyang had no idea which vehicle they were in.
¡°Don¡¯t be too excited.¡±
Han Shu, sitting in the passenger seat with his legs propped up on the console, smoking a cigarette, said without looking back, ¡°Too much excitement can easily drain your energy. On the battlefield, a little more or less energy can sometimes make a huge difference.¡±
Tianyang looked around. Cangdu and Jingyu were on another vehicle. Besides him and Han Shu, there were only a few soldiers on their vehicle.
Among them were two new recruits, freshly out of training camp and assigned to the squad. They were about the same age as Tianyang, or slightly older.
They too were excited, but their eyes still showed signs of fear.
This was normal; participating in such arge-scale operation right after leaving the camp would make anyone uneasy.
Suddenly, something fell into Tianyang¡¯s hand. He looked down and saw it was a pack of cigarettes.
Han Shu said from the front, ¡°One each, it helps calm your overly excited nerves.¡±
Tianyang distributed the cigarettes. The two veterans had already lit theirs, closing their eyes to enjoy the smoke.
The young man, having never smoked before, tried to imitate Han Shu, took one, and lit it.
He took a puff but ended up inhaling too forcefully, causing a sharp, spicy taste to choke him.
Han Shuughed from the front, ¡°It¡¯s fine. Keep smoking, and you¡¯ll get used to it.¡±
But Tianyang didn¡¯t dare to try smoking again during the rest of the journey; it was much harder to handle than strong liquor. However, after the initial excitement, the young man was able to remain calm.
He even fell asleep on the bumpy road, and when he was awakened, Deste Valley Town was already not far off.
Looking out the window, Tianyang saw the vehicle climbing a slope with friendly vehicles on both sides.
From a distance, there were rumbling sounds of artillery fire. Although nothing could be seen for now, the sky, shrouded in ck mist, would asionally light up with shes.
The regr troops had already engaged in battle with the dark citizens in the town!
The frequency of the artillery fire suggested that the battle in the town was intense, indicating arge number of dark citizens.
Tianyang was puzzled. Last time they were in the town, there weren¡¯t many dark citizens. How did their numbers suddenly increase?
¡°They must have been summoned,¡± Han Shu said, leaning his hand on the window and propping up his head. ¡°After all, a new king is about to emerge here. It wouldn¡¯t make sense if there were no ¡®subjects¡¯ to celebrate. Moreover, where there is a king, there must be an army; otherwise, it would be too disgraceful.¡±
As they approached the town, the sound of artillery grew louder. By the time Tianyang saw the checkpoint leading into the town, people needed to shout or usemunication devices tomunicate.
The artillery fire was too loud, and the ground was constantly shaking. Normal volume voices were drowned out by the cannon fire.
The checkpoint of the day had basically been dismantled. The fortress had built a temporary camp at the town entrance. Variousmunication devices were being set up to ensure thatmand orders could be quickly ryed to each team.
Under the camp¡¯smand, the newly arrived vehicles were directed to their designated areas for rest. The team leaders, including Han Shu, were gathered.
Without any immediate orders, Tianyang and the others stayed on the vehicle. The young man, unable to stay idle, decided to climb into the heavy artillery shootingpartment on the vehicle¡¯s roof.
From there, it was not difficult to see bright shes appearing over the town in the distance. Suddenly, a massive fireball appeared in the sky. Within the fireball, the silhouette of a huge creature could be vaguely seen.
It seemed that the creature was hit by the fireball, as some fragments of shadows sttered out, then it fell towards the ground in the dimming firelight.
An indescribable howl came from the sky, and momentster, the ground shook. Even the vehicle Tianyang was in swayed.
Fire, explosions, shing lights¡ The battlefield in the distant town was a chaotic mix of light and sound, with constant booming noises.
Tianyang had lost the excitement he had at the start; instead, he felt a solemn mood.
After a while, Han Shu returned. A soldier informed Tianyang to get back into the vehicle.
As soon as Tianyang entered the vehicle, he heard Han Shu¡¯s loud shout: ¡°Our team is going to advance past that tree wall, and themand center wants us to lead the way.¡±
¡°We¡¯re about to set off immediately. Everyone get ready. Check your gear and make sure you have enough rations. Even if everything goes smoothly, we won¡¯t return to the camp until tomorrow at the earliest.¡±
¡°I don¡¯t want you to go to the battlefield on an empty stomach. You have 5 minutes to check your equipment!¡±
Tianyang took out his Bell of Death and began infusing it with Star Essence. Five bullet crystal slots lit up one by one, consuming over 20% of the young man¡¯s total Star Essence.
After Uncle Tie¡¯s repair, the Star Essence consumption of the Bell of Death had decreased, and the infusion speed had improved. This meant that even on the battlefield, as long as there was enough Star Essence, he could replenish it in time.
Next, the young man checked his supplies. He hid the emergency syringes Xun had given him in the safest ce and ced various grenades in easily essible spots.
Especially the gravity grenade he had exchanged for 3500 points, which was Tianyang¡¯s biggest trump card at the moment. He kept it in a readily essible ce to ensure he wouldn¡¯t miss the chance due to its location, or even lose his life.
After 5 minutes, the vehicle started and drove out of the rest area.
It joined other twenty-something battle vehicles, forming a convoy towards the arch bridge leading into the town. Tianyang knew that a section of the bridge was missing about one-third of its surface.
But when the vehicle reached the middle of the bridge, Tianyang saw that the missing section had been repaired. It was clearly the work of the fortress¡¯s engineering team, which had used special materials to fill the gap and reinforced the surrounding area with metalponents.
This made the bridge not only wider but also able to support heavy vehicles, likely forrge-scalebat and three-dimensional armament preparations.
Just as they were about to reach the repaired section of the bridge, a strong wind suddenly blew up from the abyss below, causing the cables on the bridge to sway gently.
The convoy had to stop and wait for the strong wind to pass before continuing.
As Tianyang looked out the window, his gaze inadvertently swept across the edge of the arch bridge. Suddenly, he saw a hand quietly grabbing one of the cables on the bridge.
Then, with a powerful tug!
Chapter 123 - Super Large Dark Citizen
The hand was nearly the size of half a battle vehicle and resembled a human¡¯s, with numerous reddish-purple lumps covering the back and a stout arm. It was not like a human arm''s muscle structure but more like the tentacles of some mollusk.
Instead of having suckers, it was covered in jet-ck thorns.
It grabbed a cable on the bridge and tugged it forcefully. The cable groaned under the strain, bending into a full arc before snapping with a piercing sound, splitting into two pieces!
More monstrous hands reached up from beneath the bridge, using the same method to snap the cables on the right side of the arch bridge.
As the cables continued to snap, the bridge surface tilted sharply. A vehicle on the right side of the arch bridge could not react in time and toppled over, plunging into the abyss of swirling ck mist below.
After a while, a bright sh appeared in the abyss, presumably the fireball from the vehicle¡¯s explosion.
More vehicles slid toward the sloping bridge surface, losing control and falling into the abyss. Vehicles on the other side of the bridge floored their engines, trying to cross the bridge before itpletely tipped over.
But at that moment, a massive fist suddenly emerged from the bridge surface. It smashed a hole into the bridge, and as it retracted, another fist burst through.
A vehicle traveling on the bridge was hit by the giant fist, whichunched it into the abyss.
In an instant, the middle of the bridge was riddled with holes. Finally, cracks connected these gaps, and with a thunderous roar, the bridge broke in the center.
¡°Hold on tight!¡±
Inside the Raven Squad¡¯s vehicle, Han Shu yelled as he pressed an icon on the control screen. The vehicle¡¯s safety protocol activated, causing airbags inside to rapidly inte.
They filled the cabin and pushed the upants into their seats.
The world spun in chaos.
Amidst countless screams and the screech of metal, Tianyang looked out the window and saw the vehicle had overturned, then plunged toward the bottomless abyss.
At that moment, his mind went nk, and his heart felt like it was in his throat.
The young man once again sensed the proximity of death; its rotten stench pervaded the surroundings.
During one roll, through beams of car lights, Tianyang glimpsed several long, thorn-covered tentacles writhing and coiling like snakes, capturing the vehicles or people falling into the abyss.
During another roll, he saw a massive, curved horn. It was so close that it was less than three meters from the window. Tianyang could see the twisted patterns on the horn and a mass of ck bristles underneath!
Then the vehicle was struck by something, shaking violently. Although some light pierced the darkness outside, everything was still blurry.
After several violent shakes, the vehicle finally stopped falling.
Han Shu tore open the airbags and looked out through the front window. The vehicle seemed to be swaying up and down.
In front of the vehicle, a stone bridge spanning the abyss was moving up and down. Han Shu¡¯s face changed instantly, and he shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡±
Those who hadn¡¯t lost consciousness followed Han Shu¡¯smand and didn¡¯t dare to make any sudden moves.
Han Shu then ordered, ¡°Cut the airbags, and Tianyang, check the shootingpartment. Remember, move slowly and don¡¯t rush!¡±
Tianyang responded and, after cutting the airbags, carefully climbed up to the heavy artillery shootingpartment.
From the shootingpartment, the young man drew a cold breath. The Falcon battle vehicle was precariously bnced on a stone bridge less than half a meter wide.
Because the rear of the vehicle was heavy, the back was sinking below the bridge. If it surpassed the bnce point, the vehicle would fall!
Meanwhile,rge stones from above continued to fall, and explosions and screams mingled, reminding Tianyang that this ce was far from safe.
The young man shouted, ¡°Captain, everyone get out. Exit through the car door; the vehicle is about to fall, so hurry!¡±
Without needing further encouragement, the rising front of the vehicle already indicated the urgency. Han Shu pressed forward, almost lying on the control panel.
He waved his hand and yelled, ¡°Quick, get out through the door.¡±
The door was situated on the stone bridge. But when a soldier tried to open it, he found it was jammed.
Tianyang shouted, ¡°Captain, hold on a bit; I¡¯ll open the door.¡±
The young man jumped out of the vehicle and onto the stone bridge. Drawing his Crimson Moon de, and infusing it with Star Essence, the de¡¯s edge glowed crimson.
The de pierced effortlessly through the deformed car door. Tianyang pried it open, tearing a gap in it.
After a few more cuts, he removed the entire door.
¡°Get out quickly!¡± Han Shu roared and grabbed the driver, dragging him to the seat behind.
The soldiers scrambled out through the door and jumped onto the stone bridge.
Finally, only Han Shu and an unconscious new recruit were left.
Tianyang anxiously called out, ¡°Captain, hurry up; the vehicle is about to fall!¡±
Han Shu nodded, slowing his movements, and carefully left his position. Just as he reached the seat behind, the vehicle suddenly tipped over.
Seeing this, Tianyang didn¡¯t think twice and leaped onto the vehicle¡¯s engine cover. By pressing down hard, he managed to restore the vehicle¡¯s bnce.
Inside the cabin, Han Shu finally rxed and moved toward the unconscious soldier.
Tianyangy on the engine cover, with strange noisesing from above. He looked up to see bright shes of Star Essence and mes from various weapons lighting up.
It seemed the survivors were fighting the monster destroying the bridge, hurling debris and dropping disfigured bodies.
All this indicated the battle was fierce.
The young man¡¯s concern grew as the eerie howls from above grew louder, suggesting the monster was getting closer.
Just then, there was a thunderous sound above as a stone bridge spanning across broke in two. Large fragments fell from the front, and Tianyang even saw a body that was only the upper half!
Suddenly feeling a chill, Tianyang looked up and saw a yellow vertical pupil staring at him through the swirling ck mist!
The vertical pupil, asrge as a tire, was surrounded by blood-red veins. After locking eyes with Tianyang for a moment, it vanished into the mist, followed by a terrifying howl. A fist suddenly emerged from the swirling fog.
It was aimed straight at Tianyang!
¡°Captain, run!¡± Tianyang¡¯s Star Essence within him surged from stillness to peak in an instant.
The young man, with all his strength, almost turned into a faint shadow as he leapt from the vehicle onto the stone bridge.
Inside the vehicle, Han Shu was about to grab the unconscious soldier. But the sudden scream changed his expression, and before Tianyang could warn him, he threw himself towards the car door with all his might.
As he jumped out of the vehicle, the descending fist smashed onto the vehicle¡¯s engine cover. The vehicle was instantly propelled upwards, flying several meters before plunging into the abyss below.
Han Shu¡¯s face turned pale. If he had been even slightly slower, he would have fallen along with the vehicle.
He suddenly struck the ground with two fists. If he had a few more seconds, he could have saved the soldier too.
Just a few more seconds!
At that moment, the fist that had sent the vehicle flying quickly retracted into the swirling ck mist above.
Han Shu looked up and, amidst the interwoven lights from various powers and firearms, vaguely saw a massive, evil, twisted shadow moving above.
¡°re grenades, shoot a few in that direction!¡± Han Shu shouted, pointing towards the shadow.
Two soldiers quickly took out re grenades and used auncher to fire them into the space above the abyss. After a few seconds, a strong light burst forth from the ck mist.
The res used in the Reverse Realm not only emitted light but alsosted for a period of time.
As the abyss was filled with light, a piercing, shrill howl echoed from above.
Then came the sound of heavy objects colliding with the stone bridge. The vibrations from the collision even reached the area where Tianyang and the others were.
Everyone, including Tianyang, had to crouch down to lower their center of gravity to avoid being shaken off the bridge by the tremors.
After a moment, once adjusted to the light, Tianyang looked up.
He saw a massive shadow on a stone bridge a few meters above. Due to the backlight, its full shape was hard to discern.
But it was clear that its size was nearly that of a ghost vehicle. Tentacles with human-like hands dangled from the bridge.
At that moment, it was raising these unusual "arms," using the human-like hands to either grasp protruding rocks on the mountain cliffs or simply clutch the edge of a stone bridge, using these as leverage to slowly lift its body.
¡°What is that?¡± Tianyang asked Han Shu.
Han Shu squinted: ¡°Lao Xu might know, but it''s my first time seeing such a thing. But whatever it is, just shoot it!¡±
Then he shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there! The res onlyst a few minutes. Hurry up and take it down, or none of us will be able to get out!¡±
Han Shu¡¯s emblem lit up, and he quickly shielded Tianyang and the others with a Star Essence barrier.
Above the abyss, other survivors on the stone bridges also came to their senses and began attacking the monster.
The Raven Squad¡¯s soldiers, not to be outdone, set up their rifles and began firing.
Instantly, the area around the massive shadow was filled with explosions of various powers and awork of gunfire from the soldiers¡¯ weapons!
Tianyang looked around and pointed ahead, shouting, ¡°Captain, look over there!¡±
Han Shu looked in the direction Tianyang pointed. A few meters away, there was another stone bridge extending diagonally upwards.
These stone bridges interwove to form aplexwork.
Whether these bridges were naturally formed or man-made was unknown, but at the moment, no one cared about that.
Han Shu was more concerned with whether these bridges could get him closer to the monster.
Chapter 124 - The Distance to Death
Chapter 124: The Distance to Death
Ahead was Han Shu¡¯s figure moving swiftly.
In his ears, a cacophony of roars, screams, and explosions created chaotic noises.
Tianyang was running on a stone bridge, navigating through aplex three-dimensionalwork formed by multiple stone bridges spanning the abyss.
This allowed him and Han Shu to approach the enormous ck entity above.
The creature had numerous tentacles, enabling it to move easily between the stone bridges. If not for its massive size, hitting it with elemental hearts and firearms would be much more difficult.
A loud roar came from above. Tianyang looked up to see a figure leaping out from a stone bridge to the left.
The Ascender being had silver Star Essence emanating from his right arm and was wielding a sword high above his head, aiming to strike one of the creature¡¯s tentacles.
Just as he was about tond the blow, another tentacle suddenly reached out horizontally. The end of the tentacle, resembling a giant human hand, pped the Ascender, like swatting a fly.
The tentacle''s force drove the Ascender into a cliffside with a thud, sending a cloud of dust and lime into the air. The tentacle then retracted, leaving the Ascender half-embedded in the cliff.
Fortunately, he was still alive; his war god-tier physique and defensive armor barely kept him alive.
But before he could free himself, a fist suddenly struck him, nearly popping his eyes out and causing him to vomit blood.
The heavy blow blurred his consciousness. Through his fading vision, he saw a silver-haired youth shouting something at him from below.
The next moment, his field of vision was covered by a massive shadow.
¡°Run!¡±
As soon as Tianyang¡¯s words finished, a second fist struck the Ascender¡¯s face. The monster then swung several tentacles, with the fist at the end of each tentacle hitting the cliffside in rapid, machine-gun-like strikes.
The cliffside echoed with the sound of heavy impacts, and spiderweb-like cracks spread outwards. Then,rge chunks of rock began to peel off the mountain and fall into the abyss.
After a few seconds, the monster withdrew its tentacles, leaving only a blurred smear of blood and flesh on the cliff.
The Ascender¡¯s head was nearly embedded in the rock, his features deformed, his chin broken and twisted, blood and flesh in a pitiful state.
Tianyang gritted his teeth, clenched his fists, and felt a surge of unnamed anger.
¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Han Shu¡¯s voice came from ahead, followed by the sound of footsteps as the Raven Squad leader ran towards another stone bridge leading upwards.
Tianyang took a step back, trying to imprint the scene of hisrade¡¯s tragic end into his mind, then turned and sprinted forward.
The battle continued.
The monster moved between the stone bridges, its agile tentacles able to attack from nearly any angle, forcing the humans fighting on the bridges to be extremely cautious.
Despite this, people were still asionally struck by the monster¡¯s blows or swept off the stone bridges into the abyss.
As Tianyang leapt onto another stone bridge, he suddenly heard cheering. A tentacle had smashed onto the bridge in front of him.
That tentacle was neatly severed with a smooth cut. It continued to thrash on the bridge before finally sliding off and falling into the abyss.
Tianyang looked up and saw a figure sprinting on another diagonal stone bridge. The person was not wearing the Night Walker uniform but had defensive armor identical to Tianyang¡¯s.
His ck hair fluttered in the wind like a dark me.
Wearing a fierce demon mask but with calm eyes visible beneath the mask''s eye sockets, he wielded a long, slightly curved de, distinct from other swords.
The figure leapt over a tentacle sweeping across the bridge, continued his sprint, and suddenly stopped. He jumped towards a stone bridge on the left, avoiding another tentacle that was hammering down from above, and shed forward with both hands.
In the cold, sharp light of the de, the tentacle was cut with a huge gash, and ck sludge-like blood gushed out.
Cheers erupted on the surrounding bridges.
It seemed that the figure¡¯s strikes had provoked the monster¡¯s fury. From the dimming light above, a strange howl began to echo.
A dark shadow roared downward.
The masked man decisively sheathed his de and retreated,nding on the edge of the stone bridge before leaping into Tianyang¡¯s view.
He continued without pause, taking two steps to gain momentum before leaping to another stone bridge.
¡°Get down!¡±
Han Shu¡¯s warning suddenly rang in Tianyang¡¯s ears. Without hesitation, the young man threw himself forward, crashing onto the bridge.
A strong gust of wind swept overhead, and Tianyang saw a shadow pass over the bridge. Looking up, he saw a hand sweeping across the bridge. If he had not ducked, he would have been swept off or grabbed by that hand.
This hand was different from the tentacles; it had distinct muscle groups and bones like a human arm.
On the outer side of the arm, there was even a seven-shaped bone de with dense serrations. Being scraped by it would be unpleasant.
Behind that arm, Tianyang saw a face.
The moment he locked eyes with it, the young man¡¯s mind went nk. The face was indescribably terrifying, resembling a goat or bison.
A pale bone armor covered the surface of the face, with red and white muscle tissue between the bone tes,cking any skin.
On either side of the forehead were thick, curved horns, and a ring of ck mane hung down from the neck, making the face partially obscured behind the ck hair.
Under the bone armor¡¯s eye sockets, two yellow vertical pupils reflected Tianyang¡¯s figure.
Then, the monster hanging from several stone bridges, its body swinging like a pendulum, quickly moved upwards again.
At that moment, Tianyang saw at the bottom of the creature, deep within its numerous tentacles, a human woman''s face.
Her eyes and mouth were tightly closed, but now they began to open.
Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened wide, emitting tiny points of red light.
Tianyang didn''t have time to think and couldn''t afford to stand up. He rolled forcefully off the stone bridge.
As he tumbled, the boy glimpsed red spikes suddenly shooting out from the woman''s eyes and mouth at the bottom of the monster. They crisscrossed, covering the area of two nearby stone bridges.
The spikes looked incredibly sharp, even piercing through the bridge''s surface, with the ends stabbing out from beneath the bridge.
Tianyang fell off the stone bridge, nearly falling into the void below, but fortunately, he managed to grab the edge just in time.
Breaking into a cold sweat, he climbed back up onto the bridge, only to see the spikes retract.
A body was lifted into the air and then dropped,nding right on the stone bridge at Tianyang''s feet, less than a meter away.
It was a soldier, his face inside the helmet filled with disbelief as if he couldn''tprehend how he had died.
His body was riddled with holes, and even though he was already dead, blood continued to pour out.
Tianyang''s chest heaved, and his heart raced. If he hadn''t reacted quickly enough just now, he might have ended up like that corpse, riddled with countless holes.
The ughter continued.
Gunfire became more sporadic, and the explosions caused by the Elemental Hearts were no longer as intense as before. Although the monster had been injured, with some of its tentacles even chopped off by the War God ss warriors, there was still a significant distance to go before it could be taken down.
Tianyang kept moving upward, running while keeping an eye on the monster, but his vision showed no sign of fading, and he couldn''t sense the monster''s weak point.
As his anxiety grew, Han Shu''s voice came from above, saying that the Raven Captain had already approached the monster. After surrounding himself with a star energy shield and donning the Indestructible Armor, he activated the Vortex Field.
A spear condensed from star energy appeared, its surface wrapped in spiraling waves. Han Shu raised the spear and stabbed at one of the tentacles.
That tentacle immediately erupted with flesh and blood, torn apart by the Vortex Field on the spear, raining down ck blood.
The monster, in pain, raised its arm, which bore a seven-shaped bone de, and clenched its fist to smash down.
Suddenly, a bit of frost quietly appeared on its face and began to spread rapidly. The monster still swung its arm down, but as the frost frozen its arm, its speed slowed more and more, finally stopping just above Han Shu''s head.
Han Shu looked up, seeing that the spreading frost had frozen one of the monster''s arms, half of its shoulder, and part of its head.
"You''re not young anymore, yet you still act so recklessly. Han, do you think you''re still a kid?" Lida''s voice came from a stone bridge above. Han Shu grinned and suddenly reversed his grip on the spear.
With a loud roar, he exerted all his strength.
Like throwing a javelin, he hurled the star energy spear with the Vortex Field!
The spear shot through the air, passing through the frozen arm and striking the half-frozen part of the monster''s head.
The spiral waves on the spear spun like a drill, breaking through the ice and piercing through the monster''s head in an instant.
The left side of the monster''s head, along with its eye socket and part of its skull, was blown away, with liquid sttering everywhere. Yet it still didn''t die, only howling in pain.
The other Ascenders, along with the soldiers, wisely focused their fire on the monster''s frozen arm. The concentrated attacks soon shattered the arm, along with the ice.
The monster, still taking damage, had mes of fury zing in its remaining eye.
It looked at Han Shu and opened its mouth wide¡ªso wide that its jaw split to both sides, held together only by strands of red and white muscle.
As it opened its mouth, Tianyang suddenly sensed something and looked into the monster''s mouth.
The creature''s body gradually faded from Tianyang''s view, and finally, a blood-red sphere appeared in his sight.
That perfect sphere was connected to numerous nerve-like or vein-like structures, facing toward the creature''s mouth. A small circr hole suddenly appeared on its surface.
The next moment, a beam of light shot out from that hole!
As the monster opened its mouth, Han Shu already realized the danger and turned to flee.
The next second, the light beam shot out, and seemingly due to recoil, the monster''s head tilted upward, causing the beam to sweep across several stone bridges before vanishing into the distance.
After the beam disappeared, the surface of the stone bridge where Han Shu had been standing suddenly experienced an invisible shockwave!
The bridge exploded, with fragments, dust, and airflow all spewing in the direction where the beam had gone!
A series of booming sounds echoed, and no one knew how many stone bridges had been blown apart. Even the distant, mist-shrouded unknown region was likely severely damaged...
Chapter 125 - The Descent into the Abyss
Chapter 125: The Descent into the Abyss
The effect of the res was nearing its end. Although the abyssal area hadn¡¯t plunged intoplete darkness yet, the light overhead had dimmed significantly.
The monster seemed thoroughly enraged and had entered a state of frenzy. It moved relentlessly between the stone bridges, its mouth opening intermittently to release powerful, long-range beams of light.
While it couldn''t create a special force field like the Ghost Vehicle, its beams were still a significant headache.
During the chaos, someone threw a gravity grenade at the monster, but a beam from the monster swept it away, causing the grenade''s gravity field to go out of control. Instead of harming the monster, it crushed three nearby stone bridges and several soldiers!
The monster¡¯s beams, whether direct or sweeping, attacked the surrounding humans furiously. Survivors on the stone bridges struggled just to avoid these beams, with no time left to replenish their res.
Moreover, the monster still had seven or eight of its lower limbs remaining. Aside from three or four used to move its body, the rest iled about, creating constant trouble for the humans.
Han Shu ducked to avoid a limb sweeping over his head and shouted toward Lida, ¡°Can¡¯t you freeze that thing?¡±
¡°Do you think my powers are like tap water that you can just turn on and off?¡± Lida¡¯s voice was filled with frustration. Amidst the dim light, Han Shu saw her crouched on a stone bridge, barely dodging a beam that passed over her head.
But Lida¡¯s troubles were far from over. Despite evading the beam, a limb came swinging towards her.
Fortunately, a Star Essence Shield was quickly activated, absorbing the blow and shattering like ss. The limb was deflected, but the impact from the barrier still sent Lida tumbling to the side. In her desperation, she managed to grab the edge of the bridge and avoid falling.
¡°Hold on!¡± Han Shu rushed to her side, identally glimpsing Tianyang standing motionless on a bridge below.
¡°Tianyang, run! That thing¡¯s gone berserk and there¡¯s no stopping it! Retreat now!¡± Han Shu shouted as he continued moving, unsure if Tianyang heard him.
At that moment, Lida could no longer hold on and screamed as she fell.
Han Shu reached her quickly, catching her in mid-air andnding on another stone bridge with her.
He used his back to cushion the fall, ensuring Lida was unharmed. Under different circumstances, he would have enjoyed this moment with a mature woman lying on him, but the monster above ruined the mood. He set Lida down and got up.
Lida then asked, ¡°What¡¯s Tianyang doing?¡±
Han Shu looked down to see Tianyang activating his Star Essence and drawing his de as he leaped onto a bridge.
Rolling, he got up and jumped onto a second bridge, making his way around to the monster''s rear!
Han Shu¡¯s heart raced as he yelled, ¡°Tianyang, you little bastard, what are you doing?! Get back here now!¡±
But Tianyang ignored him and focused entirely on the monster. His ability had revealed that the monster''s core weakness was a blood-red sphere inside its mouth.
Although it was strange that the core could fire beams, Tianyang decided to take the risk.
He had noticed the monster''s beam emission followed a pattern, urring roughly every three seconds.
As Tianyang leapt onto another bridge, the monster was now within sight, its back facing him, with a thick limb anchoring it to the bridge.
Tianyang turned, leaping onto the limb and sprinting down it. In an instant, he reached the base of the limb.
With the silver light of his Star Essence de, Tianyang leapt towards the monster¡¯s humanoid arm, striking at the elbow before twisting and jumping to its rear neck.
He even used the monster''s back to propel himself a short distance before leaping high, showcasing the advantages of his enhanced physical abilities.
Only then did the monster seemed to notice him. Its mouth opened, and its head turned back as the red sphere revealed a small opening.
Light points flickered inside.
Tianyang drove his de downward with fierce force. The Crimson Moon Warde, infused with Star Essence, glowed crimson as it pierced into the monster¡¯s bone armor at the back of its head. Tianyang tightened his grip as he was flung sideways by the monster¡¯s head movement.
A beam erupted from the monster''s mouth, slicing through the nearby cliff and several stone bridges before disappearing into the darkness.
Momentster, a series of booming sounds echoed as the violent shockwave from the beam carved a horizontal trench in the cliff and destroyed the stone bridges along its path.
The destruction continued far beyond.
¡°Tianyang!¡±
Han Shu¡¯s face turned pale with rage as he feared his teammate had been struck by the beam. However, Lida pointed at the back of the monster''s head and eximed, ¡°He¡¯s not dead!¡±
Indeed, Tianyang was still clinging to the back of the monster''s head. Though he had almost been thrown off, he tightly gripped the Crimson Moon Warde and managed to hold on.
After firing the beam, the monster¡¯s mouth began to close. Tianyang knew he had to act quickly. He bent his knees, pushed off from the monster¡¯s bone armor, and leapt onto the monster¡¯s head. Performing a flip, he ended up facing the monster¡¯s eyes, his head downward.
In the monster¡¯s remaining eye, Tianyang¡¯s figure was reflected. The shadow in the pupil showed him reaching for something at his waist and then tossing it.
Something was thrown into the monster''s mouth just as its jaws closed.
The monster then tried to grab Tianyang, who pointed the de at the monster''s face and angled it towards a stone bridge below.
The monster missed its grab, but a limb from below swung up, punching towards Tianyang!
With the rush of wind in his ears, Tianyang saw a dark shadowing from below. He quickly curled his body, passing just beside the shadow, but still got brushed by it.
The violent impact sent Tianyang flying across the bridge, uncontrobly falling into the void.
He barely managed to nce at the monster, which had opened its mouth again, light shining from inside.
Suddenly, the monster¡¯s facial armor caved in, and its entire head twisted like a screw.
The exoskeleton, red and white muscles, curved horns, and ck mane¡ªall copsed towards a single point. During this process, the spherical core of its will cage was shattered.
In the end, the monster¡¯s upper body vanishedpletely, its corpse hanging between the stone bridges. After a while, the limbs released their grip on the stone bs, causing the disintegrating corpse to fall and collide with several stone bridges before disappearing into the dense ck mist below.
Unfortunately, Tianyang couldn¡¯t see this oue. All he saw was the gravity grenade he had thrown into the monster¡¯s mouth taking effect, crushing the monster''s head with the copsing gravitational field.
Then, he collided heavily with something hard at the back of his head, causing his vision to blur and him to lose consciousness.
Before losing awareness, Tianyang¡¯s final thought was to tightly hold onto the Crimson Moon Warde as he fell into darkness.
¡¡
At the temporarymand post at the entrance of the town, filled with various instruments and cables strewn about, the general with a cold, proud demeanor stood with her hands on themand tform.
¡°Still no news?¡± She demanded.
Standing on the other side of the tform, Ling Feng adjusted his sses and replied, ¡°We¡¯ve temporarily lost contact with the troops on the fallen bridge. However, there¡¯s light, and monster roars from below the abyss, which suggests our people are engaged in battle.¡±
¡°What about the support teams?¡± Fei Mei¡¯s narrow phoenix eyes were filled with murderous intent.
Ling Feng checked a data panel. ¡°They¡¯ve reached the edge of the abyss and are preparing to provide support.¡±
¡°Too slow. Tell them to hurry,¡± the general said, clenching her white-gloved hand. ¡°It seems I underestimated the intelligence of these dark creatures. There was no sign of trouble when the regr army crossed the bridge, but they managed to set up an ambush while our transcenders were passing through!¡±
¡°I¡¯m also at fault. I should have deployed inspection teams while they crossed...¡± Ling Feng lifted his head, the cold light from themand post¡¯smps reflecting off his sses, making it hard to see his expression.
Fei Mei looked at him. ¡°If Commander Chu Yan were here, he probably wouldn¡¯t have made such a mistake, right?¡±
Ling Feng¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°Since themander specifically proposed that you lead this joint operation, it means he has confidence in you. General Fei Mei, carry out your n without any burden or pressure.¡±
Fei Mei¡¯s delicate lips curved slightly. ¡°How can there be no burden or pressure? The Iron Wall and the Strategy Department are closely watching me. This mistake will surely give them an opportunity to criticize.¡±
Ling Feng replied calmly, ¡°That will be a concern after the operation ends.¡±
Fei Mei smiled proudly. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±
Ling Feng turned away, trying to conceal his unease behind the action of adjusting his sses. He wondered quietly if Tianyang was in trouble.
Nearby the incident site, several ambnces were parked in an open area.
Injured individuals were being rescued and transported, making the medical team extremely busy. Medics carried stretchers back and forth between the edge of the abyss and the ambnces, taking the injured inside and directing them to different rooms based on their injuries.
Xun got out of one of the ambnces, anxiously scanning the edge of the area. Many were being rescued, but she didn¡¯t see the person she was hoping for.
Suddenly, she spotted a rugged man with a scruffy beard and hurried over.
¡°Captain Han! Captain Han!¡±
Han Shu was sitting on the ground, resting, when he heard someone calling him. Looking up, he saw a young woman running towards him.
Xun stopped beside Han Shu, breathing heavily. ¡°Captain Han, Tianyang¡ Is he alright?¡±
Han Shu looked at her, offering a bitter smile and sighing. ¡°That kid Tianyang fell¡¡±
¡°What!¡± Xun eximed in shock.
Chapter 126 - Promotion!
Chapter 126: Promotion!
¡°Tianyang, I hope you can quit the Night Qalkers.¡±
¡°I said, quit it for me!¡±
¡°How can you say that?¡±
¡°Tianyang.¡±
¡°Tianyang¡¡±
In his daze, Tianyang saw his mother, looking so heartbroken. Seeing her tear-streaked face, the boy wanted to say ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± but Nanfei turned and walked away.
Tianyang hurried to catch up, but no matter how fast he ran, Nanfei only grew further away.
Eventually, her figure disappeared into the boundless darkness.
¡
Suddenly, Tianyang opened his eyes to see a beautiful face with a soft glow, showing an anxious expression.
After a moment, he realized it was Xiaoniao''s face.
¡°Tianyang, are you okay? You kept talking to yourself just now; it scared me to death.¡± The girl held her chest with a worried look.
Tianyang shook his head and then realized he was resting his head on the girl''sp. His face flushed, and he quickly sat up, only to feel a sharp pain in the back of his head.
¡°Take it slow,¡± Xiaoniao supported him. ¡°You hit something hard. When I found you, you were unconscious. Luckily, you were face up, so you didn¡¯t drown.¡±
Drown?
Tianyang heard the sound of flowing water. Looking around, he saw he was by a stony riverbank. The river in front of him was turbulent upstream but curved sharply and meandered downwards at the stony shore.
The water in the river bend was slower. It seemed he had drifted here and was rescued.
Several campfires were burning on the stony shore, with a few people gathered around them. Tianyang even saw a face he found unpleasant.
Xie Miao!
He withdrew his gaze and looked back at the girl. ¡°So, did you fall down too?¡±
Xiaoniao stuck out her tongue. ¡°I identally stepped into an empty space and fell down. Fortunately, the abyss below was a big river. The water was deep, but manypanions still died.¡±
The girl¡¯s face was somber. ¡°When I arrived at the shore, I saw several bodies washed up by the water. Later, I found you. I initially thought... but fortunately, your chest was still warm and you were breathing.¡±
¡°Bodies?¡± Tianyang looked around but didn¡¯t see anything like that.
Xiaoniao pointed to a spot on the shore. ¡°The bodies were buried over there. There are several piles of stones, like graves.¡±
¡°Have something to eat first. I have water and food.¡± Xiaoniao took out her field supplies to share with Tianyang.
Tianyang shook his head. ¡°I have some too. I¡¯ll just eat my own.¡±
Xiaoniao puffed out her cheeks. ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so stingy with me.¡±
Tianyang smiled, insisting on using his own supplies. Fortunately, the multi-functional waist pouch was waterproof. Even though Tianyang floated down the river, the contents inside stayed dry.
He also found that the Crimson Moon Warde was still tightly gripped in his hand.
Xiaoniao looked at the sword. ¡°You don¡¯t know how tightly you held it. I couldn¡¯t even loosen your grip.¡±
Tianyang sheathed the sword and took out some water and food to eat.
While eating, he reviewed his rank information and found changes.
[Rank 2: Eradicator
Abilities: Weakness Detection, Instant Kill, Mirage
Ascension Progress: 19%
Enhanced Domain: Physical Strength +1
Next Rank: Ripper]
Tianyang was startled, not just because he had ranked up, but also because the Ascension Progress for Rank 2 was 19%!
He remembered that before, it was 91% for Rank 1, so this meant his ascension progress had surged by 28%.
Not only had hepleted the rank-up, but he had also pushed Rank 2 progress to 19%.
As expected of a colossal dark creature; the contribution was significant! It was a pity he fainted at the time and didn¡¯t know if the creature left any materials behind.
After all, it cost him a gravity grenade!
After eating, Tianyang took out hismunicator to contact Han Shu. But the device was filled with electronic noise, apparently suffering from severe interference.
¡°It¡¯s useless.¡± Xiaoniao, sitting nearby, shook her head and pointed to the riverbank. ¡°Look over there.¡±
Tianyang followed her finger and saw a cluster of ck crystals emerging from the riverbank. They emitted asional shes of deep purple light, and dark mist rose around the crystals.
¡°Mist Crystal!¡±
Tianyang eximed softly. Mist Crystals were a product of the Inverse Universe and the source of ck mist. They emitted a special energy that turned the surrounding air into ck mist.
In addition to producing ck mist, Mist Crystals also interfered with electronic signals. Wherever they were,munication devices became useless.
More importantly, Mist Crystals didn¡¯t appear sporadically. Although they might seem like just a few clusters on the surface, digging might reveal massive crystal veins.
Some veins were even asrge as mountains!
Mist Crystals existed in almost every Inverse Universe, and it was said that in realms numbered within ten, there were even superrge caverns called ¡°The Abyss of Darkness.¡±
These caverns, like volcanic craters, continuously released ck mist, turning the entire world into an eternal night!
Footsteps approached.
Tianyang looked up and noticed arge cave under the cliff in front of the shore. At that moment, several figures ran out of the cave.
Xiaoniao stood up. ¡°Let¡¯s go over and check. The scouts are back.¡±
¡°Scouts?¡± Tianyang patted his butt and got up.
Xiaoniao nodded and pointed to the riverbend. ¡°Besides this stony shore where wended, the other ces are sheer, smooth cliffs. Climbing up is almost impossible, so it¡¯s good there¡¯s a cave here.¡±
¡°And there¡¯s wind in the cave, which means there¡¯s air flow. We might find a way to the surface.¡±
¡°Hey, what¡¯s the situation?¡±
At this moment, Xie Miao¡¯s voice came from the front.
Tianyang and Xiaoniao walked forward and found that among the scouts, there was also Yan Bing.
Seeing Tianyang awake, Yan Bing smiled and nodded in greeting.
The two soldiers who had gone scouting reported to Xie Miao, ¡°We followed the cave, but soon found that it has many branches, like an underground maze.¡±
¡°We didn¡¯t venture too far, but in one of the caves, we found a Death Tree.¡±
Xie Miao¡¯s eyes lit up. ¡°A Death Tree? Where? Take me there and I¡¯ll chop it down!¡±
A Death Tree was a nt from the Inverse Universe and was quite mysterious since Wanderers were born from Death Trees!
Therefore, clearing a Death Tree would yield substantial contribution points, but Death Trees were usually surrounded by many Wanderers.
So clearing a Death Tree was not an easy task.
After his excitement, Xie Miao also realized this. He thought for a moment and called out, ¡°Come over, everyone gather around.¡±
He called several times, and soon over twenty survivors on the shore formed a circle.
Xie Miao climbed onto arge rock so everyone could see him. He patted his chest and said, ¡°I¡¯m a lieutenant. Is there anyone with a higher rank here?¡±
The crowd looked at each other and shook their heads.
Among these twenty or so people, half were soldiers. The remaining seven or eight Ascenders, including Tianyang, were all second lieutenants.
Xie Miao¡¯s face showed satisfaction. ¡°In that case, ording to the fortress¡¯s battlefield regtions, if we lose contact with the main team, the highest-ranking officer will be responsible for gathering and organizing the scattered members and acting as the temporarymander.¡±
¡°So now, I, as the lieutenant, willmand everyone. No objections?¡±
In the crowd, Xiaoniao whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t like this self-righteous guy.¡±
Tianyang didn¡¯t like him either, but Xie Miao was following the rules, so he couldn¡¯t oppose it.
Seeing no one objecting, Xie Miao nodded. ¡°Then, listen to my arrangements. We will go to chop down the Death Tree to prevent being attacked from behind by a group of Wanderers when we leave.¡±
Although Tianyang disliked Xie Miao, he had to admit his concern was valid.
In open areas, Wanderers were not much of a threat. But in confined spaces, with many Wanderers, it could be very dangerous.
Unless one was a high-ranking expert or hadrge-scale weapons, even ascenders would be overwhelmed by a mass of Wanderers.
So now, Xie Miao¡¯s n to first clear the Death Tree was reasonable.
But the next arrangement was quite eye-opening for Tianyang.
¡°All soldiers form the vanguard team. You are responsible for clearing the path and are allowed to shoot freely when encountering Wanderers!¡±
¡°The God of War rank forms the central team. If the vanguard is dispersed, you will block the Wanderers.¡±
¡°Other ranks will form the firepower main team with me. We will provide fire support to the vanguard!¡±
Most of the arrangements were fine, except for one. Xie Miao, whose rank emblem was clearly of the God of War, ced himself in the main team.
Tianyang couldn¡¯t find another word to describe it except shameless.
It was obviously taking advantage of others to protect himself, as the firepower main team was usually in the rear, the safest ce!
¡°How¡¯s that? Any problems?¡± Xie Miao asked casually.
Tianyang raised his hand. ¡°Lieutenant, aren¡¯t you a God of War rank? Why aren¡¯t you in the central team with us?¡±
¡°Yeah, exactly.¡±
¡°Right, being a God of War rank and running to the main team.¡±
The crowd immediately began discussing among themselves. Xie Miao¡¯s face alternated between green and white as he red at Tianyang and said, ¡°What do you know? I¡¯m themander, so I have to stay in the rear! Have you ever seen amander leading from the front? How can theymand anything like that!¡±
¡°Anyway, all my arrangements are in ordance with the fortress¡¯s battlefield regtions. You can trust my orders!¡±
Xiaoniao tugged on Tianyang¡¯s sleeve. ¡°I think he¡¯s unreliable.¡±
Tianyang smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s just follow him, after all, he¡¯s a lieutenant.¡±
¡°It¡¯s just a lieutenant, only one rank higher than us. Why is he so arrogant?¡± Xiaoniaoined.
¡°You!¡±
Xie Miao¡¯s voice rang out again. He pointed at Tianyang with a smile. ¡°The vanguard team needs one or two ascenders to lead. I know you¡¯re quite capable, so you¡¯ll be in charge of the vanguard team!¡±
Chapter 127 - The Altar
Chapter 127: The Altar
This was revenge.
Raw revenge!
On the battlefield, the vanguard was essentially cannon fodder¡ªconsumable resources used to secure victory!
To protect Ascenders, fortresses usually didn¡¯t ce them in the vanguard. After all, soldiers could be trained again, but Ascenders couldn¡¯t be produced through training alone.
Moreover, the vanguard was typicallymanded by ordinary sergeants, not Ascenders.
Now, Xie Miao wanted Tianyang tomand the vanguard. To put it nicely, it was a sign of respect and trust, assigning him an important task. To put it bluntly, it was sending him to his death.
At this moment, an Ascender whispered, ¡°Sir, isn¡¯t it unusual to have an Ascendermand the vanguard? I haven¡¯t heard of such a precedent.¡±
¡°No precedent doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s impossible or unfeasible!¡± Xie Miao shot him a cold nce. ¡°Or would you prefer to switch with him?¡±
The Ascender¡¯s expression changed immediately. He said nothing and stepped back two paces.
Xiaoniao, visibly angry, was about to argue but was held back by Tianyang.
Tianyang shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Being in the vanguard isn¡¯t so bad. The merites quickly.¡±
They were on a battlefield, not within the fortress. Xie Miao was using battlefield regtions as a basis, so Tianyang had no reason to oppose. More importantly, Tianyang didn¡¯t want to fall out with Xie Miao here.
After all, in a dangerous ce, one¡¯s strength was limited. If unnecessary, it was safer to stay with the team.
Even though there was someone unpleasant in the team.
Seeing Tianyang¡¯s eptance, Xie Miao¡¯s smile broadened, and his eyes gleamed with satisfaction. He announced loudly, ¡°Since there are no objections, it¡¯s decided. You have 10 minutes to rest and check your equipment.¡±
Tianyang suddenly extended his hand. ¡°I need a rifle.¡±
He hadn¡¯t anticipated needing to deal with Wanderers beforeing, so he hadn¡¯t exchanged for a rifle or requested one from the captain.
Given the current situation, a rifle would be much more convenient for dealing with Wandererspared to his Crimson Moon Warde or Death Knell.
His request wasn¡¯t unreasonable, so Xie Miao promptly named the Ascender who had raised the question earlier, instructing him to give his rifle to Tianyang.
The Ascender had no objections and handed over his rifle and two gas magazines to Tianyang, who received them gratefully.
During the rest period, Tianyang revisited his rank status.
He focused on the new ability but didn¡¯t receive any rted information. It seemed, like the other two abilities, he would need to explore it himself.
While pondering the function of the ability [Phantom], Tianyang felt the star essence within him stir. This sensation was familiar to him.
It was a sign that the star essence was forming and preparing to release an ability.
Tianyang quickly calmed the star essence to avoid drawing attention. The light dimmed, and Xiaoniao approached.
The girl ced her hands on her hips and said authoritatively, ¡°I¡¯ming with you.¡±
Before Tianyang could respond, Xie Miao¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that. Onemander for the vanguard is enough.¡±
Xie Miao¡¯s gaze roamed over Xiaoniao¡¯s beautiful face, his smile wide. He had noticed Xiaoniao when they arrived at the shore and found her striking.
Later, seeing Tianyang being rescued, Xiaoniao not only worried but also let Tianyang rest on herp.
Xie Miao felt both envy and jealousy.
Now, hearing Xiaoniao wanted to join Tianyang on the front lines, he was startled and quickly intervened.
¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen you before. Are you a neer? I take good care of neers. You can stay with me on the main team. I¡¯ll protect you.¡±
¡°No need!¡±
Xiaoniao tossed her hair and stood with Tianyang. ¡°He¡¯s my good friend. Wherever he goes, I go. If you have an issue with that, you canin to our captain when we get back!¡±
Xie Miao wasn¡¯t giving up. ¡°Don¡¯t be foolish. The vanguard is very dangerous. A delicate girl like you could easily get killed. Why risk it?¡±
¡°By the way, have you heard of the Xie family? I¡¯ll tell you this¡ªwe are definitely among the top ten families in the Qingtian Fortress!¡±
The implication was that following Xie Miao meant a promising future.
Xiaoniaoughed. ¡°Top ten? So what? Even the Yun family treats me with respect. Your Xie family is nothing!¡±
After saying this, she quickly covered her mouth, nced around cautiously, and gently patted her chest. ¡°Luckily, my sisters aren¡¯t here. Xiaoniao, ady shouldn¡¯t use coarsenguage. I won¡¯t do it again.¡±
Seeing that Xiaoniao didn¡¯t care about his family and even dismissed the Xie family, Xie Miao was enraged. If there weren¡¯t so many people around and if Xiaoniao wasn¡¯t so beautiful, he would have pped her already.
Xie Miao snorted and, with a flick of his sleeve, left. ¡°Do as you please.¡±
If it were someone else, he would have pped them long ago.
Xie Miao snorted and, with a flick of his sleeve, left. "Do as you please."
After he left, Tianyang cleared his throat and said, "Although that guy is pretty annoying, he has a point. The vanguard is too dangerous. You..."
Xiaoniao tapped her waist with her slender sword and said, "So what? I''m a Level 3 warrior. A mere wanderer won¡¯t be a problem for me. Don''t worry, I¡¯ll protect you!"
Tianyang looked at her in disbelief, unable to believe that this girl, who seemed to be around his age, was actually a Level 3 ascender!
Even he had just recently been promoted to Level 2, which was already quite fast for an Ascender¡¯s advancement.
Could it be that this girl, despite her youthful appearance, was actually as old as the squad leader?
"Um, Xiaoniao, how old are you?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Nothing, just curious."
"Oh, I¡¯ll be 17 in two months. How about you?"
"What, you¡¯re not even 17 yet?"
"Yes, why?"
The departure time arrived.
Tianyang had quickly integrated with the soldiers. Even though they had only known each other for a short time, he could now call each soldier by name.
He and the soldiers had established several hand signals for quick and flexiblemand during battle.
When Xie Miao shouted "Depart," Tianyang led the vanguard team at the front.
Xiaoniao walked beside him, seemingly without a trace of nervousness. On the contrary, her big eyes were filled with anticipation, though it was unclear what she was looking forward to.
Knowing that Xiaoniao was not yet 17 and had be an Ascender only six months ago meant she had advanced two levels in that short time.
Such advancement speed was remarkable, even among the elite fortresses.
Just earlier, Tianyang had been somewhat pleased with his own swift promotion to Level 2. Now, that feeling hadpletely vanished.
Upon entering the cave, Tianyang immediately felt the temperature drop and the humidity rise.
The sound of dripping water echoed deeper into the cave, possibly indicating an underground river. The vanguard team raised their rifles, all equipped with tactical lights, and the beams swept through the cave.
While it wasn¡¯t as bright as daylight, it was still easy to see the cave¡¯s surroundings.
Since the Inferno Soldier had previously scouted the path, Tianyang had him lead the way toward the location of the Dead Tree.
As they passed through an opening, the tunnel descended, and the uneven ground extended into the darkness.
Walking downward gave a sense of descending into hell.
Fortunately, the tunnel wasn¡¯t very long, and they reached the bottom in a few minutes.
¡°There are some strange things ahead, but no immediate danger,¡± the Inferno Soldier whispered.
Tianyang nodded and followed the Inferno Soldier around a corner. In the light ahead, a white skeleton suddenly appeared. Tianyang¡¯s heart skipped a beat, as the appearance of this skeleton was sudden and without warning.
The skeleton was not human, but the visual impact was strong, especially with the empty eye sockets staring directly at Tianyang, making him momentarily think they were being watched by a dark creature.
The team cautiously passed by the skeleton, which had long horns and resembled somerge reptile.
Soon, more skeletons appeared, some of which might be human. Strangely, regardless of the type, all the skeletons were facing the same direction, as if they were trying to escape something.
There were numerous bite marks on the skeletons, with various shapes of teeth marks ovepping each other.
Even a biologist might be unable to determine what bit them.
¡°Probably bitten by wanderers,¡± the Inferno Soldier said softly. ¡°After all, the Dead Tree is ahead.¡±
Tianyang nodded, ¡°That¡¯s possible. In any case, everyone, stay alert.¡±
After passing the pile of bones, they arrived at arge natural cavern. The cavern was extremely high, and the light didn¡¯t reach the ceiling.
Stone columns resembling bamboo shoots supported the cavern, covered with themon fungi of the Inverse Universe. Unlike those in Gemstone Town, these fungi didn¡¯t glow and lookedrge and unhealthy, making them unappealing.
In the center of the cavern was an artificial pedestal. It had a regr shape with clear and straight lines, unlike natural formations.
Moreover, there were stone stairs carved into the pedestal.
Lying on the pedestal were heaps of bones, forming a small mountain of bones!
Tianyang gasped, ¡°What is this?¡±
The Inferno Soldier shook his head, ¡°I don¡¯t know. When we saw this, we were all startled. That tform doesn¡¯t look like it was made by dark creatures. Could it be from the previous inhabitants of the Inverse Universe?¡±
¡°It¡¯s an altar.¡±
Xiaoniao circled the tform twice, bing more certain, ¡°I¡¯ve seen simr things in books. ording to the information we¡¯ve collected in the Inverse Universe, this is called an altar.¡±
¡°They were used for sacrifices to worship deities, and there are many ways to perform these sacrifices. Sacrificing lives is considered the highest form of offering!¡±
Chapter 128 - The Undying Tree
Chapter 128: The Dead Tree
It seemed that Xiaoniao had quite a bit of knowledge about the Inverse Universe''s civilization. The girl squatted near the pedestal, examining the inscriptions on the base.
Tianyang walks over to her. ¡°Have you figured anything out?¡±
Xiaoniao looked up, her face a bit embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯ve studied the Inverse Universe¡¯s script, but I¡¯m not very proficient. I can only make out a rough idea.¡±
¡°You mean these are Inverse Universe characters, not symbols of the dark races?¡± Tianyang asked curiously.
Xiaoniao nodded slightly. ¡°Yes, these are Inverse Universe characters. For example, this word means ¡°Divine Tree.¡± And this one means ¡±Blessing.¡± It looks like the Inverse Universe inhabitants discovered some magical tree here and were asking for its protection.¡±
Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but say. ¡°The tree they discovered couldn¡¯t be the Dead Tree, could it? If so, the Dead Tree wasn¡¯t discovered only after the Inverse Universe became like this? It must have existed even before the Inverse Universe¡¯s inhabitantspletely vanished.¡±
Xiaoniao stood up, her arms crossed thoughtfully. ¡°The Inverse Universe¡¯s civilization was quite advanced, with high productivity. Such a civilization would generally reserve their worship of deities.¡±
¡°It¡¯s hard to imagine that beings bathed in the light of civilization would use the lives of their own kind for sacrifice. If it came to that, it would either be the work of some extremists or perhaps, by the time they discovered the Dead Tree, the Inverse Universe had already reached a state of despair beyond recovery.¡±
¡°In such cases, when human efforts can¡¯t turn the tide, they might turn to deities for help.¡±
Of course, this was just Xiaoniao¡¯s spection, and the truth couldn¡¯t be verified solely by this altar.
At the entrance of the hall, Xie Miao¡¯s voice rang out, ¡°What are you doing? Stop dawdling and move on! It¡¯s just a pile of skeletons, what¡¯s so interesting about it!¡±
Xiaoniao¡¯s face darkened immediately. ¡°This bastard really thinks he¡¯s themander, giving orders everywhere. If he¡¯s so capable, he should lead the charge himself.¡±
Tianyang smiled and ignored Xie Miao. He made a hand gesture, and the team continued moving forward.
Under Yan Bing¡¯s lead, they quickly arrived at a massive cavern space. What they had thought was arge hall was nothingpared to this cavern.
In this immeasurable space, clusters of mist crystals grew, emitting a deep purple light that barely illuminated the area.
From the entrance, the ground was uneven, with sloping surfaces creating waves frozen in time.
Numerous stone pirs of various sizes supported the space, and like the previous hall, they were covered with the Inverse Universe¡¯s characteristic sickly fungi.
At the front of the cavern, there was even a small pool, with two thin streams of water extending from either side, flowing out of sight.
The pool water shimmered with a purple light, and Tianyang used his tactical eye to zoom in, discovering that the pool was covered with mist crystals. They formed a massive gem-like structure submerged in the water.
In the center of this ¡°gem,¡± there was a tree. The tree wasn¡¯t particrly grand but was definitely eerie.
Through Tianyang¡¯s tactical eye, he saw that a human female was embedded in the middle of the tree. She looked to be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, with a beautiful face.
She had her eyes closed as if she were sleeping, with her arms crossed over her chest, hiding her charm.
Countless branches intertwined with her body, connecting her closely with the tree. The tree¡¯s crown had no leaves, and the branches were exceptionally thick.
The branches, as thick as arms, had droplet-shaped ¡°fruits¡± hanging from their ends. These looked like they were covered by a thin membrane, and the surface asionally undted.
When Tianyang¡¯s gaze inadvertently swept over one of the fruits, a face suddenly appeared on its surface!
Though Tianyang had never seen a Dead Tree before, he was certain that this was one.
Indeed, as he observed the area around the tree, he noticed figures moving about!
They were wanderers, swaying and wandering aimlessly nearby.
Among them, Tianyang spotted an exceptionally tall and strong figure. Ordinary wanderers barely reached its chest, and it had twisted limbs that were incredibly robust.
Especially its grotesque right arm, nearly touching the ground, with an arm width almost as wide as Tianyang¡¯s thigh, and a frighteninglyrge hand.
¡°That thing is also a wanderer?¡± Xiaoniao put down a binocr and seemed to have noticed the tall figure as well.
Tianyang said softly, ¡°Maybe, but we should be grateful that there are fewer wanderers than I expected.¡±
Yan Bing apologetically said, ¡°We retreated after discovering the Dead Tree and didn¡¯t closely observe the number of wanderers here.¡±
¡°It¡¯s alright¡¡±
Tianyang patted his shoulder. At that moment, Xie Miao¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°Why have you stopped again? Isn¡¯t the Dead Tree right in there? Charge ahead, or are you scared of a few wanderers!¡±
His voice was loud, especially in such a quiet space, making it seem even more amplified.
Fortunately, wanderers didn¡¯t have much in the way of senses, so even if you shouted at them, they wouldn¡¯t hear it.
Even so, Xie Miao¡¯s attitude made it hard to feel any favor towards him.
Xiaoniao snorted softly. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing he¡¯s just a temporarymander. If he were to be a permanent captain, I¡¯d really feel sorry for his team.¡±
Several nearby soldiers couldn¡¯t help butugh.
Xie Miao seemed to hear this, his tone annoyed. ¡°What are youughing at? Are you deaf? Attack! Imand you to attack!¡±
Tianyang made a hand gesture. ¡°Everyone, prepare to form a breach formation. Xiaoniao and I will lead the way; you protect the nks and prevent the wanderers from disrupting the formation.¡±
¡°Our target is the Dead Tree. Don¡¯t get entangled with the wanderers. Any oversights should be handled by the rear units. Understood?¡±
Including Yan Bing, the soldiers nodded seriously.
Tianyang raised his rifle but noticed Xiaoniao had no intention of using a gun. He didn¡¯t mind. Xiaoniao, being a Tier 3 Acender, was one level higher than him and didn¡¯t need his concern.
When Tianyang charged ahead, Xiaoniao quickly caught up, running swiftly by his side.
A dozen soldiers split into two teams, closely following the two at the front, and the vanguard charged into the cavernous space of the mountain.
Tianyang raised his hand and made a gesture, and one soldier on each nk raised their gun and fired a re.
The sudden burst of light illuminated the nearby space, revealing the twisted monsters hiding in the depths of the mountain!
Tianyang raised his gun and fired a burst at a wanderer a hundred paces ahead. A bright blue beam shot through the air, hitting the will cage at the creature¡¯s chest!
The will cage had a hole blown through it, with its edges flickering with tiny blue spots, like a starry sky.
The wanderer didn''t even have time to groan before it copsed, its body starting to disintegrate and rot.
However, wanderers had a hive mind. When one was attacked, the nearby ones began rushing toward the vanguard.
At that moment, several elemental javelins fell into the densest group of wanderers, the ensuing elemental storm taking out a small number of monsters.
Unfortunately, the power of the elemental javelins was limited, and soon, several of the fallen monsters were getting back up again.
In the Inverse Universe, as long as their will cages weren¡¯t destroyed, these creatures never knew how to stop!
As they ran, Tianyang fired bursts, clearing some of the wanderers blocking the way.
Suddenly, the air around him chilled, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker of white light. That thin, translucent gleam cut through the air in an instant, passing through several wanderers.
After the light vanished, those wanderers suddenly slowed down, frost spreading across their chests.
A white line of frost appeared, cracking with a sharp sound. The frost line shattered, and those wanderers, along with their will cages, were sliced in half!
Tianyang couldn¡¯t help but nce at Xiaoniao beside him. The white sword at her waist had finally been drawn. That delicate de, only four centimeters wide, always made people worry it might snap.
But under Xiaoniao¡¯s skillful control, the sword released sts of icy sword energy, making the wanderers no match for her.
Tianyang couldn''t help but give the white sword a few extra nces. Both were warriors, but Lao Xu didn¡¯t have the kind of strength Xiaoniao had.
Even though Lao Xu often cked off whenever he could, after going on a few missions with him, Tianyang had never seen him wield any power like ¡±sword energy.¡±
It seemed that this icy sword energy was linked to Xiaoniao''s sword.
Suddenly, an earth-shattering roar came from up ahead.
Tianyang quickly looked over and saw wanderers being thrown left and right by something. The twisted, leprous figures flew in all directions.
When one of the wanderers was suddenly thrown sideways, Tianyang saw it¡ªa tall wanderer with a deformed right arm was charging toward them, letting out a deep roar with its mouth wide open.
Tianyang raised his gun, aiming at the will cage in its chest, and unleashed a burst of fire!
The mutated wanderer raised its grotesquelyrge arm, spreading its hand to shield its chest.
The starry energy beam hit its arm but couldn¡¯t prate it, only sting away chunks of its flesh.
Tianyang let out a surprised "huh" and shouted, "Everyone, scatter!"
He then ducked and lunged forward, dodging the mutated wanderer¡¯s sweeping arm.
Suddenly, an unbelievably cold aura, like the frost of a winter morning, appeared behind the mutated wanderer. Tianyang had just gripped the handle of his Crimson Moon Warde when he saw Xiaoniao soar into the air, her thin sword cutting down in a vertical strike.
A trail of white frost lingered in the air, long after the attack, and a few frost kes even drifted down onto Tianyang¡¯s head.
The mutated wanderer¡¯s movements stopped, and after a moment, it copsed backward.
Tianyang quickly dodged to the side to avoid being crushed by its massive body. ncing at the ground, he saw that the wanderer had been sliced open from its head down to its waist.
The edges of the wound were frosted over, preventing the ck, sludge-like blood from gushing out. However, its body, like that of other wanderers, had already started to disintegrate.
Looking back at Xiaoniao, Tianyang found it hard to reconcile the dazed girl who had fallen from the sensor tower with the warrior before him, now surrounded by a faint aura of frost.
Chapter 129 - Fleeing Without a Fight
Chapter 129: Fleeing Without a Fight
When Tianyang was watching Xiaoniao, the girl suddenly screamed and pointed behind him, shouting, "Quick, look! Is it about to give birth?"
Give birth?
Tianyang turned around and saw that the Dead Tree in the pool had its arm-thick branches slowly hanging down. The water droplet-shaped cocoons hanging from the ends of these branches suddenly detached and fell into the water with a ssh.
Ssh! Ssh!
One by one, the cocoons fell into the water, floating up and writhing and changing shape under the deep purple light emitted by the mist crystals.
Finally, one of the cocoons made a tearing sound, and a hand emerged from it, ripping it open.
Thick, viscous ck liquid immediately flowed out, spreading through the pool and gradually turning the water pitch ck.
In the ck water, the cocoons were being torn open one by one, and wanderers crawled out from inside.
They crossed the pool and, with their strange and twisted movements, climbed onto the ground, starting to approach Tianyang and the others.
A beam of light suddenly streaked past Tianyang and struck one of the wanderers emerging from the pool. Then, Xie Miao¡¯s voice came from behind, ¡°What are you all dawdling for? Hurry up and kill them! There are only a few wanderers left! Oh, and leave the Dead Tree to me!¡±
Xie Miao, apanied by seven or eight other exalted warriors, excitedly ran up. His eyes were fixed on the Dead Tree as if it were already in his grasp.
But before he could get past Tianyang''s vanguard team, the mountain cavity space suddenly began to shake, and stones continued to fall from the dark ceiling.
Tianyang suddenly looked toward the pool. His intuition told him that the source of the tremor was below the pool.
What could be in the pool but piles of mist crystals and the Dead Tree?
Could it be that the Dead Tree could move?
Just as this thought surfaced, the ground at the edge of the pool suddenly cracked open, a jagged fissure extending towards Tianyang and the others.
Without warning, a shadow sprang up from the crack. With the light from the illumination res, almost everyone could see clearly that it was a tree root!
This root, with numerous tendrils hanging down, suddenlyshed out like a whip, and a soldier at the bottom was struck without time to react.
A series of cracking noises followed as the soldier¡¯s helmet was deformed by the impact, the mask made ofposite material covered with fine cracks.
Bright red blood sprayed onto the cracked mask, slowly trickling down.
As for the soldier¡¯s body, it was no longer recognizable, clearly broken in several ces by the tree root.
The sudden turn of events left Xie Miao, who was charging forward, stunned and dumbfounded, staring at the tree root without reacting.
Tianyang was the first toe to his senses and hurriedly warned everyone, ¡°Be careful, the Dead Tree is alive!¡±
Although hard to believe, the nt capable of nurturing wanderers clearly had living characteristics.
As if to confirm Tianyang¡¯s thoughts, more roots burst from the ground like evil long arms.
They swung,shed, and attacked the vanguard team frenziedly!
The shaking in the mountain cavity continued, and in the already pitch-ck pool, the Dead Tree appeared to have risen slightly and showed signs of movement.
When it "crawled" out of the pool, Xie Miao drew a sharp breath. At the top of the strange tree, there were structures resembling human legs!
These things stepped forward, allowing the Dead Tree to crawl out of the pool and onto the ground.
At this moment, the Dead Tree¡¯s canopy began to tremble, and a faint sound of something sharp slicing through the air filled the space.
Xie Miao heard a swoosh as a thirty-centimeter-long, finger-thick ck branch impaled the ground right in front of him.
The end of the branch continued to tremble, while the front had embedded itself into the hard ground!
More ck branches fell from the sky like arrows, significantly reducing the number of soldiers in the vanguard team. Many soldiers, unable to avoid or too busy dodging the roots, were struck by these arrow-like branches.
They couldn''t prate defensive armor, but they were more than enough to pierce unprotected areas.
Although getting hit by the branches might not be fatal, the injuries would slow down their movements. In such chaos, the roots took advantage to attack.
Some roots coiled around soldiers like pythons, tightening relentlessly and strangling them to death! Others pierced into soldiers¡¯ bodies, draining blood and flesh, and turning them into dry corpses quickly.
Seeing this scene, Xie Miao''s face turned pale.
A few battle-tier warriors were about to rush in to help when Xie Miao suddenly remembered something and shouted, ¡°Don¡¯t go in!¡±
The others looked at him.
Xie Miao shook his head and said, ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. We need to retreat first and decide whether to continue the attack based on the situation.¡±
An exalted warrior looked at the vanguard team, which was continuously falling. ¡°What about them?¡±
Xie Miao shook his head, "The Dead Tree is too dangerous. They¡¯re beyond saving. We have no choice but to abandon them!"
As he spoke, Xie Miao nced at the Xiaoniao.
"You ungrateful wretch, you insisted on following that white-haired boy instead of staying with me! If you like him so much, you can die with him!"
"But..." Some of the Ascenders hesitated. After all, they were all members of the Night Walkers. Abandoning theirrades like this was hard to bear.
Xie Miao''s face twisted with anger as he shouted, "If you want to die with them, go ahead. Anyone who wants to live, follow me!"
He began to retreat, then turned and quickly headed back the way he came.
The other Ascenders exchanged nces, sighed, and began to retreat as well.
On the battlefield, Tianyang grabbed Yan Bing and pulled him towards himself, dodging a tree root that whipped down from the air.
Tianyang looked around. The forward team was dwindling rapidly. He called out, "Commander, we..."
Suddenly, he saw Xie Miao leading people to retreat and realized immediately, "Xie Miao, you bastard! You¡¯re running away without fighting!"
The boy''s angry shout echoed through the mountains, causing Xie Miao¡¯s face to change several times before turning into a coldugh. "I¡¯m here to screw you over. What can you do about it!"
Back on the battlefield, Tianyang, momentarily distracted, found himself entangled by a tree root. The root tightened painfully around him, turning his face red.
Fortunately, one of Tianyang''s arms was free. He drew out the Crimson Moon Warde, and with the infusion of star essence, the edge of the de glowed with a scarlet light.
With a swing of the de, Tianyang effortlessly split the root in two. ck, blood-like slime gushed out from the broken root.
At the same time, a piercing scream came from the Dead Tree!
The boy fell to the ground as the root around him loosened. Yan Bing hurried over to help Tianyang pull the root away, allowing him to take a deep breath.
He looked up to see a wanderer swaying towards him and was about to strike it down.
Suddenly, a tree root impaled the wanderer from behind. The wanderer began to tremble violently, its body growing rapidly and expanding in size.
Although it still looked misshapen, it exuded a palpable sense of pressure. Blood vessels surfaced on its skin, glowing with a dim yellow light.
The wanderer impaled by the root charged forward as if on steroids. Tianyang quickly pushed Yan Bing away. As the faint light of star essence flickered in his hair, the boy became a blur of light and shadow.
He maneuvered around the wanderer and leaped onto the root. Tianyang thrust down with his de, and the searing edge cut through the wanderer¡¯s chest, dimming the yellow light in its blood vessels.
The root withdrew from the wanderer''s body and moved towards another monster.
Before Tianyang could repeat the trick, a streak of scarlet light shed, slicing the root in half and causing ck slime to spray everywhere.
However, many wanderers had already been captured and strengthened by the Dead Tree.
The enhanced wanderers were much faster and stronger. Some even developed misshapen limbs as weapons.
With the new wanderers joining the battlefield, the forward team¡¯s numbers dwindled even faster. Soon, only Tianyang, the Xiaoniao, and Yan Bing remained!
This situation couldn¡¯t continue!
Tianyang looked at the Dead Tree, hoping to find its will cage if it was a type of dark creature.
Where is it?
Where is the will cage?!
As his gaze inadvertently swept over the tree trunk where a woman was entangled by branches, Tianyang''s vision began to shift, and the surroundings gradually faded.
Finally, only the woman clutching her chest remained in his view.
Her tightly shut eyes suddenly opened, and her eye sockets zed with a blood-red light.
A red haze rapidly spread from head to toe, engulfing her entire body!
A piercing scream suddenly erupted from the Dead Tree¡¯s trunk. The canopy shook, and a hail of arrows shot toward Tianyang. Not only that, the wanderers controlled by the roots abandoned Yan Bing and the Xiaoniao, crazily charging at Tianyang!
"That woman!" Tianyang yelled, "Xiaoniao, quickly! The woman on that tree is the will cage for this thing!"
As he shouted, the boy swiftly moved, dodging the ck branches that flew at him like arrows. Despite this, he was still cut by the branches.
His legs and arms were pierced by several branches, but fortunately, these didn¡¯t have toxins, and the pierced areas didn¡¯t hinder his movement.
Otherwise, the subsequent attack by a dozen enhanced wanderers would have cost him his life.
Tianyang raised his hand and shed with his de, shattering one will cage. He drew out the Death Knell with his other hand, pressing it against another monster''s chest. Before the monster''s hands could grasp his neck, he fired a shot that shattered both the will cage and the monster¡¯s chest.
But the wanderers kepting, and eventually, Tianyang made a mistake. His ankle tightened suddenly, and he realized a root had wrapped around it.
He quickly swung his de, severing the root. Two wanderers tackled him to the ground, pinning his hands and feet, making it hard for him to move.
Then his vision darkened as a wanderer fell from the sky. Its misshapen limb, like an axe de, swung down heavily at the boy''s face!
Chapter 130 - Parting Ways
Chapter 130: Parting Ways
Just as Tianyang was about to be struck, a figure suddenly dashed in from the side, colliding with the enhanced wanderer and sending it, along with the roots behind it, soaring into the air.
The figure rolled on the ground, immediately took aim, and started shooting. Blue beams pierced through the wanderer''s chest, illuminating the face of Yan Bing in his helmet.
After killing the wanderer, Yan Bing fired a sweeping shot that turned the two monsters crushing Tianyang into a bloody mess. They could no longer withstand the beam fire and lifted a w to defend.
The pressure on Tianyang eased slightly, and the young man immediately counterattacked.
First, he kicked away one wanderer, then raised his hand to press the Death Knell''s barrel against another''s chest and pulled the trigger.
The thunderous gunfire echoed through the mountain''s cavern, causing several stone pirs to shake. The wanderer''s chest was blown open, leaving a gaping hole the size of a human head, and its will cage turned to ashes!
Tianyang stood up and joined Yan Bing. At this moment, they were surrounded by more than a dozen enhanced wanderers. These distorted figures glowing with yellow light, like demons risen from hell, were drawn by the blood and flesh scent of humans and charged with evil, terrifying howls.
The de of the Crimson Moon Warde glowed with a crimson light, and Yan Bing raised his assault rifle high. Both he and Tianyang roared and charged at the enemy.
Unexpectedly, the monsters that were howling like madmen suddenly went silent. Their movements halted simultaneously, and one by one, they copsed to the ground while running.
The yellow light in the blood vessels on their bodies dimmed rapidly, and their mutated forms began to dissolve, turning into a puddle of mud in no time.
This left Tianyang and Yan Bing momentarily stunned until they heard a sharp whistling sounding from the direction of the pool.
Over there, Xiaoniao was sheathing her sword and retreating. The woman embedded in the Dead Tree¡¯s trunk was covered with crisscrossing gray-white frost lines, which Xiaoniao seemed to have sliced through dozens of times in an instant.
The frost lines cracked, and the woman¡¯s will cage disintegrated with a crash. Scarlet light, like fresh blood, floated up and gradually vanished into the air.
After a piercing howl came from the tree trunk of the Dead Tree, its branches began to droop, and the roots started to disperse from the ends.
In an instant, the entire Dead Tree was reduced in height, its outeryer peeling away and turning into decayed ck mud.
At this moment, something rolled out from the tree trunk¡¯s depths. Xiaoniao approached it and found it was a still-beating heart! It was surrounded by some fine ck roots that seemed to be floating and moving as if held by an invisible hand.
Even though the heart was slowly crystallizing, the roots showed no signs of stopping, which was quite eerie.
Xiaoniao took out a recovery vessel and put the Dead Tree¡¯s dropped material into it.
"Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
While Tianyang was resting, Xie Miao''s voice came. The shameless man who had fled without fighting had now arrived with other Ascenders, apuding as he walked.
Xie Miao wore apletely insincere smile. "You¡¯ve worked hard, well done. When we get back, I¡¯ll give a good report to themand center. Considering how tough it was to take down the Dead Tree, our ranking on the battle leaderboard should rise a bit."
"We?"
Yan Bing looked furious. They had taken down the Dead Tree with theirbined effort, and what did Xie Miao have to do with it? This jerk hadn''t helped earlier and now was jumping out to im credit¡ªhow shameless!
Tianyang stood up expressionlessly. "Why didn¡¯t you help earlier?"
Xie Miao seemed prepared and replied nonchntly, "It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t want to help. I was just waiting for the right opportunity. Believe me, I actually wanted toe to your aid but couldn¡¯t find the chance."
"But, you didn¡¯t really need my help. It was just a Dead Tree; you guys managed fine. As you can see, the Dead Tree was indeed taken down by you, proving my foresight..."
Xie Miao¡¯s vision suddenly blurred, and he looked up to see the cavern''s ceiling darkening.
What was going on?
He staggered back a few steps, feeling a sharp pain in his face, and then realized.
He had been punched!
Looking over, Tianyang had turned into a blur and then took another punch to the stomach.
"Dammit..." Before Xie Miao could finish swearing, he received an elbow strike to his nose. He hurriedly covered his face, his palms filled with warm blood from his nose!
After taking three hits, he finally had a chance to shout, "Bastard, how dare you hit me! I¡¯m themander, I¡¯m a lieutenant! This is insubordination; arrest him!"
Several Ascenders exchanged nces, hesitating as they drew their weapons. Suddenly, a cold wind blew, and Xiaoniao rushed to Tianyang¡¯s side.
With her slender sword in hand, she pointed at the Ascenders and said in a stern voice. "Put away your weapons!"
Yan Bing gritted his teeth and came over, guarding Tianyang from the other side and pointing his gun at one of the battle gods.
The atmosphere in the cavern grew tense as the two teams faced off with drawn weapons.
Seeing the Ascenders hesitant to act, Xie Miao yelled and reached for his sword.
A cold sensation suddenly hit his forehead¡ªhe was being held at gunpoint by the Death Knell.
The young man holding the gun drew his battle de, the Crimson Moon Warde resting on Xie Miao''s sword hilt. Tianyang looked at him with a deep voice. "If you hadn''t fled in battle, they wouldn''t have had to die."
They, of course, referred to the soldiers from the vanguard team.
"Just some cannon fodder; they can die. There are plenty more in the training camp if needed!" Xie Miao roared, "Right now, you should worry about yourself! Assaulting amander and turning weapons onrades¡ªevery one of these is a serious crime!"
"I¡¯ll report you to themand center! Just wait..."
Bang!
Tianyang struck Xie Miao on the temple with the butt of his gun, causing Xie Miao to scream and copse to the ground, clutching his head. Tianyang then kicked him and said, "Someone like you, who does nothing and abandons your team, has no right to be amander!"
"As for the rest, I don¡¯t care. From now on, I will act independently and no longer follow anyone¡¯s orders. The fact is, entrusting your life to a cowardly leader is a serious mistake."
"I won¡¯t make the same mistake twice."
Tianyang sheathed his knife, and the Death Knell was still aimed at Xie Miao as he stepped back.
Xiaoniao and Yan Bing followed, having already decided to stick with Tianyang and not remain to serve Xie Miao any longer.
Fuming, Xie Miao didn¡¯t dare to act rashly, given that he had just seen the power of the Death Knell. He didn¡¯t want his head blown off by that exaggerated weapon.
Helpless, he could only endure. Once Tianyang and the others'' figures disappeared into the darkness of the mountain''s depths, Xie Miao got up.
Clutching his head, he roared at the Ascenders. "Useless! Can¡¯t you be even more cowardly? There are only three of them! And none of you dared to move!"
Anger red in the eyes of the Ascenders. One of them spoke in a deep voice, "Xie Miao, you¡¯re just a temporarymander, not our captain! You have no right to scold us!"
"Besides, wasn¡¯t the situation we faced just now caused by your poormand?" another Ascender added.
Others nodded in agreement, and Xie Miao was startled, realizing he had lost hisposure earlier. He quickly tried to remedy the situation. "I didn¡¯t order support because I was thinking of everyone¡¯s safety. The battle situation was unclear at that time. I nned to understand the Dead Tree¡¯s actions better before going to rescue."
"But I didn¡¯t expect the Dead Tree to be taken down so easily. So, if mymand was wed, it was only in not providing timely support."
"Regardless, my rank here..."
"I want to leave," said one of the dissatisfied Ascenders. "I don¡¯t want to be the one abandoned next time."
"Me too."
"I¡¯ming with you."
Immediately, the team scattered, with several Ascenders forming their own groups and heading back the way they came.
Xie Miao was surprised that they didn¡¯t regard him at all and just dispersed. He shouted at their retreating figures, "Do whatever you want! You bunch of useless fools, I can¡¯t even be bothered to lead you!"
"Damn it, it¡¯s all that white-haired kid¡¯s fault! It¡¯s you who made me look bad. I¡¯ll deal with you!"
In the underground space, both time and distance became quite vague.
After leaving the Dead Tree¡¯s cavern, Tianyang used the air flow to determine the direction and led Xiaoniao and Yan Bing through what seemed like endless tunnel passages.
After walking for three hours, the group stopped to rest.
Tianyang and Xiaoniao took out high-energy rations to replenish their strength, while Yan Bing packed a portion of survival supplies into the extractor. After eating, Tianyang looked apologetically at the two of them.
"After we get back, it might lead to some punishment for you."
Xiaoniao shrugged it off. "We didn¡¯t do anything wrong, so why worry? Even if you hadn¡¯t beaten that bastard, I would have wanted to cut him a few times myself. He left us behind, and such a shameless person deserves military discipline!"
Yan Bing added, "Sir, if themand center asks, just report the truth. We can all testify. That way, themand center shouldn¡¯t make things difficult for us."
Tianyang nodded. "I hope so, but if themand center insists on pursuing it, you can ce the responsibility on me. Since it started because of me, I should bear the consequences."
"Don¡¯t worry, General Fei Mei... Cough General Fei Mei is very fair; she won¡¯t favor someone like Xie Miao," Xiaoniao said confidently.
She then took out the container holding the Dead Tree¡¯s materials and handed it to Tianyang. "This is for you. It¡¯s the material from the monster tree."
Tianyang pushed it back. "No, the Dead Tree was your kill, so the material should belong to you."
Xiaoniao firmly pushed it into Tianyang¡¯s belt pouch. "If I say it¡¯s yours, it¡¯s yours. If you hadn¡¯t pointed out that the woman on the tree was the Dead Tree¡¯s will cage, I wouldn¡¯t have known if I could have taken it down."
"By the way, Tianyang, how did you know that the Dead Tree¡¯s will cage was that woman?"
Tianyang cleared his throat. "Instinct, a soldier¡¯s instinct."
He couldn¡¯t reveal his ability to sense weaknesses, and just then, Tianyang suddenly picked up an unusual sound.
Initially thought to be the wind, but when he focused, he vaguely heard a dog barking.
In the depths of the underground, where did a doge from?
Chapter 131 - Jinx
"Did I hear it wrong? I think I heard a dog barking."
Xiaoniao lowered her voice, her face full of confusion, clearly unable to understand how there could be barking sounds underground.
Yan Bing nodded inside his helmet. "You didn¡¯t hear wrong. I heard it too. Sir, could it be Mad Dogs?"
Tianyang made a sound of agreement. "It¡¯s possible. Let¡¯s go check it out. Mad Dogs aren¡¯t native to the underground. If they manage to get in, we can follow their trail and find a way out!"
This news lifted Xiaoniao¡¯s spirits. Although the Inverse Universe was already a suffocating ce, the underground felt even more oppressive. The girl had been wandering in these cave tunnels for hours and had longed to breathe some fresh air.
Hearing that the Mad Dogs left a trail they could follow, Xiaoniao instantly felt a surge of energy.
Tianyang reminded them, "Mad Dogs are different from prowlers. They react to light and sound. Let¡¯s turn off the tactical lights. There are fog crystals everywhere down here, enough to light our way."
Neither Xiaoniao nor Yan Bing had any objections. Thetter simply switched off the lighting essory on his rifle. The light suddenly dimmed, but after a few moments, they adjusted to their surroundings.
The fog crystals scattered throughout the tunnel emitted a faint purple glow, providing just enough light to see.
Tianyang activated the infrared vision mode of his tactical eye, making his sight much clearer. With everything prepared, he signaled that he would take the lead.
Yan Bing walked in the middle, ready to cover Tianyang at any sign of danger.
Xiaoniao was responsible for the rear. She wasn¡¯t carrying a gun, but her thin sword could release chilling frost energy, far more powerful than a rifle.
The three of them stuck close to one side of the tunnel, feeling their way through these twisted, chaotic underground passages.
After walking for a short while, they heard several more barks. The sound was clear, and Tianyang quickly identified the direction, leading the team into a cave.
¡°What is this...?¡±
After only a few steps, Tianyang stopped, as if he had discovered something.
Curious, Xiaoniao leaned over to look. Following Tianyang¡¯s gaze, she saw a root-like nt protruding from the upper part of the cave tunnel.
The thing crossed the tunnel and burrowed into the wall on the other side. This root was extremely thick, and under the dim purple light of a nearby cluster of fog crystals, they could tell its diameter was at least twenty or thirty centimeters.
Its surface was rough, its textureplex, and it had an oval-shaped pod-like growth. The pod emitted a faint red glow, with something seemingly flowing inside, causing light wrinkles on its surface.
The three of them exchanged nces, unsure what it was. Suddenly, more barking sounds echoed from ahead.
¡°Let¡¯s go, ignore it for now.¡±
Not long after, they indeed found a Mad Dog. It looked like a grotesque hybrid of a dog and a human, caught in a difficult situation.
Dozens of nt roots had ensnared it. These roots not only tightly wrapped around the Mad Dog¡¯s body, but some had even pierced into the dark creature.
However, there were no signs that these roots were like those of necrotic trees that drain blood and flesh. Perhaps the roots that pierced into the Mad Dog were simply for securing it more effectively?
Why did they think that? Because the three of them clearly saw the roots trying to pull the Mad Dog upwards, even though the dark creature was struggling with all its might.
Tianyang looked up, and through his tactical eye, he saw a thick root adhering to the ceiling of the cave.
As the roots dragged the Mad Dog toward therger root, a section of it suddenly split open. Thin, wiry tendrils intertwined, tearing apart and snapping one by one.
The split root opened up a nearly two-meter-wide gap, from which oozed a ck, mud-like sludge. It trickled down the cave walls like ink sshed on a pale canvas, slowly filling the space.
The air was thick with the smell of decay, nauseating to the point of sickness.
Yan Bing, wearing a helmet, didn¡¯t notice, but Tianyang and Xiaoniao¡¯s noses suffered terribly.
Just as their brows furrowed in disgust, the Mad Dog let out a few pitiful howls before being pulled into the root¡¯s split opening.
The gap-sealed shut and the root swelled and shifted as if the Mad Dog was struggling inside.
Unfortunately, its struggle didn¡¯t evenst a minute before it ended.
No more sounds echoed through the tunnel, the silence as still as a graveyard. Had Tianyang¡¯s group not witnessed this with their own eyes, they wouldn¡¯t have believed that a Mad Dog had just been "eaten" by that root!
¡°What is this thing? I¡¯ve never seen anything like it before,¡± Xiaoniao whispered.
Tianyang''s voice grew solemn. "Whatever it is, it hunts, and it won¡¯t even spare dark creatures. Looks like we¡¯d better be cautious and stay away from it."
Both Xiaoniao and Yan Bing agreed with this suggestion.
Carefully keeping their distance from the strange nt, Tianyang inspected the ground nearby and, sure enough, found traces of the Mad Dog. These tracks were scattered all over the ground, and if they followed them back, they should be able to find an exit.
Just as Tianyang was about to signal the others to leave, he suddenly saw a red glow. The light wasing from the nt root on the cave wall. The oval pods on its surface, bothrge and small, began to light up.
Gurgle, gurgle¡ª
There was the sound of water flowing inside the root as if the thing had hollow channels. Now, water was flowing through it, just like the sewage drains that crisscrossed the lower city beneath the fortress!
"Ah!" For some reason, Xiaoniao cried out in shock.
Tianyang turned to her, and the girl was pointing at one of the pods on the root, her face filled with terror. "I think I saw someone inside."
"Someone?" Tianyang looked up and focused on one of the pods.
But no matter how hard he strained his eyes, he couldn¡¯t see anything inside, only streams of bubbles.
Just as he was about to look away, suddenly, a man¡¯s face pressed up against the surface of the pod!
This face had been partially eaten away by something. The left side of his face was mostly gone, leaving only bone, and through the empty eye socket, a faint glimpse of something gray and white could be seen.
That was probably his brain...
The terrifying, mutted face appeared and disappeared just as suddenly. In the span of one or two seconds, it seemed to be carried away by the flow of water through the hollow channels in the root, drifting off to some unknown distance.
The sound of the water continued for almost a full minute before stopping. Tianyang followed the root with his eyes, seeing it attached to the cave wall and extending down into the depths below.
The red glow from the pods gradually faded, and after a moment, they returned to their previous dim, almost imperceptible, state.
But the scene they had just witnessed was already deeply etched into their minds. For some reason, the flow of water inside that eerie nt made Tianyang and the others think of one word, feeding.
Tianyang thought for a moment and said, "I¡¯m going to go down and take a look."
He pointed in the direction where the root extended. "This thing doesn¡¯t seem natural, and we haven¡¯te across any underground dark creatures as we¡¯ve been walking."
"But if this thing hunts, why would it grow in a ce with no prey? So, I think something strange is down there. Otherwise, this kind of nt wouldn¡¯t grow for no reason."
Xiaoniao agreed. "Maybe dark creatures have something hidden down there. If we make a discovery, it would be a big achievement."
Since they agreed, the three of them changed direction and followed the nt along its path, deeper into the underground.
Along the way, the sound of water flowing through the nt root came again, and this phenomenon happened three times in total.
Each time the sound of water appeared, the pods on the root would light up with red light, like a series of glowing red bulbs.
What reassured Tianyang somewhat was that the thing didn¡¯t seem interested in humans. They had been following it for so long without being attacked.
Two hours passed, and just as Tianyang began to suspect that the root might lead all the way to the core of the Inverse Universe, the end appeared without warning.
Turning a corner, the space ahead suddenly opened up, revealing a wide underground cavern. In the center of the vast space, a figure appeared in Tianyang¡¯s view without warning.
The boy immediately stopped and signaled the other two to be on alert.
But upon closer inspection, they realized it wasn¡¯t a person at all, but some kind of nt.
It was made up of countless intertwined roots, towering up to seven or eight meters high. Strangely, whether intentional or not, it had been shaped into the form of a human.
That was why, at first nce, Tianyang had thought it was a person.
From his angle, it looked like a woman. The countless dangling roots resembled the woman¡¯s "hair."
At what looked like the shoulders, the roots were coiled into balls, which from a distance, appeared like a child¡¯s head resting on the woman¡¯s shoulder.
The thick root they had been following all this time connected to therge "woman¡¯s" body, reminding Tianyang of an umbilical cord.
The boy held his breath and observed for a moment. After confirming there was no danger, he gave the signal to move forward.
The three of them walked quietly toward the nt-shaped "woman" sculpture. When they got closer, they realized it was actually a "pregnant woman."
Her belly was round and bulging, protruding prominently.
Two arms, made from tangled roots, were held out in front of the belly as if cradling it.
The "woman¡¯s" legs were spread apart as if she were about to give birth at any moment. The massive sculpture, along with its bizarre form, and the fact that they were deep underground, made the whole scene feel eerie and sinister.
Tianyang nced back at the other two. Xiaoniao and Yan Bing both looked pale.
Why had these nts intentionally taken on this shape? Was the image of a pregnant woman about to give birth purely coincidental, or was there some deeper meaning?
Tianyang cleared his throat, snapping the other two out of their thoughts. "We should leave. Let themand center study this strange thing. We¡¯ve already done our duty, and there¡¯s no need for us to stay here any longer."
"Besides, we¡¯re not botanists. Even if we stayed, we wouldn¡¯t be able to figure anything out."
Xiaoniao hugged her arms to her chest, looking around nervously. "I agree. This ce is too weird, and there¡¯s only this creepy thing here. I''d rather run into dark creatures than deal with this¡"
Before she could finish her sentence, faint barking sounds came from the darkness ahead.
Xiaoniao froze. "No way, did we really run into the dark creatures? My jinxed words came true so fast!"
Chapter 132 - Into the Dream
"Follow me."
Hearing the barking, Tianyang immediately made a decision. He gestured for Xiaoniao and Yan Bing to follow, and the three of them ran back, retreating into the rocky cave from which they had entered the underground hall.
The cave passage was winding and full of jagged rocks, providing plenty of natural hiding spots for the three of them.
They had just concealed themselves when a familiar red glow flickered faintly in the distance. The light wasn¡¯t particrly bright, dim, and murky, giving off a sense of confusion.
It was like thick, coagted blood, with a faint malice lurking within the glow.
Tianyang activated several functions of his tactical eye, zooming in the image. He immediately saw, within that blood-red light, a mysterious and eerie figure moving.
A heavy cloak covered the figure¡¯s head and face, with various bone carvings and metal pieces adorning the dark gray fabric. In its hand was a dark red wooden staff. At the top of the staff were three grotesque faces, each showing a different expression.
Although the appearance was different, Tianyang was certain it was a sorcerer!
Unlike the one they had encountered before, this sorcerer didn¡¯t wear the inverted triangle insignia. However, the same indescribable sense of gloom and mystery surrounded it.
Behind the sorcerer were several Mad Dogs. They asionally turned back, letting out low, pleading whines. These creatures, which seemed to be grotesque fusions of human and dog, appeared timid, though it was unclear what they feared.
Tianyang quickly found out. From behind the Mad Dogs, a mass of tentacle-like roots emerged from the red glow. One of them easily captured a dog, dragging it forcefully into the light.
The dog scrambled frantically, trying to resist. The sorcerer ahead stopped, turned around, and gently raised the staff with the human faces.
From one of the faces'' empty eye sockets, ck mes erupted. The color was so deep that within the mes, faint, brilliant purple sparks flickered.
These made the fire appear dreamlike, as though the starry night sky of summer had been captured within the mes.
The Mad Dog suddenly stopped struggling and was dragged into the blinding red glow. Momentster, a massive nt root, as thick as a giant python, slithered out.
Its sides bristled with countless tendrils and thin branches that, like insect legs, scraped against the ground, allowing the root to move with ease.
In the blink of an eye, the sorcerer had arrived in front of the strange pregnant woman-like nt. Behind it, thest Mad Dog was swallowed into the gaping maw of the root.
The root squirmed, as if digesting the dog inside, and the pods on its surface began to glow, like giant red light bulbs.
When the light dimmed, the sorcerer raised the staff, and sphemous, malevolent whispers echoed through the cold, deste underground hall.
It sounded like demons softly murmuring at the gates of hell, thin, ephemeral, and dripping with pure evil.
The root, as if guided by some invisible force, slithered toward the pregnant woman-like nt. Its upper end lifted and coiled around the part resembling the woman¡¯s legs.
When it reached the bulging belly of the nt, the tip split open, its outer skin unfurling like petals, revealing wriggling tendrils inside.
With a series of soft sounds, these tendrils prated the swollen belly-like structure. Finally, the split skin closed again, mping tightly onto the "belly" of the entity.
Once the root, which resembled an umbilical cord, fused with the entity, the belly of the pregnant woman-like figure began to slowly expand and contract.
As the belly swelled, the nts tangled around it were stretched apart, revealingyers of tissue, riddled with nerves and blood vessels, beneath.
No matter how one looked at it, that tissue didn¡¯t seem nt-like; it resembled something more... alive.
At that moment, the expressions of Tianyang and the others darkened. Why had the dark creatures nted such bizarre nts underground? And why did the sorcerer use Mad Dogs as bait to lure a root here to connect with the pregnant woman-like entity?
What were these creatures trying to aplish deep underground?
Tianyang had a gut feeling that the battlefield for this joint operation might not be on the surface in that small town at all!
After the massive root connected with the pregnant entity, the sorcerer seemed to finish its work. It stopped whispering those eerie incantations and turned around.
But instead of leaving, it stood motionless.
"Is it nning to guard this ce?" Xiaoniao asked softly.
Tianyang shook his head. The behavior of these Inverse Universe beings defiedmon sense. The more encounters he had with them, the more convinced he became of this.
Suddenly, the sorcerer raised the staff with the human faces.
A strong sense of danger surged through Tianyang, and he shouted, "Something¡¯s wrong, it¡¯s found us!"
The sorcerer¡¯s staff struck the ground.
In an instant, the sorcerer¡¯s figure spun and contracted like a phantom, vanishing from its original spot.
Almost simultaneously, that sinister figure appeared in the middle of the three!
ng¡ª
The Crimson Moon Warde was drawn, and Tianyang shed at the sorcerer¡¯s shoulder before he could even channel his astral energy into the de.
The sorcerer raised the staff with the human faces, and without any warning, a sharp sound pierced the ears of everyone simultaneously.
Waaah!
It was like the cry of a baby, yet also like the scream of a woman! The indescribable sharp noise felt like an awl piercing through the ears of all three.
Even Yan Bing, who wore a fully enclosed helmet, couldn''t block out the invasive sound.
Tianyang felt as though his head had been struck by a hammer, his vision doubling as the colors around him grew more vivid and intense. The overwhelming dizziness prevented him frompleting his strike.
The sorcerer turned around again, pointing the human-faced staff at Tianyang. From the eyes of the three faces on the staff, ck mes flickered, shimmering with starlight.
Instinctively, Tianyang raised his hand to block, but he felt no heat. What was going on?
¡°Tianyang, I hope you leave the Night Walkers.¡±
A familiar voice echoed in front of him. Trembling all over, the young man slowly lowered his arm in disbelief.
Standing by the window of a small shack, gazing out at the quiet flowing water of the canal, was his mother, Nanfei.
Tianyang looked around and realized he was back in the shanty house in the lower district. His mind nked, unable to process the situation.
¡°Tianyang, did you hear what I said?¡± Nanfei frowned slightly, turning away from the window.
Tianyang shook his head. ¡°Impossible. This is impossible.¡±
¡°What¡¯s impossible? What are you talking about?¡± Nanfei walked over, gently cing her hand on his forehead. ¡°Are you running a fever?¡±
He could feel the warmth of her palm, the softness of her touch, and the care he thought he would never experience again.
The young man shouted, knocking her hand away. His eyes reddened, reflecting Nanfei¡¯s startled expression.
¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? Tianyang, why are you crying?¡±
Nanfei moved closer...
¡°Don¡¯te near me!¡±
Tianyang yelled, ¡°I don¡¯t know how you did it, but my mother is already dead! You bastard, let me go back right now!¡±
¡°I know this isn¡¯t real! It¡¯s not real!¡±
Nanfei looked worried. ¡°Tianyang, what are you talking about? I¡¯m right here, alive and well. Are you sick?¡±
Tianyang raised his Crimson Moon Warde and pointed it at her. ¡°You¡¯re not real. I remember it clearly. I buried my mother¡¯s ashes with my own hands!¡±
¡°This is all an illusion...¡±
p!
Nanfei pped Tianyang across the face. ¡°Tianyang, how could you say such things! What do you mean I¡¯m dead? What ashes? I¡¯m your mother, Nanfei! What¡¯s gotten into you?¡±
His face burned from the p, and Tianyang held his cheek, staring at the woman in front of him in a daze.
Tears streamed down like broken pearls. Nanfei reached out, wanting to cup his face, but hesitated, afraid he might reject her. Her hand stopped in mid-air.
Tears welled in her eyes, and she asked sorrowfully, ¡°My child, what¡¯s happened to you? Did something terrible happen to you in the Inverse Universe?¡±
¡°I...¡±
Tianyang¡¯s mind was muddled. Was this not an illusion? Or had his previous experiences all been just a dream?
If that had all been a dream... then perhaps that wouldn¡¯t be so bad.
At least she was still alive.
At that moment, Tianyang¡¯s arm suddenly felt icy cold, as if it had been plunged into a snowdrift. Then a familiar voice called out by his ear, ¡°Tianyang, Tianyang, wake up!¡±
He shuddered as if waking from a deep dream. The scene in front of him shifted once more. The shanty and his mother disappeared, and he found himself back in the cold, dark underground.
Nearby, the sorcerer was dodging and weaving, avoiding the beams of light that Yan Bing was firing at him.
Xiaoniao¡¯s rapier was pressed against Tianyang¡¯s hand, and the frigid aura radiating from the de nearly froze his blood.
Seeing the rity return to Tianyang¡¯s eyes, Xiaoniao breathed a sigh of relief and quickly removed her sword. ¡°You were just hypnotized. That sorcerer seems to have the power to put people into dreams. Luckily, it can only affect one person at a time.¡±
¡°So... it was all just a dream?¡±
Tianyang wiped his face, and his fingers came away wet. He suddenly felt a strange sense of gratitude toward the sorcerer. At least it had allowed him to see his mother again in that dream.
In the dream, Nanfei¡¯s love for him hadn¡¯t diminished one bit...
A sudden cry rang out as Yan Bing was flung into the air by an invisible force, crashing onto the rough ground of the underground hall. He tumbled twice, and his rifle slipped from his grasp.
He quickly scrambled to retrieve his weapon, but the sorcerer appeared before him in a blur, its staff unleashing a spray of me.
This me was clearly different from before. It was a ghastly green, with kes of ashen white dancing within, like patches of mold.
The grayish-green fire coiled around the staff and came crashing down toward Yan Bing¡¯s helmet.
At thest moment, a Warde, its edges glowing with a crimson light, slid in between the two, shing against the staff and deflecting both it and the green mes to the side.
Tianyang extended a hand to pull Yan Bing to his feet, pointing his de at the sorcerer. He shouted, ¡°Xiaoniao, we need to keep it pinned down, don¡¯t give it a chance to teleport!¡±
His response came in the form of a swift sh from Xiaoniao¡¯s rapier, which cut downward from the sorcerer¡¯s blind spot. The de radiated a frigid chill, and even before it struck, frost began to creep up the dark gray fabric of the sorcerer¡¯s cloak.
Tianyang darted forward with his own attack, trying to ensure that the sorcerer couldn¡¯t escape.
The sorcerer had no choice but to swing the staff wildly, asionally spitting out tendrils of green me to fend off thebined assault from Tianyang and Xiaoniao.
After forcing Tianyang back, the mes on the sorcerer¡¯s staff turned from green to ck. Tianyang¡¯s expression changed, and he shouted, ¡°Watch out! Don¡¯t let it hypnotize you again!¡±
Chapter 133 - Phantom
Every power has its range of influence. Although they didn¡¯t know exactly how far the sorcerer¡¯s hypnosis extended, one thing was certain, staying close to it would inevitably pull you into a dream.
Reluctantly, Tianyang and Xiaoniao chose to retreat. But as they did, Xiaoniao swung her rapier, sending out a frosty sword aura!
The ck mes on the sorcerer¡¯s human-faced staff red up again, even as its left hand was swept by the sword aura, leaving a frosty scar.
As the ck mes ignited, the sorcerer tapped the ground lightly with the staff, and its figure shrank, instantly teleporting several meters away.
However, left behind on the ground was its severed left hand.
Xiaoniao¡¯s face lit up with joy, but Tianyang knew better. The arm was just a tool, a distraction. Beneath that cloakid an intangible shell.
If the sorcerer wished, Tianyang believed it could make even its limbs invisible.
The reason it presented itself in a tangible form was merely to disguise itself and divert attention.
Just like Xiaoniao earlier, her instinctual sword aura had targeted the visible part of the sorcerer¡¯s body. Little did she know, severing its hand was of no consequence to the sorcerer.
In the next moment, the sorcerer, having created some distance, stretched out another arm from beneath the shadow of its cloak.
Xiaoniao¡¯s joy immediately vanished, reced by frustration at being fooled. Suddenly, her eyes widened, pointing behind Tianyang. ¡°Yan Bing! It looks like he¡¯s been hypnotized!¡±
Tianyang turned to see Yan Bing, who had somehow retrieved his rifle, standing still like a statue.
His head hung low, so Tianyang couldn¡¯t see his face beneath the helmet.
¡°Yan Bing, are you okay?¡± Tianyang shouted, but the officer didn¡¯t respond at all.
Tianyang nced at the sorcerer and called out, ¡°Xiaoniao, keep it upied.¡±
Xiaoniao nodded, her agile figure darting toward the sorcerer. The sorcerer¡¯s staff ignited with that moldy-looking green me, which shot toward Xiaoniao.
The girl swiftly sidestepped, and green fire erupted from the ground. The mes twisted into demonic faces, howling hollowly before dissipating into the air.
Seeing that Xiaoniao wasn¡¯t in immediate danger, Tianyang approached Yan Bing with some relief. Yan Bing stood there, eerily motionless, as if he were asleep.
Tianyang guessed he must have looked like this when he was trapped in the dream earlier.
Just as he was about to call out, Yan Bing suddenly raised his rifle and pointed it at Tianyang!
Hiss¡ª
Tianyang drew a sharp breath and instinctively sidestepped. However, Yan Bing didn¡¯t pull the trigger. Instead, he turned the rifle toward himself, pressing it against his helmet!
He was about tomit suicide!
In an instant, Tianyang¡¯s hair lifted, and faint astral light shimmered around him like stardust.
In his vision, the surrounding scenery turned into streams of silver light, retreating rapidly. Yan Bing¡¯s figure erged in his view in the blink of an eye.
He could even see Yan Bing¡¯s finger slightly curling, the trigger already starting to depress!
Just as the trigger was about to be fully pulled, a streak of crimson light shed across the rifle¡¯s body.
Yan Bing pulled the trigger, but the astral-powered weapon, now split in two by the falling sword, could no longer fire even a single shot!
At this moment, Tianyang finally appeared beside Yan Bing. At first, his figure was blurred, but in an instant, it seemed like countless shadows ovepped, making his form clear.
Only now did the sound of his rapid movement break the air with a bted whoosh!
Tianyang struck Yan Bing¡¯s neck with a sharp chop, and the violent impact knocked the officer unconscious, sending him into a deep sleep.
Tianyang breathed a slight sigh of relief but then suddenly noticed a sh of green light. Looking over, he saw that a ring of green mes had encircled Xiaoniao.
Within the green mes, beasts resembling Mad Dogs formed. These creatures of green fire prowled within the mes, growling and snarling.
Every now and then, they leaped out, transforming into streams of green fire that charged toward Xiaoniao.
For a moment, Xiaoniao was struggling just to avoid the attacks of these vile green me beasts, unable to break through the fire circle to face the sorcerer.
Tianyang¡¯s gaze deepened as if he were observing the world from a higher dimension. Guided by some sense, his eyes were drawn to a specific part of the sorcerer¡¯s body.
The sorcerer immediately sensed it, tapping the ground with its staff, and teleporting away.
Losing his target, Tianyang¡¯s sense of the sorcerer¡¯s weakness faded, and his eyes returned to normal.
The sorcerer reappeared on the other side, pointing its staff toward Tianyang. A strange pressure descended from the void, enveloping him. Tianyang relied on his speed, his body turning into a blur as he swiftly dodged away.
A sudden burst of green mes even licked one of his fading afterimages.
Tianyang rushed toward the bizarre, pregnant-looking entity. The sorcerer, who had been about tounch an attack with the human-faced staff, suddenly stopped in mid-air.
At that moment, Tianyang knew he had made the right call. This strange, pregnant-like object must be crucial to the sorcerer. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t have used the Mad Dogs as bait, leading that eerie root here to connect with this pregnant entity.
The sorcerer¡¯s actions confirmed his guess. Tianyang darted behind the strange object and stayed hidden for a few seconds before darting out again.
The sorcerer tapped the ground with its wooden staff and teleported after him.
After three teleports, the sorcerer blocked Tianyang¡¯s path.
Inside the green ring of fire, Xiaoniao shed her rapier, sending out several frosty sword auras that tore through a few of the green me beasts. The sword auras swept through the fire ring, dimming the green mes significantly.
Thus, Xiaoniao could clearly see the sorcerer raising its staff toward Tianyang, unleashing several streams of green fire that struck him one after another!
¡°No!¡±
Xiaoniao cried out in shock, trying to see clearly, but the rising green walls of fire blocked her view.
Outside the fire ring, after the sorcerer struck Tianyang, the green mes on the human-faced staff dimmed.
In that instant, a crimson streak of light shed across its arm holding the staff.
The arm immediately severed, dropping the staff along with it to the ground.
At that moment, Tianyang, who had been hit by the green fire, silently appeared behind the sorcerer. In his other hand, he raised the Death Knell and pressed it against the sorcerer¡¯s back.
He fired!
The massive, thunderous sound of the gunshot echoed through the vast underground hall. The unique st of the Death Knell sounded like the wrathful roar of a god, cleansing the air of all evil in the darkness.
The sorcerer¡¯s chest exploded. Although beneath the cloak was an intangible shell, the cloak, which appeared to be mere fabric, was actually a biological structure.
Arge hole sted through the cloak, and a cloud of ck blood mist sprayed out. The remaining fabric, no longer supported by a shell, scattered to the ground.
Without looking at the fallen cloak, Tianyang spun the Crimson Moon Warde and stabbed it down into the human faces on the staff!
A horrifying scream immediately erupted from the staff. The scream was neither human nor animal, filled with a mix of fear and pain.
The staff cracked with a series of snaps, and a shadow shot out from within. But Tianyang was prepared. Pointing the Death Knell, he fired again¡ªthunder roared once more!
A blinding light erupted from the ground, followed by an explosion that sent a shower of debris flying in all directions.
When the dust and debris settled, there was an irregr crater in the ground, about half a meter in diameter. Inside the craterid the remains of a shattered corpse.
Tianyang could make out a lizard-like tail, hind legs, and an eyeball. The rest was either buried under the debris or had been blown to pieces!
This creature was the sorcerer¡¯s true body, as well as the source of the ck creatures¡¯ will cage.
As the remaining cloak began to dpose, Tianyang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He holstered the Death Knell and wiped the sweat from his brow.
In fact, when the sorcerer sensed Tianyang¡¯s ability to detect weaknesses, Tianyang had already realized that its will cage was hidden within the human-faced staff.
He had rushed behind the strange, pregnant entity not just to prevent the sorcerer from attacking him. While using that object as cover, he had seized the chance to activate a new ability.
Phantom!
As the name implied, Tianyang consumed a portion of his astral energy to create a phantom identical to himself.
The phantom carried Tianyang¡¯s aura and could even attack its target. And during its use, Tianyang received some additional information.
The information revealed that as he continued to grow, the phantom would eventually inherit some of his abilities, its numbers would change, and it would even have a highly practical function.
But for now, its greatest use was to confuse enemies, making them misjudge and act incorrectly.
The result was that the sorcerer had mistaken the phantom for the real Tianyang. While it unleashed its green fire, the real Tianyang had already moved stealthily. Once the sorcerer finished its energy-draining attack and was left weakened, Tianyang had severed its arm with a single strike.
That was how he had achieved the victory.
With the sorcerer dead, the ring of fire surrounding Xiaoniao vanished as well. She stood there, staring at Tianyang in disbelief that he was still alive.
It wasn¡¯t until Tianyang called her name that she snapped out of it, sheathing her rapier and hurrying over.
The sorcerer¡¯s body had turned into a pool of ck sludge, but the human face on the staff remained intact.
The preserved face gradually transformed into a ck crystal, within which twinkled lights resembling stars, as if the entire night sky was contained within it.
The ck crystal mask, now fully crystallized, emitted a deep and tranquil aura. Simply holding it made Tianyang feel drowsy.
He pocketed the crystal mask. It might have inherited the sorcerer¡¯s ability to induce dreams, and if he could use it, it might prove to be a powerful tool in the future.
¡°Tianyang, you...¡± Xiaoniao circled him twice, then eximed in disbelief, ¡°I saw you get hit earlier! How are youpletely fine?¡±
Tianyang smiled and replied, ¡°I dodged just in time. But to be honest, it was really close. If I¡¯d been a little slower, I¡¯d probably be roasted by now.¡±
Xiaoniao nced at the puddle of ck sludge on the ground. ¡°You destroyed the sorcerer¡¯s will cage?¡±
¡°Yeah, I guess I got lucky,¡± Tianyang casually replied.
On the other side, Yan Bing groaned, sitting up while rubbing his neck. ¡°What happened? Did I fall asleep? Why does my neck hurt so much¡¡±
Hearing that, Tianyang exchanged a smile with Xiaoniao and said, ¡°Let¡¯s head back and report what we¡¯ve found to themand center. Maybe the real battlefield is underground!¡±
Chapter 134 - A Hostile Arrival
| Huanggu Town, Command Center, Temporary Strategy Hall. |
Although it was called a strategy hall, it was actually just a tent made from special materials that could block the spread of the ck mist. In addition, the spectral purification gate at the entrance allowed even ordinary people inside to be free from the need for cumbersome protective suits.
In the middle of the tent was a holographic tactical sand table. Ling Feng stood next to it with his hands behind his back, observing the real-time dynamics disyed on the sand table.
From the sand table, it was clear that the fortress troops were fighting dark creatures in every inch ofnd in the Huanggu town.
The resistance from the dark creatures was fiercer than expected, and the number of monsters involved was two to three times higher than predicted. This was less than a month since the Raven Squad had explored the town.
Could it be the new king?
Ling Feng¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly behind his sses. Even though he was in the rear of the battlefield, the roar of cannons could still be heard from outside the tent, and the ground asionally trembled.
In such a short time, the dark creatures had assembled a dark army capable of standing against the fortress troops. It was clear how desperate they were to drive humans out.
Or perhaps, they were protecting something.
Ling Feng¡¯s interest was piqued by Lin Yang¡¯s excited expression. "What¡¯s the good news?"
Lin Yang rubbed his hands together. "I just got in touch with Tianyang. The kid¡¯s not dead. It turns out there¡¯s a river beneath the abyss. They were swept onto a rocky shore and, after many twists and turns, finally made their way back to the surface!"
This news was a testament to how intense the battle had been.
Suddenly, someone walked in from the purification gate. It was Ling Feng¡¯s adjutant. Though Lin Yang was over forty, he moved with the energy of a young man, quickly approaching. "Good news!"
"General Ling, that kid¡¯s luck is unbelievable."
Ling Feng didn¡¯t respond, keeping his focus on the holographic sand table. Defeating the dark creatures was the top priority right now. After observing for a moment, he summoned a few tactical advisors and issued several strategicmands.
Ling Feng nodded slightly. "We need to arrange a vehicle to pick him up."
"It¡¯s already been sent," Lin Yang replied with a sigh of relief. "After he fell, the transmission signal from the electronic eye went offline. But just recently, I noticed the signal reappeared, and I contacted him immediately. Sure enough, I got through!"
Soon after, Tianyang entered the tent, greeted Ling Feng with a military salute, and said, "Sir, Second Lieutenant Tianyang of the Raven Squad reporting. I have an intelligence report."
Ling Feng finally shifted his gaze from the sand table. "What¡¯s the report?"
The tactical advisors were in the process of refining the orders before transmitting them to the nextmand units. These units would then disseminate the orders down the chain, ultimately ensuring the entire army operated ording to Ling Feng¡¯s strategy.
Momentster, several figures entered through the spectral purification gate, and among them was Tianyang.
Tianyang saluted again. "Yes, sir!"
After the young man left the tent, Lin Yang cleared his throat and looked at Ling Feng. "That girl beside Tianyang just now, wasn¡¯t she¡"
"We discovered the dark creature underneath Huanggu Town!" Tianyang exined, briefly recounting how the strange, pregnant-like entity, along with the sorcerer using Mad dogs as bait, had lured a nt root to connect with the bizarre pregnant object.
"I see." Ling Feng nodded. "You¡¯ve been missing for more than a day. Go to the medical team for a check-up. After that, return to the camp to rest. You¡¯ll rejoin the fight tomorrow."
As they exited the strategy tent, Xiaoniao stretched and said, "I¡¯m going to skip the check-up. These minor injuries aren¡¯t a big deal. You guys go ahead. I¡¯ll head back to camp first."
She waved goodbye, gged down a vehicle, and headed straight back to camp.
Ling Feng waved his hand dismissively. "No need to concern yourself with the young ones. What I¡¯m more interested in is what Tianyang just said. The fact that the dark creatures are active underground is highly unusual. I¡¯m going to discuss this with General Feimei. In the meantime, send a few squads to scout the underground area."
Lin Yang immediately straightened up. "Yes, sir!"
In such an atmosphere, it was easy for people to be sullen and quiet. Yet Xiaoniao seemedpletely unaffected. Just like her name, she chirped away nonstop throughout the journey.
Thanks to her, the trip wasn¡¯t as dull. In fact, the group even erupted intoughter several times, and before they knew it, they had emerged from the underground.
"Second Lieutenant Xiaoniao is really lively," Yan Bing said with augh. "It¡¯s a good thing she was with us, or we would have been bored out of our minds."
Tianyang thought back to when they had left the empty underground hall and followed the tracks left by the Mad dogs, navigating through the dark and oppressive cavern tunnels.
There were countless wounded being brought down from the battlefield, and they were continuously transported here. The medical personnel from the fortress were doing everything they could to save each and every life.
Even so, one body bag after another was carried out of the medical camp, destined for some unknown resting ce outside the camp.
Now that Xiaoniao had returned to camp, the sudden quiet around Tianyang felt strange.
Upon arriving at the medical team¡¯s camp, the sight before Tianyang deeply shocked him. Temporary medical stations had been set up all over, yet there still weren¡¯t enough to meet the demand.
Some of the injured were missing limbs, while others bore bite marks on their bodies.
The entire medical camp was filled with an atmosphere of sorrow and despair. As Tianyang followed a doctor to the battlefield medical vehicle reserved for Ascenders, he saw a young doctor in the corner, sobbing uncontrobly after failing to save a patient.
This is war!
Chapter 135 - The Tradition of the Night Walkers
"Who the hell is yelling outside my door?" Han Shu finally lit the cigarette, blowing out a gray smoke dragon. "You guys stay put, let me see what''s going on."
Without waiting for Tianyang and the others to respond, the Raven Captain had already shoved his hands in his pockets, swaggered over, and lifted the tent p, walking out.
Outside the tent, someone had positioned a car¡¯s headlights directly facing the tent, making Han Shu squint, unable to open his eyes. "Damn it! Turn off the lights, or I''ll break your damn balls!"
From within the headlights, someone snickered. "I was wondering who it was, turns out it''s you, Han, the brute. No wonder your subordinates are a mess with someone like you in charge."
Despite the taunt, the lights were turned off. After the headlights went out, a middle-aged man stood beside a military vehicle, wearing a dark purple coat with the Storm Legion insignia. His hands were behind his back, and his slicked-back hair shone. His clean-shaven face contrasted sharply with Han Shu''s untrimmed stubble, which made him look barely better than a homeless man.
Han Shu squinted. "Xie Hong? Why aren''t you staying in your own camp? What are you doing here?"
"Why don¡¯t you ask your own men?" Xie Hong replied arrogantly, his lips curling into a sneer.
"Tianyang?" Han Shu scratched his messy hair. "What, did that kid sleep with one of the men in your Xie family too?"
Xie Hong¡¯s arrogance and coldness immediately vanished, and his hands, previously hidden behind his back, flew forward as he pointed at Han Shu, yelling in fury, "Bullshit! That woman you slept with back then wasn¡¯t even married to me yet. She wasn''t my wife!"
Han Shu burst outughing. "Xie Hong, I didn¡¯t name any names. You were so quick to admit it; I don¡¯t even know what to say."
Xie Hong¡¯s expression changed again, and his private soldiers struggled to keep fromughing. Seeing this made Xie Hong¡¯s face redden even more.
"I¡¯m not wasting words with you. Hand over that kid, Tianyang, and I¡¯ll leave!" Xie Hong demanded, spreading his palms.
Han Shu dug his pinky finger into his ear. "What a joke. Who do you think you are? Why should we Night Walkers hand over anyone to you Storm Legion folks? And you don¡¯t even have a reason for it. Xie Hong, do you think I¡¯m dead?"
Xie Hong clenched his teeth and shouted, "That subordinate of yours disobeyed orders, defied his superior, and even attacked someone! Don¡¯t you think those are enough reasons?"
Han Shu shrugged. "So, the one who got hit is from your Xie family?"
Xie Hong snorted, turning slightly. "That¡¯s none of your business!"
Han Shu chuckled dryly. "Let me guess, your Xie family only has one kid in the Night Walkers, Xie Miao, right? So, he and Tianyang had a fall-out?"
"I know Tianyang too well. He wouldn¡¯t disobey orders unless his superior was aplete jerk with garbage leadership skills. Only then would he snap."
"As for fighting¡ªyoung guys getting into a scuffle, who cares? If your kid can¡¯t handle it, he shoulde and settle it himself. If he loses and runs home to get his family involved, he¡¯s better off leaving the Night Walkers altogether."
Xie Hong was fuming with rage, pointing at Han Shu and shouting, "Even if my nephew''smand was bad, he''s still a temporarymander, higher in rank than that subordinate of yours! What gives Tianyang the right to disobey and, worse, attack a superior officer? It¡¯s insubordination of the highest order! I¡¯ll ask you once, Han Shu, are you going to hand him over or not?"
"Not a damn chance!" Han Shu removed his cigarette, threw it on the ground, and stomped on it. "If you want to take someone from my camp, you''d better bring Commander Lingfeng here. Who do you think you are, Xie Hong? If you''ve got the guts, go report us to the military."
"I''m telling you now, I''m not handing anyone over today. So get lost. If you keep shouting here, I mighte over to your house and sleep with a few more of your women. Try me."
"You¡ you¡¯re impossible!" Xie Hong was furious, nearly calling in his family''s guards to arrest Han Shu. Unfortunately, even in the fortress, he didn¡¯t have the authority to do so, let alone here on the battlefield.
Han Shu had hit the nail on the head. Xie Hong was here to stand up for his nephew, Xie Miao.
An hour earlier, Xie Miao had returned to camp and poured out his grievances to Xie Hong, leaving him furious.
After all, allowing a kid with no family name to humiliate his nephew in front of others had brought great disgrace to the Xie family.
Xie Hong couldn¡¯t swallow the insult, so he came to the Night Walker camp to demand the culprit. He thought that with the Xie family''s influence, getting someone would be easy. But to his surprise, he ran into Han Shu.
Han Shu was as unreasonable and sharp-tongued as ever. Xie Hong had experienced his wrath in his younger days. And today, he had been humiliated by him again.
"Fine, Han Shu. Just wait. I¡¯ll go to themand center and get justice!" Xie Hong spat his final threat, realizing he couldn¡¯t win today. If he stayed any longer, he''d lose even more face. He quickly got in his vehicle and drove off.
Having stormed in with such arrogance, Xie Hong left utterly humiliated. The more he thought about it in the car, the angrier he became.
But going to themand center wouldn¡¯t work either. If not for his nephew, Xie Hong would have agreed with Han Shu¡¯s assessment. His nephew¡¯smand skills¡ were best left unmentioned.
And there had been many witnesses to the incident. Going to themand center would only backfire. He also had to worry that themand might hold him ountable for his nephew abandoning the forward squad.
Xie Hong knew that, at least for this joint operation, he couldn''t go after that kid Tianyang anymore.
He would have to wait for another chance to settle the score in the future.
The Xie family¡¯s honor couldn¡¯t be trampled on!
Back in the tent, Han Shu returned to find Tianyang already walking up to him.
Outside, Han Shu and Xie Hong had spoken loudly, and the tent wasn''t soundproof. The boy had heard every word.
"Captain, will you be alright saying all that?" Tianyang was worried that his actions might cause trouble for Han Shu. After all, the Xie family, while not the biggest, wasn¡¯t insignificant. If they wanted to do something, even Han Shu, the Raven Captain, might find himself in trouble.
Han Shu looked at the boy in front of him, cing arge hand on his shoulder. "I know what you¡¯re thinking, but kid, us Night Walkers don¡¯t fear trouble. Protecting our own is our tradition, passed down from Commander Chu. Of course, that¡¯s only if you haven¡¯t made any serious mistakes."
"I haven¡¯t." Tianyang took this chance to exin what had happened with Xie Miao abandoning the forward squad.
"This bastard!" Han Shu cursed loudly. "I was right, hismand skills are as shitty as theye. He''s embarrassed the whole Night Walkers!"
He took out hismunicator. "I¡¯ll talk to Four-Eyes right now, and tell him to kick this guy out before he causes more trouble."
Han Shu ran out, presumably to contact Lingfeng, but his words still echoed in Tianyang''s ears.
"Seems like I¡¯ve joined a pretty decent organization," the young man muttered softly.
In one corner of the tent, Cang Du, who had been lying on the ground, suddenly sprang up like he¡¯d been shocked, staring incredulously at themunicator in his hand. "What¡¯s going on? Could there be a mistake in the battle rankings?"
He looked at Tianyang. "You, a rookie, are ranked third on the individual leaderboard!"
Ji Yu, who was wiping his face, let out a sound of surprise. "Has the battle ranking been updated?"
"It just updated. This kid is ranked third on the individual leaderboard, and our team¡¯s ranking has also jumped into the top ten." Cang Du stared at the information on themunicator screen, mumbling, "This is going to cause a stir."
Cang Du wasn¡¯t wrong. The newly updated battle rankings caused amotion across the camp.
"Is it real? That white-haired kid, Tianyang, actually ranked third?"
In the Cerberus Squad''s tent, Kun, with his exaggerated bright blue hair, threw down hismunicator and rushed outside.
The Cerberus captain, confused, shouted, "Kun, where are you going?"
"To the battlefield! No way I¡¯m letting that kid stay ahead of me! Not a chance!"
"Wait a minute¡"
In the Silver Rose tent, a cheer rang out. Holding hermunicator, Xiaoniao eximed, "The battle rankings are updated! Did you see it?"
This squad was made up entirely of women, and their captain, a mature and steady woman, responded dryly, "What, did you make the list, Xiaoniao?"
"Not me, but look at this, look!" Xiaoniao pointed to the third-ce spot on the screen. "This is my friend. Look, he¡¯s already ranked third!"
The girls gathered around, staring at the information on Xiaoniao¡¯s screen.
"Tianyang¡ that name sounds familiar."
"Isn¡¯t he the young guy who single-handedly took down the Qin family?"
"Oh, the white-haired boy, right? I remember at the assembly tform, Xiaoniao even confessed to him."
"Right, Xiaoniao, you fell into the abyss with him. Didn¡¯t anything special happen?"
The girls all started talking at once, their discussion quickly drifting from the battle rankings to more personal matters.
Xiaoniao¡¯s face flushed, her ears turning red. "Don¡¯t talk nonsense! Nothing special happened!"
"Look at that! She¡¯s blushing! Something definitely happened."
"Come on, spill it. We can help you figure it out."
"I¡ I¡¯m not telling you anything!"
Amid the teasingughter of the other girls, Xiaoniao bolted out of the tent like her life depended on it, running off to who knows where.
The uproar in the camp was only natural. After all, Tianyang was just a young lieutenant, and his sudden leap into the top three was bound to raise eyebrows.
However, when the battle rankings were updated with detailed merit information, it shut down all the doubters.
In Tianyang¡¯s section, his merits were listed; solo kill of the Abyss Lurker ¡ª 20,000 merit points; assisted kill of the Death Tree ¡ª 500 merit points; kill of the Sorcerer ¡ª 4,000 merit points; retrieved intelligence on the underground dark citizens ¡ª 1,000 merit points. Total: 25,500 merit points.
Rank: Third!
Chapter 136 - Clearing the Stronghold
When the assembly call sounded, Tianyang jumped up from his sleeping mat. Wearing his defense armor, there was no need to spend extra time equipping himself. The youth grabbed the knife and gun beside his bed, fastened his multifunctional belt, and without even putting on his uniform, he and Han Shu hurried out of the tent.
Outside, Yan Bing and seven or eight soldiers had already split into two teams and climbed into two Falcon assault vehicles. Tianyang and Han Shu rode in one, and the two vehicles set off, joining the other squads'' vehicles outside the camp, heading toward the battlefield together!
Tianyang had bloodshot eyes and chapped lips, but his spirits were still good.
Over the past three days, he had begun participating in battles, setting out each day with his squad. On the battlefield in the town, the Night Walkers weren¡¯t responsible for the main front; their job was to clear out tricky strategic points and eliminate any dark creature that posed a threat to the main force.
However, Han Shu was sometimes called away to the frontlines. His fortress-ranked abilities were highly valuable inrge-scale warfare.
Just yesterday, Tianyang had witnessed his captain unleash arge-scale defensive barrier on the main battlefield, withstanding a barrage of fire from the dark creatures and allowing the allied forces to counterattack with ease.
Because of this, most fortress-ranked abilities served in the regr army or held positions in the Storm Legion.
Someone like Han Shu, who joined the Night Walkers as a fortress-ranked ability user, was quite rare, as such powers were not fully utilized in small squad explorations.
From deep within the town came the sound of artillery fire and the dull thuds of explosions. Leaning against the vehicle window, Tianyang checked his ss information.
[ss Rank 2: Obliterator
Abilities: Weakness Detection, Instant Kill, Phantom
Ascension Progress: 31%
Enhanced Domain: Physical Strength +1
Next ss Rank: Ripper]
¡
He remembered when he killed the sorcerer a few days ago, his ascension progress increased by 9%. Yet in the past three days, after defeating several 2nd-level dark creatures, his progress only increased by 2%.
Comparing the gains from past missions, Tianyang felt that after his ss rank advanced, the same level of dark creatures seemed to provide less ascension progress.
¡°Listen up, here¡¯s today¡¯s mission. We¡¯re going to take out a dark creature fire point,¡± Han Shu said, pulling out hismunicator and switching to the squad channel so the other assault vehicle could hear him.
¡°The detailed mission info and location have been sent to yourmunicators. The area is inessible to vehicles, and I¡¯ll be needed on the main battlefield today.¡±
¡°So, you guys take six soldiers andplete the mission.¡±
Cang Du''s voice came through themunicator, ¡°And after we take out the fire point?¡±
Han Shu repliedzily, ¡°Then do as you please. If there¡¯s no new mission from Four Eyes, you can rest on the battlefield or act freely to earn merits, just don¡¯t die on me.¡±
Tianyang opened hismunicator, found the mission info, and memorized the location of the fire point. He then took out the Crimson Moon Warde and infused it with star essence.
Soon, the vehicle stopped. Han Shu got out and, after casting ayer of star essence protection over Tianyang and the others, sternly said, ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless, use your brains. I better see you all alive tonight, got it?¡±
Tianyang and the others nodded and replied, ¡°Got it, Captain!¡±
Han Shu chuckled. ¡°Then get going.¡±
Tianyang¡¯s group, including Yan Bing and six soldiers, approached the town from another direction.
As indicated in the mission info, the area was filled with rubble from buildings, making it impossible for vehicles to pass through.
Raven Squad could only climb over these obstacles or find their way through windows or doors.
Before long, they spotted their target.
Three hundred meters ahead stood a building, with ck-red beams of light continuously shooting from the windows on the fourth floor toward the main battlefield.
Judging by the number of beams, there were at least a dozen spectral snipers in the building. These goat-faced snipers had long range, and while their numbers were small, the main army wouldn¡¯t waste troops on dealing with such fire points.
Clearing these enemy strongholds that disrupted the main battlefield fell to the Night Walkers. On any given day, they would handle one or two, sometimes four or five such missions.
Tianyang lied behind arge rock, twisted steel bars jutting out of it, possibly from a building¡¯s wreckage. He used his tactical eye to scan the front, noticing Lurkers roaming through the rubble and several Mad Dogs lying near some gaps under the building.
The boy wasn¡¯t surprised; the dark creatures were no fools. They wouldn¡¯t leave snipers unguarded, often cing Lurkers and Mad Dogs around fire points as sentries.
Cang Du drew his long sword, Spring Water, and whispered, ¡°Old rules,¡± before suddenly leaping out from behind cover and charging forward.
It was nearly impossible to infiltrate a building unnoticed by dark creatures. Over the past few days, for simr missions, Cang Du or Tianyang would typicallyunch a frontal attack, drawing the attention of dark creatures.
This allowed Ji Yu and the soldiers behind them to attack.
Today was no different.
Seeing Cang Du charge forward, Tianyang also darted out from behind the rock, running between the rugged ruins.
At several openings in the building, the Mad Dogs that had been lying on the ground suddenly stood up, barking loudly as they rushed toward Tianyang and Cang Du.
The Lurkers slowly moved in the direction where Raven Squad had appeared, but before they could intercept Tianyang and Cang Du, star essence beams had already pierced through the air, hitting the will cages in their chests.
One Mad Dog locked onto Tianyang, and when it was only ten meters away, its powerful hind legs pushed off the ground, and it leaped, pouncing down toward the boy from above.
Tianyang drew his Crimson Moon Warde, ready to sh. But before he could strike, a star essence arrow shot through the air, hitting the Mad Dog squarely in the head, driving deep into its skull and shattering the cage beneath it.
In midair, the red glow in the Mad Dog''s eyes faded. Tianyang stepped aside casually, avoiding any effort, as the hound''s corpse fell to the ground and began to disintegrate.
The Crimson Moon Warde met a new opponent, a crimson light sweeping across the battlefield. The heads of two Mad Dogs flew into the air.
By the time they hit the ground, Tianyang had already plunged into the Lurkers'' ranks. The Crimson Moon Warde sliced through the air, each sh of light signaling the shattering of another Lurker''s cage.
In the blink of an eye, Tianyang had fought his way through the Lurkers. Turning around, he tossed a stun grenade.
The grenadended amidst the Lurkers and Mad Dogs, far from where Cang Du was. Upon hitting the ground, a burst of electricity erupted from the ruins!
A high-voltage electric field was released, and within its range, blue and white lightning swept wildly over the bodies of dark creatures. When the field dissipated, the smoking corpses copsed one by one and then began to disintegrate.
In the blink of an eye, a vacuum had been cleared on the battlefield, at the cost of 300 contribution points. A few minutester, Ji Yu and the soldiers arrived inside the building. But the real battle for the fire point was only just beginning.
The spectral snipers wouldn¡¯t foolishly stay in ce, waiting to be picked off. These goat-faced creatures were both cunning and agile, and Tianyang could already imagine that their assault had alerted the snipers as they entered the building.
By now, the goat faces were probably scattered throughout the building, hiding in various concealed spots, waiting for a chance to strike.
After a brief rest, Tianyang and Cang Du led the charge again, rushing up the building, using themselves as bait to draw the snipers out from hiding, while Ji Yu and the others provided cover and suppression, allowing the two to swiftly clear the snipers.
During this process, Tianyang, having undergone one round of physical enhancement, was evidently moreposed than Cang Du in the face of sudden attacks.
Tianyang reacted faster, dodging attacks with more agility. Cang Du was noticeably a beat slower than the youth, narrowly avoiding beams that came out of nowhere each time.
Finally, as they reached the fourth floor, a beam suddenly shot out from deep within the building, and Cang Du didn¡¯t notice in time.
Fortunately, Tianyang had detected it first, blocking the beam with his Crimson Moon Warde in front of Cang Du¡¯s chest. The beam struck the de, leaving a teacup-sized red mark on it.
Cang Du broke into a cold sweat. Although his defense armor could absorb some of the beam¡¯s power, who would dare bet their life that the beam wouldn¡¯t prate the armor?
The ponytailed young man gave Tianyang aplicated look, but Tianyang had already charged toward the source of the beam. With Ji Yu and the soldiers providing cover, Tianyang closed in on the sniper and finished it off with one sh.
At this point, all the snipers in the building had been cleared. Tianyang sat down heavily on the ground, wiping his forehead with his hand, which was covered in sweat.
Suddenly, the light dimmed, and Tianyang looked up to see Cang Du approaching.
The ponytailed young man looked elsewhere and muttered hesitantly, ¡°I owe you one.¡±
Tianyang was momentarily stunned, thenughed and said, ¡°No problem, just treat me to a meal when we get back.¡±
Unexpectedly, Cang Du snorted. ¡°Get lost! My favors aren¡¯t that cheap!¡±
He walked off in a huff, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall with his eyes closed. Tianyang shook his head. This guy was still as awkward as ever.
The team rested, and Ji Yu raised her hand, gently gathering her loose hair, then put down hermunicator.
She had already sent the missionpletion report. If no new orders came from themand, the squad would be free to act.
Should they head to the battlefield to earn more merits, or hide somewhere and ck off?
Ji Yu was conflicted. Just then, she suddenly noticed that a section of the wall above the two soldiers resting against it began to bulge.
From behind the bulging wall, a dark mass suddenly burst forth, crashing down!
¡°Get out of the way!¡± Ji Yu screamed, but her voice was quickly drowned out by the explosion that followed.
The dark mass mmed into the ground, and before the two soldiers could even react, their bodies were crushed beyond recognition by the heavy object. Arge amount of blood gushed from their protective suits, pooling inside their fully enclosed helmets, forming a small puddle of blood.
Amid the rising dust, a massive hammer with a surface glowing faintly with green light slowly lifted. Its construction was extremely crude, looking as though arge mass of metal had been carelessly melted together.
On the uneven surface of the hammer wererge patches of blood and human tissue, which continued to drip from the hammer¡¯s underside...
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