《Global Fog Survival》


 Chapter 1: What Mischief Does the Golden Finger Have Now?

    Colin appeared in a decaying wooden cabin.Cold, damp, and dilapidated.


    This was Colin¡¯s first impression of the inside of the cabin.


    Then he instinctively looked out the glass window and saw¡­ fog.


    Endless gray fog, obscuring the sky and land outside, leaving Colin unable to see anything but the fog. Moreover, the gray fog seemed to have some kind of vitality, flowing silently in an unsettling stillness.


    Instinct told Colin that the gray fog was extremely dangerous, and if he dared to leave the cabin and enter the fog, the only outcome would be death.


    In intense unease, Colin withdrew his gaze.


    At this moment, he realized he was lying on a wooden bed, having no idea how long he had been there. With the creaking of the overburdened wooden bed, Colin sat up.


    ¡°How did I end up here?¡±


    Colin pinched his forehead, trying to recall the reason he was here, but to no avail.


    A significant portion of his memory was missing, as if erased by some force. All he could remember was a life devoid of familial ties.


    This made Colin uneasy and fearful, but he was soon distracted by other matters.


    Two items were placed on a table.


    A lantern filled with a dark red liquid and a leather scroll.


    They looked deliberately placed there, visible to anyone who got up.


    Colin did not act rashly but stared at the two items, pondering.


    Whatever the intention of the person behind this, the remaining items didn¡¯t seem meant to harm him¡­


    Before Colin could figure out anything, a line of white text suddenly appeared in his mind. S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    [This is an old-fashioned lantern, fueled not by kerosene but by a blood-like substance.]


    The sudden information startled Colin, making him shrink back, and the information vanished from his mind.


    ¡°What is this¡­¡±


    Realizing it, Colin understood that if he stared at something for a few seconds and thought about it, related ¡°hints¡± would appear in his mind.


    The earlier information had been an accidental ¡°trigger.¡±


    Colin looked at the lantern again, and soon, the previous information reappeared.


    [This is an old-fashioned lantern, fueled not by kerosene but by a blood-like substance.]


    Just when Colin thought that was all and prepared to look at the scroll, another line of text appeared in his mind.


    [You realize this might be very important, but there are no tools in the cabin to light it. How do I ignite it then? Looking at the red liquid, you wonder if a drop of blood might do the trick. ]


    [Note! You notice it can only burn for one hour!]


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me what you think; I¡¯ll tell you what I think,¡±


    Colin muttered sarcastically, then whispered, ¡°A lantern ignited with blood; what is its purpose?¡±


    The hint didn¡¯t disclose its use.


    Maybe the information was in the nearby scroll.


    However, Colin didn¡¯t rush to open the scroll but stared at it for a few seconds, triggering the ¡°hint¡± like a skill.


    [A leather scroll containing important information. Don¡¯t mind its material; open it immediately!]


    After hesitating, Colin got out of bed, walked over, picked up the scroll, and opened it.


    Instantly, a light rose from the scroll, forming lines of small text in mid-air.


    [Welcome to the Global Fog Survival game. Here, survival is your primary goal. Please remember the following warnings.]


    [1. The cabin can block the gray fog and is your last refuge, but don¡¯t rely on it too much.]


    [2. Horrors only occur within the gray fog.]


    [3. The lantern can disperse the gray fog.]


    [4. All personnel obtained through the system are absolutely loyal, so use them with confidence.]


    [5. Beware of the night! Beware of the night! Beware of the night!]


    [6. In the gray fog, if you don¡¯t want to become prey, it¡¯s best to become a hunter.]


    [7. Always respect the gray fog.]


    [8. Cherish your life, for you will not be revived.]


    ¡°Survival game?¡± Colin squinted his eyes.


    He had never heard of a game reaching such an extent¡­


    However, these texts were not all the scroll had to offer. After they gradually faded, three options appeared.


    [Chat Channel]


    [Task List]


    [Personnel Recruitment]


    Among them, [Chat Channel] kept flickering, giving a lively impression.


    Wanting to communicate, Colin didn¡¯t hesitate and clicked it, discovering three sub-channels behind it.


    They were [World Channel], [Regional Channel], and [Private Channel].


    The [World Channel] flickered the most frequently, so Colin clicked it.


    Instantly, within a half-meter-high range, numerous messages from others appeared.


    These messages refreshed every ten seconds, allowing for scrolling, stopping, or even speaking on the current page.


    ¡°Say important things three times, close the door! Close the door! Close the door! There¡¯s something in the gray fog!¡±


    ¡°Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, please reply if you see this¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I just celebrated my birthday, drinking and singing, and suddenly ended up here. I¡¯m totally baffled¡­¡±


    ¡°I was worse off. I was in the middle of something when I was transported here¡­ But that¡¯s not the point, who knows how to light the kerosene lamp?¡±


    ¡°I also need help with lighting the kerosene lamp; I can¡¯t do tasks without it. Please help¡­¡±


    How to light the kerosene lamp? Colin wondered at the mass of requests to light the lamp.


    ¡°Kerosene lamp¡­ do they mean the lantern? Don¡¯t they know a drop of blood can light it? Just stare at it for a few seconds and¡­¡±


    He stopped mid-sentence, suddenly realizing that others might not have this ability.


    The ability to get ¡°hints¡± by looking at things was likely unique to him¡­ In other words, it could be called a golden finger.


    However, this didn¡¯t make Colin happy; instead, he frowned.


    Unless assigned by appearance, he did not feel particularly unique in comparison to others.


    While he hoped for a windfall, he never believed one would come.


    This second-person hint-giving thing¡ªlet¡¯s call it a ¡°golden finger¡± for now¡ªcould be good or bad.


    In the end, Colin could only shake his head helplessly, not thinking deeply about it.


    After all, whether good or bad, he couldn¡¯t do anything about it now; this thing was in his head, and he couldn¡¯t just open his head to see what was inside, could he?


    Thinking optimistically, maybe he really did get a windfall, and it was just a harmless hint.


    What harm could a little hint possibly do?


    Regardless, Colin remained cautious.

 Chapter 2: How to Light the Lamp

    ¡°First-row spoiler on the ¡®newbie package¡¯ contents: a black bread that can double as a stone, an axe, two obedient slaves, and a crafting table. You¡¯re welcome.¡±¡°The guy above just killed my anticipation for the newbie package; thanks a lot. By the way, does anyone know how to light the lamp?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m dying of thirst here. Can someone please give me water? I finished the newbie package¡¯s food and now dying of thirst. I¡¯ve got two extra mouths to feed and I¡¯m starving¡­¡±


    ¡°Please, any food will do. I could even eat a five-nut mooncake¡­¡±


    ¡°What the guy above said is true! Be careful of the gray fog; I sent a slave to reach outside, and their hand was torn off by something in less than a second!¡±


    ¡°Do not stare into the gray fog, damn it. I just looked at it for a few minutes and now it feels like there¡¯s a face pressed against the window staring at me¡­¡±


    ¡°Seems like only that lamp can keep us safe. Please, someone, tell me how to light it. Whoever tells me will be like a father to me¡­¡±


    Colin hesitated as he watched the pleas for help scroll by, but ultimately decided not to become anyone¡¯s ¡°father.¡± Speaking in the world channel required a megaphone, and each person only got one per day, with no accumulation.


    Colin didn¡¯t want to waste what might be his only useful speaking opportunity today on this. Besides, surely someone had already figured out how to use the lantern for various reasons.


    Since no one had spoken up, he saw no need to be the first. There might be some hidden danger involved¡­


    Doing good deeds was commendable, but not at the expense of oneself, so he decided to observe for now. After finding no more useful information, Colin closed the [World Channel].


    Then he opened the [Regional Channel].


    Immediately, Colin noticed the difference between the regional and world channels. In the upper left corner of the chat box, there was a number, showing 1000.


    This likely represented the number of people in the current region. Furthermore, there were almost no restrictions on posting in the regional channel, with messages allowed every three seconds.


    ¡°A lot of people in one region, huh? Are they all competitors? I wonder how intense the competition will be¡­¡±


    Colin muttered as he looked at the constantly scrolling messages.


    ¡°Offering ten thousand dollars for the method to light the oil lamp, payment guaranteed after the game ends!¡±


    ¡°We might not even be able to leave this place, so who cares about ten thousand or even a hundred thousand? Ugh, the newbie package only had a piece of bread and no water. If I find out who designed this game, I will kill them!¡±


    ¡°To be fair, even if you knew who they were, you could not kill them because this ¡®game¡¯ could not have been created on Earth.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t even complain anymore? What¡¯s wrong with this world?¡±


    ¡°Question: what does the eighth warning about no resurrection specifically mean? Has anyone died and come back to tell the tale?¡±


    ¡°No one has, so the eighth warning is probably literal. When we die, we really die. Of course, it¡¯s also possible that we wake up back in the real world, never to return, as if it were all a dream.¡±


    ¡°But I suggest not doing it, because if revival was possible, this channel would already be in chaos, not filled with people whining. And as for no food, aren¡¯t there still the two slaves? If you¡¯re really starving¡­¡±


    Eat the slaves¡­


    Colin¡¯s eyelid twitched. He knew the slaves were part of the ¡°newbie package¡± contents, but after learning what was in it, he wasn¡¯t in a hurry to open it.


    ¡°And¡­ no one in the regional channel is sharing the lamp-lighting method either, even though it doesn¡¯t consume megaphones¡­¡± Colin instinctively felt something was wrong.


    After a moment of hesitation, feeling there was no more information to be gained, Colin closed the regional channel.


    ¡°It seems the key to survival is completing daily tasks.¡±


    Colin opened the [Task List] and saw only one line of faint red task text.


    [Daily Task: Face Your Fear]


    [Task Requirement: Kill a ¡°mutant¡± wandering in the fog.]


    [Task Time: 23 hours, 32 minutes.]


    [Task Description: Despite the countless dangers in the gray fog, opportunities exist alongside them. A fledgling that never leaves the nest will never grow. Don¡¯t be too afraid; the best way to overcome fear is to face it. Good luck! (Note the lamp¡¯s burning time.)] S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    [Task Reward: Hard black bread *1? Foul tainted blood 100ml?]


    After reading the task, Colin finally understood why so many people complained about the daily tasks. If nothing else, everyone¡¯s daily task was likely the same.


    Given this, to complete the task, one had to leave the cabin and enter the fog. To enter the fog, one had to light the lantern. But how to light the lantern¡­


    No one knew how to light the damn thing! Otherwise, even if someone mustered the courage under hunger¡¯s pressure, they wouldn¡¯t have the chance to explore the fog!


    If you want people to do tasks, at least give a hint!


    What? I do have a hint?


    Oh.


    Never mind, then.


    The ¡°foul tainted blood¡± must be the lantern¡¯s fuel. It turns out it really is blood¡­


    Not thinking further, Colin clicked on the last option, [Personnel Recruitment].


    But seeing that it required something called [Mist Points], he immediately closed it, not wasting any more time. After all, he didn¡¯t have any.


    Shaking his head, he closed the scroll and took another look, noticing some changes.


    [A leather scroll containing important information. You have seen its contents and have a vague feeling that its options are not limited to these.]


    ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s likely to add more features in the future.¡±


    Colin muttered. He now knew all the current functions of the scroll, so he opened the [Inventory] next. With a thought, an option appeared before him: [Inventory].


    ¡°How magical, just like a real game.¡±


    Colin smirked. He had learned about the [Inventory] feature from the chat channels; it could be summoned with a thought. This feature was directly tied to him, and he could put the scroll in there to prevent losing it.


    In the [Inventory], Colin saw a dilapidated wooden box matching the shabbiness of his cabin.


    [Newbie Package], without hesitation, Colin chose to use it.


    [Congratulations, you have obtained: Moldy Black Bread *1?]


    [Congratulations, you have obtained: Old Iron Axe *1]


    [Congratulations, you have obtained: Crafting Table *1?]


    [Congratulations, you have obtained: Slaves *2?]


    On the table, items materialized one by one, from virtual to real: a palm-sized piece of black bread, an old iron axe, a square stone crafting table the size of a watermelon, and¡­


    Faint breathing sounds came from the side.


    Colin¡¯s eyes narrowed, his head turning as if a cockroach had landed on his face. He saw two medium-built men standing by the door, unnoticed before.


    Both men wore knee-length, worn cloth robes. Their skin was dark, their hair was short, and their heads were bowed, making it difficult to see their facial expressions.


    Above them were the words [Slaves].

 Chapter 3: True Villagers

    ¡°Greetings, Lord. We are your loyal servants.¡±The two slaves spoke without daring to lift their heads, appearing very fearful and apprehensive. At the same time, Colin saw a ¡°prompt¡± appear in his mind.


    ¡¾These two are your exclusive slaves. You can view their personal information by looking at the text above their heads. Apart from that, they will unconditionally obey your orders with unquestionable loyalty¡ªquantified as one hundred percent, absolute loyalty.¡¿ s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    With a thought, Colin opened the personal information of the two slaves.


    ¡¾Slave 1¡¿


    Identity: Exclusive slave of Colin. Status: Extremely hungry. Fullness Level: 19 (1-20: Extremely hungry, 21-40: Hungry, 41-60: Normal, 61-80: Full, 81-100: Satisfied) Strength: 0.8 (Normal male is 1 point) Stamina: 0.7 (Normal male is 1 point) Endurance: 0.6 (Normal male is 1 point) ¡­


    ¡¾Slave 2¡¿ was similar to ¡¾Slave 1¡¿. Colin glanced at them and memorized the basic information before closing the interface. He didn¡¯t particularly enjoy interacting with data panels like this because it was hard to make sense of the numbers in such a short time without understanding their significance. This required accumulating some experience to gradually comprehend what the data meant.


    However, the ¡°hungry¡± status in both slaves¡¯ personal information served as a wake-up call for Colin. Yes, the cabin was safe and could block the fog, but danger didn¡¯t only come from outside¡ªthe hunger could also kill these survivors. Moreover, Colin noticed that the daily task¡­ only provided one black bread. Even without considering how difficult it might be to kill a ¡°mutant,¡± surviving on just one piece of bread each day was a slow death sentence. Within two days, one might be too weak to even swing the axe.


    Looking at the black bread on the table, Colin saw its description: ¡¾A piece of black bread as hard as stone, capable of killing someone if thrown. Can this really be eaten?¡¿


    After getting the prompt, Colin picked up the rough-skinned black bread and squeezed it. It was very dry and hard, almost like a stone except for being lighter. Moreover, there was one last problem before eating it¡ªthere was no water. Colin had eaten similar bread before, but it was in the form of long strips that needed to be soaked in broth or hot water to become edible. Otherwise, one would have to soften it with saliva, which would consume a lot of water and energy and might not be worth the effort. After all, one could die of thirst much faster than from hunger.


    Realizing this, Colin¡¯s face darkened. This was undoubtedly a trap! He was very hungry now. If he ate the bread like some people in the chat channel did, he would likely lose significant combat ability due to dehydration. Thinking about the state of his two slaves¡ªextremely hungry but just on the brink of starvation¡ªit seemed to indicate one thing: the immediate task was to take the axe, go out to complete the task, and find a water source.


    Understanding this, Colin couldn¡¯t help but think, ¡°There are so many tricks in this survival game. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if it were more sincere?¡±


    Though he could leave the bread on the table to absorb moisture from the air and soften, it would be evening by then, and the situation wouldn¡¯t improve much by the next day. Ultimately, one piece of bread was not enough to stave off hunger¡ªat least two were needed.


    Shifting his gaze, Colin looked at the crafting table. ¡¾A magical crafting table. With the right materials and recipes, it can create anything.¡¿


    ¡¾You realize that with some water or other basic food, you might be able to combine it with the stone-like black bread to create something better.¡¿


    Colin squinted, understanding that the correct use of the bread might be for crafting. Just then, he heard the sound of gulping and saw the two slaves sneaking glances at the bread in his hand as if it were a delicacy.


    Colin waved the bread, ¡°Do you want to eat this?¡±


    The two slaves shook their heads frantically. ¡°No, we wouldn¡¯t dare. This is the only food and is rightfully yours, Lord. We wouldn¡¯t touch it even if we starved to death.¡±


    ¡°Were you really raised in a village¡­?¡± Colin thought sarcastically, then said, ¡°This bread is a trap. Whoever eats it will die. I¡¯m going to the fog to complete a task soon. Are you afraid?¡±


    ¡°No, we cannot guarantee to face everything, but until we become corpses, we will ensure your safety with our lives,¡± the slaves pledged.


    Though their words sounded noble, the response seemed too standardized. Looking at these lifelike slaves, Colin found it hard to see them as NPCs. But he didn¡¯t dwell on it and said, ¡°I promise, as long as we complete the task and return safely, there will be food for you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡± The slaves¡¯ voices became excited at the thought of a full stomach.


    Hope staves off hunger¡­


    Shaking off his thoughts, Colin looked at the axe.


    ¡¾An old axe with a rust-stained blade and a dark, worn handle. It looks like it won¡¯t last long in a fight.¡¿


    Nothing special about it, but there was clearly not enough weaponry.


    Three people with one axe¡­


    ¡°Wait¡­¡± Colin looked at the wooden table and chairs, planning to break them down into makeshift weapons. Though the furniture looked decrepit, Colin knew it wasn¡¯t as fragile as it seemed. Like old ship wood, it appeared worn but was actually sturdy¡ªgood enough for weapons in a pinch.


    Just as Colin was about to act, a slave spoke, ¡°But, Lord, these are your valuable furniture. We are just lowly slaves. Even if we die¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s so valuable about this junk?¡± Colin rolled his eyes, tapping the table. His voice, warm yet firm, left no room for argument, ¡°The better you perform, the safer I¡¯ll be. Compared to that, what¡¯s the value of a broken table if we lose people? Besides, I care more about your lives. I don¡¯t want to come back and find you dead because we lacked a weapon. I said we¡¯d return and eat together, and I mean it.¡±


    Hearing this, the two slaves were moved, their eyes slightly red as they knelt, trembling, ¡°Thank you, Lord, for your care. We will protect you with our lives.¡±


    Similar words, but with more resolve. Colin felt a noticeable boost in morale and, upon checking the slaves¡¯ personal information, saw that their statuses now included ¡°Inspired,¡± which increased all their attributes by about twenty percent.


    ¡°Can this really work?¡± Colin mused, touching his chin. He didn¡¯t think he had said anything particularly inspiring. He wondered if he could inspire himself¡­though that was just a thought.


    Disassembling the furniture didn¡¯t take long. Soon, preparations were complete. Colin dripped a drop of blood onto the lantern¡¯s wick, and the dim flame flickered to life.


    Then, he opened the cabin door.

 Chapter 4: Encounter in the Gray Fog

    Outside the cabin, there was an endless expanse of gray fog, flowing gently as if it had always been there. However, when Colin extended the lantern beyond the wooden door, the fog immediately melted away like snow, creating a safe zone with a radius of about five meters.¡°No problem,¡± Colin said to himself, nodding quietly. He didn¡¯t step out immediately but took a few moments to observe the surroundings. Then, prompts appeared in his mind.


    ¡¾There are treasures ahead, but they are too far. If you don¡¯t want to die on this journey, it¡¯s best not to choose this path.¡¿


    ¡¾To the left, you sense a river. It¡¯s dangerous, but the area is rich in resources. In this foggy world, food resources are extremely important.¡¿


    ¡¾To the right, there are numerous abnormal life forms. You are not strong enough to face them.¡¿


    ¡¾Behind you lies a vast wasteland and barren land.¡¿


    ¡°It seems we should explore to the left first,¡± Colin pondered, retracting his gaze and turning back to hand the lantern to Servant One. ¡°Let¡¯s test it out first.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord!¡± Servant One shook the lantern at the doorway as Colin instructed. Regardless of how he shook it, the light remained bright and stable, unlikely to be extinguished by the wind.


    Colin glanced up at the sky. There was a dim light, but no visible source, making him question whether this world even had a sun. Then, another prompt appeared.


    S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¾You cannot see the source of the light, but you realize that several hours remain until nightfall. Your lantern has enough fuel to burn multiple times over. The time of day is not a hindrance to your mission.¡¿


    Relieved that they wouldn¡¯t soon face nightfall, Colin nodded. Nighttime was extremely dangerous, and he didn¡¯t want to find out why anytime soon. After another few minutes of preparation and testing, Colin and Servant Two stepped into the area illuminated by the lantern.


    ¡°Lord,¡± Servant One respectfully handed the lantern back to Colin. Their bodies did not interfere with the lantern¡¯s effective range, and the person holding it had to stand in the center for safety.


    Holding the ancient lantern filled with dark red liquid in his left hand and a rusty axe in his right, Colin moved forward. Servant One and Servant Two, wielding long sticks and makeshift shields, stayed close, protecting him from all sides.


    Within the five-meter radius, the light formed a barrier, and within the thick fog, twisted faces seemed to press against it, casting ominous, malicious glances at the three of them. A chilling dread crept up Colin¡¯s spine, and his scalp tingled.


    Despite the eerie calm, Colin felt the immense pressure of the fog, almost tangible, pressing down on him. Staring into the fog gave him no useful insights, only the grim warning that he would die horribly if the light went out before he returned indoors.


    Regardless, Colin knew he couldn¡¯t show his fear. Any sign of weakness might shatter the fragile morale. He took a few deep breaths to calm his tense body, then announced calmly, ¡°It seems safe here. Let¡¯s proceed according to plan and scout the surroundings.¡±


    Taking measured steps, Colin began inspecting the area around the cabin. In the dense fog with visibility under ten meters, rushing forward blindly was a death wish. Losing one¡¯s way meant waiting to die in the fog. Fortunately, Colin¡¯s prompts gave him a significant advantage.


    Quickly finishing a survey of the nearby area, Colin found nothing but barren land within a few hundred square meters. It was time to venture further.


    ¡°Number Two, remember to leave clear marks on the ground, one step at a time. If you notice anything unusual, speak up immediately.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my lord,¡± both servants replied in unison, tightening their grips on their makeshift weapons.


    Colin nodded and glanced back at the cabin. They had only moved about ten meters away, yet the structure was already a blurry outline in the fog. He took a deep breath, knowing the importance of timing and caution.


    ¡°Keep vigilant and follow the plan,¡± he reminded them before leading the way.


    Moving steadily, Colin kept track of his steps, creating a mental map. Though the prompts guided him, he didn¡¯t fully trust them and preferred thorough preparation. The servants followed closely, marking the ground as instructed and staying alert.


    Suddenly, Servant One pointed out, ¡°My lord, that pit over there looks odd.¡±


    Colin turned to see a long, shallow trench about ten meters to his left, extending into the fog. Another prompt appeared.

 Chapter 5: Strike It Down

    ¡¾A shallow trench emits a stench like decaying rats, which you deduce was left by a ¡°Mutant¡± who passed through not long ago.Seeing this prompt, Colin finally felt half of his worries ease. Though he suspected there were numerous ¡°Mutants,¡± he was anxious about what would happen if they didn¡¯t encounter one on this trip. If the lantern oil ran out, they would lose the chance to explore again and be doomed.


    But now, this concern could be set aside.


    ¡°Follow me. These are the tracks of a ¡®Mutant,''¡± Colin announced. The slight drop in morale instantly rebounded. The two servants didn¡¯t doubt Colin¡¯s judgment, believing they were following a wise leader.


    Colin analyzed the clues from the trench in a matter of seconds and concluded that they were left by a ¡°Mutant.¡± This sharp reasoning impressed the servants, who did not fully comprehend their lords¡¯ powers but were aware that some abilities were beyond the system¡¯s scope.


    Colin¡¯s prompt-based judgments were interpreted by the servants as evidence of his own powerful deductive abilities, which increased their admiration for him.


    Unaware of the servants¡¯ thoughts or that his status had mysteriously risen in their minds, Colin quickly moved towards the shallow trench after making his decision.


    It had been about thirteen minutes since the lantern was lit, time wasted without results. Colin had around twenty-five minutes left. If he couldn¡¯t deal with the ¡°Mutant¡± within this time, he¡¯d have to return or risk getting lost in the fog forever.


    Despite quickening his pace, Colin remained cautious, studying the tracks closely. As he moved closer, he noticed the trench also contained sticky, foul-smelling slime, handprints, and holes made by sharp objects scraping the ground.


    Analyzing these signs and the continuous prompts, Colin pictured someone crawling, dragging themselves forward with their hands in the dirt, moving bit by bit. His conjecture wasn¡¯t baseless. The intermittent stops in the trench suggested this method of movement. The sharp burrows indicated the creature had spikes.


    A few minutes later, Colin spotted a shadowy figure lying on the ground ahead and halted abruptly. After a brief hesitation, he bent low and shouted, ¡°Get down!¡±


    The two servants dropped instantly without thinking. At that moment, a black shadow whooshed overhead, accompanied by a whistling sound. They felt a massive object with tremendous force brush against their scalps.


    The impact created a powerful gust that left Colin momentarily stunned. If they had been hit, they would likely have been killed or seriously injured. A heavy thud behind them snapped Colin back to reality. The terror of that instant brought a flood of relief.


    Had it not been for Colin sensing a malicious gaze and receiving a prompt, he might have perished.


    The prompt had warned: ¡¾¡±A ¡®Child of Suffering¡¯ has spotted you! It¡¯s charging an attack. If you are hit, you will likely die instantly.¡±¡¿


    In desperation, Colin had dropped to the ground, avoiding severe injury or death. However, this wasn¡¯t the time to celebrate. The prompt indicated the attack was charging, so the next strike wouldn¡¯t come immediately.


    ¡°Charge!¡± Colin ordered, springing up, lantern and axe in hand, rushing forward. Within five meters, he saw the ¡°Child of Suffering¡± and thought: Monster.


    Indeed, it was a monster. It seemed to have only an upper body, skinless, with melted flesh stuck to its skull. Its face had five gaping holes, resembling a skinned person left to rot.


    The exposed flesh suggested constant pain, emitting low, desperate moans. Unlike normal humans, the ¡°Mutant¡± had thorny spines on its back, which dragged along the ground. Its lower body was shriveled, an unidentifiable mass of flesh, dragging itself with its hands, as Colin had imagined.


    Having just launched an attack, it posed no immediate threat. But the sight and stench were overwhelming, and Colin¡¯s steps faltered two meters away.


    Though holding an axe, Colin had never fought like this, especially not against such a grotesque creature. He wasn¡¯t sure what effect his axe would have. What if it didn¡¯t even pierce the skin? What if the monster was faking its weakness? What if it was a trap? Was he being reckless?


    Fleeting thoughts of retreat filled his mind; fear was swelling within him. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Realizing the mental turmoil stemmed from the monster, Colin bit the inside of his mouth hard. The pain helped clear his thoughts momentarily.


    ¡°Running means death. Charging in could also mean death. I¡¯d rather gamble now and fight!¡±


    Colin focused his thoughts, suppressing other fears, aware that the influence came from the monster. But it didn¡¯t matter.


    The monster was right in front of him, an axe in his hand, and no retreat was possible.


    He had only one choice: Strike!


    ¡°Strike it down!¡±

 Chapter 6: The Kill

    Colin swung his iron axe with all his might, striking the twisted, terrifying head of the monster.¡°Thud!¡±


    The disturbing influence that muddled his thoughts vanished with a dull, heavy sound. The sensation through the axe handle was like striking an unpeeled coconut. The expected splatter of brain matter and the creature splitting like a watermelon didn¡¯t happen. Colin almost lost his grip on the axe due to the recoil.


    ¡°Damn, lack of experience. I should have aimed for the neck!¡±


    Re-gripping the axe, Colin didn¡¯t hesitate and struck again, this time targeting the neck. The axe embedded only a few centimeters and didn¡¯t sever it completely. The monster fell to the ground but wasn¡¯t dead yet.


    Meanwhile, the two servants charged forward, battering the creature with their sticks. After a frenzied assault, the monster was reduced to an unrecognizable pulp, no longer moving.


    Colin saw the kill notification and quickly stopped the servants¡¯ angry attacks: ¡°Stop, it¡¯s already dead!¡±


    Ignoring the servants, Colin focused on the other notifications that popped up.


    ¡¾Congratulations, You have killed the ¡®Penitent Priest ¨C Suffering Citizen¡¯.¡¿


    ¡¾Would you like to disassemble it?¡¿


    ¡°¡®Penitent Priest ¨C Suffering Citizen¡¯?¡±


    Colin was puzzled. Did this count as a ¡°Mutant¡±? Without looking at the disassembly option, he quickly took out a parchment from his ¡¾Inventory¡¿ and opened the task list. Seeing the task, previously marked with a question mark, now a glowing exclamation mark, Colin felt relieved. He swiftly confirmed the task¡¯s completion.


    ¡¾Congratulations on completing the daily task ¡°Face Your Fear.¡± Rewards: Stiff Black Bread *1, Foul Tainted Blood 100ml¡¿


    ¡°Task rewards have been sent to your ¡¾Inventory¡¿. Please check.¡±


    Colin looked at his ¡¾Inventory¡¿, finding the quantity of black bread had increased to two, and there was now a glob of dark red liquid.


    ¡¾Foul Tainted Blood: Obtained by killing Mutants or completing tasks. Burns for one hour per 100ml.¡¿


    Without hesitation, Colin used the blood. The lantern refilled more than halfway with the dark liquid.


    ¡¾An old-fashioned lantern. You think it can burn for another hour and thirty-seven minutes.¡¿


    ¡°Phew.¡±


    Colin sighed, feeling a significant weight lift from his shoulders. He then glanced at the grotesque remains of the ¡°Suffering Citizen¡± and muttered, ¡°I wonder what it can still yield in this state.¡±


    Curiously, he selected the disassemble option.


    ¡°You have obtained ¡®Foul Tainted Blood 16ml¡¯, added to your inventory.¡±


    ¡°You have obtained ¡®Thorn of Suffering¡¯ *1, added to your inventory.¡±


    ¡°You have obtained ¡®Foul Bones¡¯ *7, added to your inventory.¡±


    ¡°You have obtained ¡®Bloodstained Broken Wooden Wheel¡¯ *1, added to your inventory.¡±


    ¡°You have obtained ¡®Twisted Soul¡¯ *1, added to your inventory.¡±


    ¡°You have obtained ¡®Lightly Rotten Flesh¡¯ *4, added to your inventory.¡±


    ¡°You have obtained ¡®Lightly Rotten Venison¡¯ *1, added to your inventory.¡±


    ¡°You have obtained ¡®Mist Points¡¯ *3, added to your inventory.¡±


    Colin¡¯s attention was fixed on the ¡°Thorn of Suffering¡± item. s?a??h th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¾Thorn of Suffering: Thorns grown from the ¡°Suffering Citizen¡±. Can be used for weapon crafting or combined with clay to create a ¡®Thorn Barricade¡¯ to block the gray fog!¡¿


    ¡°It can block the gray fog permanently¡­¡±


    Colin took a deep breath, realizing the significance of this item. With it, he could expand his territory. While most people would still be hiding in their huts, he could happily farm around his wooden house.


    Huh? Why is my first thought about farming when expanding territory?


    Gurgle, gurgle¡­


    Colin¡¯s stomach growled loudly, reminding him that now wasn¡¯t the time to reflect. The immediate priority was to address his hunger. Though Colin had been out for only about half an hour, the servants¡¯ satiety levels had dropped to single digits, making their legs weak and shaky. If they don¡¯t eat soon, they might starve to death.


    After looting the ¡°Suffering Citizen¡± completely, Colin followed the prompts to find the mentioned river. It wasn¡¯t far¡ªjust a few steps away¡ªand they reached it.


    Upon arrival, the two servants were about to drink directly from the river, but Colin stopped them immediately: ¡°Do you want to die? Don¡¯t let hunger cloud your judgment. Wait until we boil the water!¡±


    Had he not seen the prompt stating the river was ¡¾Contaminated Water¡¿ and could cause diarrhea, he might not have stopped them.


    ¡°Thank you for your guidance, my lord.¡±


    The servants, though not understanding what boiling meant, grasped Colin¡¯s intent. It meant heating the water¡­ This was a practice they had never adopted before. Although the water looked dirty, it seemed clean enough¡­


    Unable to comprehend, they complied with the lord¡¯s order without complaint.


    Colin then took out the novice chest, intending to make full use of it, and filled it with about five liters of river water. At this moment, a system message appeared before him.


    ¡°Would you like to purify 1 liter of river water for ¡®Grade 3 Water¡¯? Each liter costs one ¡®Mist Point¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Refuse.¡±


    Colin¡¯s mouth twitched. The system was too greedy, charging a mist point for a bit of water. Mist Points, as he had learned, could be used for various benefits, like purchasing loudspeakers, recruiting servants, purification, and upgrading villagers.


    With just three Mist Points, he could recruit a servant. And now, one Mist Point for a few liters of water? It was a rip-off.


    Moreover, the prompt indicated that boiling the water would yield the same effect as purification with Mist Points.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t have this prompt, I might have foolishly used the purification option¡­¡±


    Wondering how many people would fall for this, Colin shook his head, knowing it wasn¡¯t his concern. Taking out the ¡¾Crafting Table¡¿, he used some stones he found earlier and, following the prompt, synthesized a set of stone cookware.


    He built a fire, set up the stone pot, poured in the river water, and after a few minutes, a pot of hot ¡¾Grade 3 Water (Slightly Contaminated)¡¿ was ready.

 Chapter 7: If You Really Can’t Hold It

    ¡¾Stiff Black Bread1 + Grade 3 Water = Sweet Venison Porridge*1 (a potful, great for replenishing energy and vitality!)¡¿¡°As expected, black bread needs to be used on the crafting table to be edible. Even without the venison, it can be made into porridge, which is far better than bread alone. Otherwise, I might end up starving in my own house¡­¡±


    Colin muttered to himself, aware that many people¡¯s fates might have already been sealed on the first day.


    Without overthinking, he looked at his two subordinates, whose eyes were practically glowing with hunger. He served each of them a bowl first.


    ¡°Fifteen minutes to eat, then we will continue exploring.¡± The two servants burst into tears as they held the steaming, fragrant venison porridge served by their lord.


    In their blurry memories, as slaves, they had to work all day to earn a morsel of barely edible food, often receiving moldy, sour, and dirt-ridden bread in return.


    Before this, the two servants had expected Colin to give them the stiff black bread. Even though it was as hard as a rock, it was still a rare delicacy to them because it wasn¡¯t moldy or foul-smelling and possibly even free of sand and dirt.


    To their surprise, Colin gave them porridge instead of a bowl of ¡°rice porridge¡± with barely any grains. Moreover, it contained meat!


    Sipping the sweet meat porridge, the aroma and vitality filled their hearts instantly, making them appreciate the beauty of life for the first time. As they drank, their eyes reddened and moistened, and they felt an urge to cry.


    Their hearts were filled with gratitude and emotion.


    ¡­After about three minutes, Colin observed their personal information, ensuring there were no adverse effects like ¡¾Poisoned¡¿ or ¡¾Unconscious¡¿, before he felt safe to drink the thick porridge himself.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why a ¡°Penitent Priest ¨C Suffering Citizen¡± would drop venison, but it didn¡¯t stop him from eating it. He just had to be cautious.


    At this moment, the two servants spoke hoarsely, ¡°My lord, you are truly a good man.¡±


    Their words came from the heart and were unrelated to the system.


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Colin, feeling a bit guilty, looked at the remaining porridge in the pot.


    After each of them had a bowl, there was about half a bowl left in the pot. Colin remembered something and looked at the second servant, noticing a hand-length, one-centimeter-deep wound on his arm:


    ¡°You were injured for me. Since there¡¯s only half a bowl left, you should have it all to heal faster.¡±


    Earlier, when Colin had fallen into a ¡°state of mental confusion,¡± the ¡°Mutant¡± had attacked him, but the second servant had blocked the attacks. Though Colin had done most of the killing later, without the servant¡¯s protection, he might have been seriously injured.


    As a result, the second servant¡¯s arm sustained some injuries.


    Colin believed in fair reward and punishment, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to be generous.


    ¡°My lord, how can this be? Fighting and dying for you is a servant¡¯s duty. The priority should be your strength¡­¡±


    The second servant tried to refuse but, under Colin¡¯s stern gaze, tearfully ate the ¡°three¡± bowls.


    ¡°I wonder how the other survivors are doing now.¡±


    Colin wasn¡¯t used to eating without something to look at, so he took out a leather scroll of unknown origin and started browsing the regional chat channel while enjoying his delicious venison porridge.


    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry, my throat is parched. I¡¯m begging for food. I¡¯ll do anything for something to eat. Sob, sob¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t help. Nobody knows how to light a lamp, so we can¡¯t explore outside, let alone share food.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, even if someone knew, they wouldn¡¯t say it. This is a survival game with a thousand people per region. No one is that kind-hearted.¡±


    ¡°If you really can¡¯t hold it, you can eat your servants. They won¡¯t resist¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re living beings! How can you eat them? What if¡­ what if¡­¡±


    ¡°What if you get infected with the virus?¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t eat the brains¡­¡±


    ¡°But, are your servants female? It sounds like you¡¯re a girl, or you wouldn¡¯t have female servants¡­ Sigh, more useless knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Girls, huh? Not interested.¡±


    ¡°Eat them. Don¡¯t hesitate. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll starve like someone in the world chat who died of hunger. Survive one more day, everyone. Good luck¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop bluffing and encouraging cannibalism! First-day hunger won¡¯t kill you. Everyone¡¯s stamina is the same. It¡¯s after tonight that starvation could happen¡­¡±


    ¡°I want black bread. I want water¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Shut up.¡±


    ¡­ s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Talking about cannibalism again¡­ Colin¡¯s stomach churned.


    Who started this trend? The chat channel was a mess.


    However, Colin knew most people were just bragging. If they stayed indoors, their stamina wouldn¡¯t deplete severely. Surviving until the evening shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Therefore, most people wouldn¡¯t resort to such extremes. As for the minority who might, Colin had no idea.


    ¡°Speaking of which, since this is a global game, even if only a tiny fraction of the billions of people figure out how to light lamps, there should be at least over ten thousand who know. Out of those, is there really no one willing to share the method? Or would they face warnings or¡­ erasure if they did?¡±


    Colin furrowed his brows, deep in thought, but he couldn¡¯t find any answers without hints.


    Never mind, he decided to drink his porridge to calm himself.


    After finishing his porridge in one gulp, Colin opened his ¡¾inventory¡¿ to check his latest haul.


    He could have reviewed his loot while eating porridge, but considering it might contain human flesh, he avoided doing so. After all, he wasn¡¯t a med student with a strong stomach capable of dissecting while eating.


    Normally, Colin might not even dare to kill a chicken.


    Unexpectedly, the chat channel wasn¡¯t much better than the backpack.


    ¡°¡®Foul Bones¡¯ and ¡®Rotten Meat Chunks¡¯ are almost useless¡­¡±


    Colin noted that these items, unlike the venison, came from the ¡°Penitent Priest.¡± The hints suggested that the bones could be ground into fertilizer and the meat chunks, when cooked, could be eaten like venison, though they might cause stomach discomfort¡­


    The problem was that the ¡°Penitent Priest¡± had clearly been human. How could he eat that?


    Using human bone meal as fertilizer was even more extreme than using manure.


    Still, Colin didn¡¯t discard them. If he ever reached a desperate situation¡­

 Chapter 8: The Penitent Priest

    ¡¾¡±Blood-stained Broken Wooden Wheel¡±: The former weapon of Penitent Priest Kaidish. In the absence of reinforcements, he used this weapon to defeat many mutated creatures trying to invade the church.¡¿¡°His name was Kaidish¡­¡±


    Colin silently memorized the name.


    However¡­ Colin distinctly remembered that when he killed the priest, there didn¡¯t seem to be any weapon on him¡­


    ¡°Wait, the first time we met, he launched an attack. At that time, I didn¡¯t know what it was. Thinking back now, it must have been this thing¡­¡±


    If he hadn¡¯t reacted quickly and avoided being hit, he probably wouldn¡¯t be here now.


    ¡°So, even if the enemy throws their weapon away, you can still obtain it after killing them?¡±


    Colin rubbed his chin, gaining a bit more understanding of this ¡°game.¡±


    ¡°Number One, you take this weapon. Stay alert and don¡¯t get ambushed.¡±


    Colin handed the blood-stained wheel to Servant Number One.


    He wasn¡¯t worried about Servant Number One being unable to wield it, as the requirements to use it were Strength, Endurance, and Stamina at 1.


    After the ¡°Extremely Hungry¡± status disappeared and with the ¡°Invigorated¡± effect, both servants¡¯ stats reached 1.


    However, the wheel was quite heavy, reducing mobility by about 0.5. So, in case of a quick escape, it would need to be put away.


    Seeing this, Servant Number Two suddenly found the porridge less appetizing. He felt that Number One instantly became stronger upon receiving the wheel, as if he could be swatted to death with a slap.


    Just a moment ago, Number One was envious of him, and now he is envious of Number One. But Number Two knew this was the best choice, considering his arm injury would make using it inconvenient. Inconvenience meant higher danger for their lord, something he couldn¡¯t accept.


    Everything for the lord¡¯s will and safety!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. There will be better things in the future, and they will be yours.¡±


    Colin smiled, then continued to check his backpack, ¡°There¡¯s one last thing¡­¡±


    ¡¾¡±Twisted Soul¡±: A mass of blue gas resembling a flame, where you can vaguely see a distorted figure wailing in pain.¡¿


    ¡¾Use it and listen to it, and you might receive an additional quest.¡¿


    ¡¾Item remaining time: 2 days, 23 hours, 44 minutes.¡¿


    ¡¾Note: The lower the Inspiration, the harder it is to get a quest. If Inspiration is below 1, the failure rate is 95%. If above 3, the success rate is 100%.¡¿


    ¡°A quest-triggering item. What¡¯s my Inspiration?¡±


    Colin searched but couldn¡¯t find a personal status panel.


    Then, he fell into contemplation:


    ¡¾You discover you don¡¯t have a ¡°personal status¡± option, but you need to know your Inspiration value to determine if you can safely accept the quest. In your contemplation, you vaguely feel your Inspiration value is above 2.¡¿


    ¡°You can really figure it out? That¡¯s so cheating!¡±


    Colin sighed while taking the pale blue soul flame from his ¡¾inventory¡¿ and holding it in his hand.


    After reminding the two to stay vigilant, Colin clenched his right hand into a fist, and the blue flame burst forth.


    Colin felt a wave of ¡°chaos¡± hit him, plunging him into a trance.


    ¡°¡­The children¡­ need food¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Return to the church before nightfall¡­ it¡¯s coming¡­¡± S~?a??h the N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Cough, cough cough¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Mother of Suffering and Thorns¡­ may you bless¡­ cough cough¡­¡±


    ¡°Cough cough cough¡ª¡±


    The invisible murmurs circled around him, and Colin, in his trance, seemed to see a dream-like scene.


    An old hunched figure was coughing, leaning on the large wheel, struggling to stand from the carcass of a large beast.


    With a swipe, he tore off a piece of flesh from the beast and prepared to leave.


    But the old man seemed to be at the end of his life, struggling even to walk.


    He collapsed.


    The whispers abruptly stopped.


    The next moment, Colin felt a strong palpitation, like the sensation of falling in a dream, and he suddenly woke up.


    Barely having time to reflect, Colin saw the ¡¾Task List¡¿ on the leather scroll flashing.


    ¡°I got a mission.¡±


    Colin eagerly opened it:


    ¡¾Triggered Quest: Bring Peace to the Children¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Requirement: Go to the Suffering Church at the foot of Crow Mountain and kill all the ¡°Mutant-Suffering Citizens-Wailers¡± inside the church.¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Time: Unlimited.¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Description: Father Kaidish¡¯s dying wish was to protect the children in the church. Now, the children long for peace and rest (note: this quest can be completed by other survivors).¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Reward: Mist Points*10? Ordinary Tainted Blood 100ml? Stiff Black Bread*10? Attribute Title*1.¡¿


    ¡°10 Mist Points, not bad. Ordinary Tainted Blood, 100ml lasts three hours, so-so. Black bread? Um¡­¡±


    ¡°Attribute Title? That¡¯s valuable¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s eyes lit up. Any gamer knows the importance of titles. It¡¯s something you can¡¯t miss.


    However, Colin didn¡¯t act rashly. He didn¡¯t know how far Crow Mountain was or how tough the monsters in the church would be.


    ¡°Unless I¡¯m mistaken, the monsters should be those children, right? Well, time to work¡­¡±


    Colin looked around and soon received a hint:


    ¡¾You believe the church at the foot of Crow Mountain is along this road, and it should take no more than ten minutes to reach, though you need to be cautious of dangers along the way.¡¿


    ¡°Ten minutes is only if the road is smooth and danger-free. Conservatively, it might take twenty minutes. It¡¯s worth a try. If we encounter more mutants, we can fight and replenish on the way.¡±


    Colin touched his chin. It was confirmed that mutants drop tainted blood. If he could kill them steadily, each encounter would extend his time by 10-20 minutes, potentially making him a perpetual motion machine in the wild.


    Of course, that was impossible. Human strength has limits, and doing so would be akin to suicide. Still, those big monsters yielded such a small amount of blood. Who knew if someone drained it midway¡­


    Clearing his mind of random thoughts, Colin packed up his belongings and started moving.


    Oil lamp current time: 1 hour, 23 minutes.


    Colin set a time limit of about fifty minutes for this operation.


    However, they hadn¡¯t gone far before arriving at a sparse, dead forest.


    Not long after entering, they encountered another ¡°mutant,¡± initiating a battle.

 Chapter 9: The “Gift� of the Survivor

    ¡¾Foul Tainted Blood 4ml?¡¿¡¾Moderately Rotten Flesh*1


    ¡¾Decayed Bones*1?¡¿


    The battle ended within a minute.


    Colin suddenly felt that these smaller mutants, less than 1.5 meters tall, with hardly any flesh on them and their bodies mostly exposed with blood-veined white bones, were the more typical mutants. They had no additional names beyond just ¡°mutant.¡±


    The ¡°Penitent Priest¡± they encountered earlier must have been a named elite monster, likely a special one.


    Though small mutants were easy to handle, their loot was meager. They were visibly poor.


    ¡°Now it really feels like a game,¡± Colin muttered.


    They increased their pace again. The regular mutants were slow, and Colin had no intention of fighting them unless absolutely necessary.


    Unless they bore the ¡°Thorns of Suffering,¡± Colin wouldn¡¯t stop and waste time on them.


    After a few more minutes, Colin¡¯s brow furrowed.


    He saw blood. Human blood.


    ¡°So, other survivors have found a way to light their lamps.¡±


    Colin slowed down.


    He noticed traces indicating that other survivors had passed through. The footprints were messy and hurried, with blood droplets at each step. The blood was dark red and had not hardened much. It was still sticky to the touch.


    Although Colin couldn¡¯t visually distinguish human blood from animal blood¡­


    The hints confirmed it was human blood. This indicated that the survivor passed here not long before Colin arrived.


    Crucially, Colin noticed that both parties seemed to be heading in the same direction.


    In less than ten minutes, they would reach Father Kaidish¡¯s church, the mission site.


    If¡­


    This guy got there first and brought peace (physically) to the children before Colin¡­


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be good news.¡±


    Colin quickened his pace.


    The blood trail was long and had soaked into the soil. The bleeding was substantial.


    ¡°If all this blood came from one person, they¡¯re probably dead by now.¡±


    Just as Colin was wondering whether the person was dead or alive, he got his answer.


    Not ten meters ahead, a figure lay against a dead tree, motionless.


    A female corpse.


    Her expression¡­


    She had no expression. Her head was missing.


    Blood flowed from the gaping neck wound onto the ground, soaking the soil in a bloody patch.


    Her dull dress was stained red and torn in many places, making it unclear if it was from monsters or from her frantic escape, caught by branches and rocks.


    ¡°She gave up resisting and lay here waiting to die. She died about twenty minutes ago¡­¡±


    After the initial shock, Colin quickly calmed down. Despite the smell of blood making him uncomfortable, his mind started working.


    He bent down, covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve, and squatted by the body, examining every detail. Despite his discomfort, he had to be thorough for the sake of his own survival.


    First, her blood was bright red, with no signs of poisoning, indicating she didn¡¯t die from toxins. Second, her current state showed no signs of struggle, more like she gave up running and chose to wait for death.


    If she had fought against the creature that killed her, it wouldn¡¯t have left her lying neatly and with her clothes tidied.


    Her leg wounds and swollen, twisted ankle were clear signs she couldn¡¯t run anymore.


    Colin speculated that she sat under the tree, tidied her ragged dress, and then¡­


    She had her head ripped off like picking a mushroom.


    Due to severe blood loss, her blood didn¡¯t spurt far¡­


    Colin¡¯s gaze shifted to a footprint about two meters from the body.


    The footprint was a meter long, half a meter wide, and human-like¡­ S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But no human has footprints that large.


    The footprints were spaced a few meters apart, and luckily, the creature left with her head after killing her.


    ¡¾The owner of the footprints is at least five meters tall. You can¡¯t comprehend what kind of creature this is, but you know that provoking it is almost certain death.¡¿


    No kidding¡­ Colin dismissed the hint from observing the footprint.


    There were no signs of her servants, who had most likely been used to block her retreat and were now likely dead.


    ¡°What should we do now, Lord?¡±


    Servant One whispered, obviously disturbed by the scene and the massive footprint.


    Colin did not immediately respond.


    A ¡°Pick Up¡± option appeared in front of him.


    It showed 43ml of Foul Tainted Blood, indicating she wasn¡¯t killed by the gray mist and had stored most of her blood before dying.


    This revealed her choice.


    ¡°If I get the chance, I¡¯ll kill it for you!¡±


    Colin whispered, then accepted her ¡°gift.¡±


    Dead people were gone; the living had to continue to live.


    Seeing the blood-soaked corpse reminded Colin that this was a life-and-death game.


    Those who couldn¡¯t keep up would be abandoned, becoming nameless corpses in the wilderness, unmarked and forgotten.


    Colin felt a complex mix of emotions.


    After taking all her belongings, he handed her lantern and axe to Number Two.


    The lantern couldn¡¯t be stored in the inventory, and although the axe didn¡¯t boost stats, it was better than a broken stick.


    Colin stood up, saluted the woman, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s move on.


    ¡°The creature that killed her should have left, and the church is nearby.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re here, it makes no sense not to try¡­¡±


    The Suffering Church was close. He didn¡¯t want to give up.


    Soon, Colin could vaguely see the church built in the forest through the mist.

 Chapter 10: The Church of Suffering

    Ahead, a tall church stood amidst the withered forest, like a slumbering giant beast lying in the woods. In the thin, hazy light, Colin could make out the church¡¯s features. It was a Gothic-style spire church, its walls grayish-white, appearing to be only two stories high.Due to years of neglect, the decorative patterns on the walls had mostly peeled off, leaving a layer of lime at the base. All these signs indicated that the church had been abandoned for a long time. Upon closer inspection, one could vaguely see that the wall patterns were likely some kind of thorny vine plant. These thorny vine patterns wrapped around the walls repeatedly, appearing both protective and restrictive.


    ¡°The ¡®Mother of Suffering and Thorns¡¯¡­¡± Colin couldn¡¯t help but recall the words he had vaguely heard before, whispering softly.


    As he spoke, an invisible breeze seemed to pass by, causing goosebumps to rise on his skin. The breeze carried a strong stench. Colin gagged and covered his nose and mouth, squinting to see a large pile of meat chunks in front of the church¡¯s three-meter-high wooden doors.


    ¡¾Heavily Rotten Wolf Meat*4¡¿


    ¡¾Heavily Rotten Rat Meat*3¡¿


    ¡¾Moderately Rotten Deer Meat*4¡¿


    ¡¾Heavily Rotten¡­¡¿


    The severely rotten and foul-smelling meat chunks formed a small hill, with numerous shallow grooves resembling water buckets. These seemed to be traces left by the moving priest. Colin gathered the moderately rotten meat without hesitation.


    At that moment, he began to understand the meaning of the words he heard in Kaidish¡¯s dream. The priest, transformed into a monster by his obsession, was constantly worried about the children¡¯s hunger, hunting other beasts, and bringing their flesh back. However, he didn¡¯t dare to open the door. Mechanically and uselessly, he carried out his internal obsession, convinced that the children inside were still alive.


    Yet, Colin knew from his dream that the priest probably realized what had happened inside the church before he died. Bringing peace to the children was not just a system task but also the last wish of Father Kaidish, who bore the wheel. He couldn¡¯t bring himself to do it.


    Looking at the tightly shut doors, Colin paused briefly before taking action.


    ¡°My lord, I¡¯ll open the door, and you can wait behind,¡± Servant One volunteered. After seeing Colin nod and cautioning him to be careful, Servant One, bearing the wheel weapon crafted by Father Kaidish on his back, placed his hands on the double wooden doors. With a push, the doors creaked open, the sound of grinding hinges filling the air.


    The doors, sealed for decades, slowly opened. A strong, pungent odor of decayed corpses wafted out, making the rotting smell of the animal meat outside seem almost mild by comparison. Servant One immediately gagged, despite having prepared for it.


    Colin and the others, standing further back, found it slightly more bearable due to the diluting effect of the open air and the forewarning provided by the rotting meat outside. The doors were now ajar, just enough to fit two fingers through.


    Curious, Colin peered inside and saw that the interior of the church was also filled with gray fog, obscuring his view. The lack of light inside made it even more terrifying and unknown.


    ¡°Open the doors a bit more to let the stench out and air in, or we won¡¯t be able to explore properly,¡± Colin instructed. Although the church wasn¡¯t completely sealed, the accumulated toxic gases inside, like methane, would be much more concentrated than outside. Without letting fresh air in, they might succumb to unknown toxins before encountering any ¡°wailers¡±


    As the doors opened further, Colin and his team could see some of the church¡¯s interior layout: disordered benches, a red carpet leading to the back, and several small, skeletal remains covered in thick dust. They appeared extremely gray and decayed.


    Suddenly, as the doors opened wider, an unexpected event occurred. At the entrance, a few small, prone skeletons, face down on the ground, began to raise their heads. Their blood-red, hollow, and creepy faces stared at Colin and his team outside the door.


    Rattling sounds filled the air as their skulls trembled and their jawbones quivered as if trying to open.


    ¡°Attack,¡± Colin commanded, moving forward with his axe. With a swift chop, he shattered a skull.


    The creatures, labeled ¡°Mutant ¨C People of Suffering ¨C Wailers,¡± had an obvious attack method just from their name. Colin couldn¡¯t let them open their mouths and attack. Surprisingly, these mutants were weak; one axe swing was enough to destroy them.


    In less than ten seconds, the three of them easily dispatched the six skeletal corpses at the entrance, much easier than Colin had anticipated. However, they only collected nine drops of blood from the six corpses¡ªa pitiful amount. Colin lost interest in collecting the rotting flesh and bones, as they were abundant and nearly useless.


    Opening his parchment, Colin frowned slightly. The progress bar for killing six ¡°Wailers¡± barely moved.


    ¡°At this rate, does it mean there are at least sixty ¡®Wailers¡¯ inside the church?¡± Colin felt troubled. The Gothic-style church, though not huge, was at least the size of a small mall, with dozens or even hundreds of ¡°Wailers¡± scattered randomly. Finding them all would be a hassle. S?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Still, having come this far, he couldn¡¯t leave empty-handed. The only advantage was that Colin had plenty of time, with enough blood to fuel his lamp for a long duration.


    Soon, the church doors were fully opened. In the fog-shrouded darkness, the sound of clattering bones echoed continuously.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope this mission ends safely,¡± Colin murmured, holding his lantern as he entered the church to begin his ¡°clean-up.¡±

 Chapter 11: Discovery

    [You discovered that without any obstructions, the ¡°Wailers¡± have a sensing range of about ten meters and are generally not awakened by small disturbances.][However, you also realize that you must never let them make a sound; otherwise, all the ¡°Wailers¡± on the church¡¯s first floor will awaken simultaneously.]


    [In such a case, you will face attacks from dozens of ¡°Wailers¡± in an instant, putting you in an extremely dangerous situation.]


    After Colin and his group entered, the doors suddenly slammed shut. Colin¡¯s ¡°hint¡± in his mind dissipated momentarily.


    ¡°My lord¡­¡± The two servants were somewhat uncertain and anxious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be alarmed; this is just a normal operation. We¡¯ll leave after completing the task,¡± Colin said, his scalp tingling but his tone calm. The automatic closing of doors upon entering a room was a familiar scene from games, but experiencing it in this world felt entirely different. Fortunately, the door closing didn¡¯t cause the ¡°Wailers¡± to awaken en masse; otherwise, Colin felt he might have met his end here.


    As for the intense stench, Colin had somewhat adapted to it. Raising his lantern, the church interior was pitch dark. The only light came from his lantern, and beyond its glow, nothing was visible. The church was incredibly dark. Yet, with the ¡°hint¡¯s¡± guidance, their progress was orderly. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As Colin and his group ventured deeper, the initially empty and silent church echoed with the sound of bones grinding. However, with a few quick footsteps and a thud, everything returned to silence. Despite the hint¡¯s help, an accident occurred. A decapitated head, after being struck and rolling a few times, didn¡¯t die immediately but let out a strange wail. Though the kill notification appeared within three seconds, it was already too late.


    ¡°Damn it. Igot careless!¡± Colin cursed inwardly. After killing over thirty ¡°Wailers¡± with a single strike each, he had grown a bit complacent. But now wasn¡¯t the time for regret. In the next moment, chilling sounds of bones grinding emanated from the darkness, and Colin could feel numerous eerie eyes staring at him! From behind stone pillars, under benches, or in dark corners¡­


    Piercing, shrill, and mournful wails echoed continuously, attacking their minds directly. Covering their ears only slightly mitigated the physical burden. However, the mental and spiritual damage couldn¡¯t be reduced. Each sound felt like a thorny whip lashing his brain, causing excruciating pain.


    ¡°If anyone else came here, misled by the weak ¡®Wailers¡¯ at the entrance into thinking these creatures were not strong, and then walked in, it would be a death trap,¡± Colin thought, gritting his teeth, bloodshot eyes bulging, veins popping on his forehead. It was like trying to sleep on a train with a child screaming loudly next to you, and there were more than one child¡ªone in each seat, screaming along with the train¡¯s clattering, driving one to extreme frustration and despair.


    Fortunately, Colin had a mission to fulfill, chopping down the ¡°children¡± one by one and granting them peace. Colin realized the true difficulty of the task wasn¡¯t the sheer number of mutants, but the church itself! The wails rebounded off the church walls, amplifying in the enclosed space. Within thirty seconds, Colin felt the entire church shaking.


    As he suspected, any ordinary person entering here would trigger a chain reaction and almost certainly die. In the dark, echoing sound waves, pinpointing their exact locations would be nearly impossible, making effective counterattacks difficult. Luckily, Colin was the one on this task, not another survivor.


    With the hint¡¯s help, Colin stopped advancing slowly and began accurately and swiftly counterattacking the source of the sounds. As more ¡°Wailers¡± died, the hall¡¯s noise quickly diminished. Colin¡¯s eyes were bloodshot, and his mind was furious and irritated. Struggling to stay clear-headed and calm, he gripped his axe tightly, each step heavy, moving swiftly to chop down a deformed figure, reducing it to fragments.


    ¡°Last one,¡± Colin muttered, his twisted expression relaxing slightly. The first-floor hall had been cleared. The ¡°Wailers''¡± cries, much like Father Kaidish¡¯s transformed ¡°Mutant ¨C Penitent Priest,¡± triggered extreme emotions and made people lose reason. This time, the wails evoked Colin¡¯s memory of a train journey, triggering extreme anger instead of fear. However, unlike Father Kaidish¡¯s strong control, the ¡°Wailers''¡± effect was weaker, taking longer to manifest.


    Overall, the ¡°Wailers¡± were much more challenging than killing a ¡°Penitent Priest.¡± ¡°I worried about someone getting ahead of me before, but any survivor coming here now would be doomed,¡± Colin thought, sitting on a bench, panting. His reason was slowly returning, but his brain still throbbed, and his ears buzzed, unable to hear clearly. Nearby, the two servants were in no better condition, sweating profusely, eyes bloodshot, and standing vigilantly.


    Looking at the two not particularly tall or strong servants, Colin suddenly realized something peculiar.

 Chapter 12: Uncle Property Manager

    The two people from the novice gift pack seemed to have a trait that made them immune to extreme emotional outbursts. Colin¡¯s main concern was that these two slaves might lose control under the extreme emotions induced by the ¡°wailers,¡± attacking indiscriminately and even turning on him. Surprisingly, he found that while he himself couldn¡¯t resist the urge to strike, the two slaves, although seemingly affected, still adhered to their duty of protecting him without losing control.He wondered if this immunity was common to all recruited characters or just unique to the novice gift pack. Another possibility was that, despite always considering his personal attributes to be superior to his subordinates¡¯, they were actually quite similar. If he could withstand the pressure, so could they. This realization stemmed from a peculiar sense of superiority he had.


    Shaking his head, Colin decided not to dwell on this unanswered question. He took out some water from his backpack to replenish his strength and then pulled out a parchment scroll.


    ¡°The mission is about three-fifths complete. If nothing unexpected happens, the rest should be on the second floor.¡±


    Colin rubbed his throbbing temples, scratched his itchy ears, and shivered. He could hear the heart-wrenching sounds coming from the second floor. After the deformed monsters on the first floor revived, the ones on the second floor naturally started howling as well. The walls and distance muffled these sounds, so they did not harm him much but were very annoying.


    ¡°Really? Why are you all howling so loudly?¡±


    Colin took a deep breath, stood up from his chair, picked up the iron axe and lantern, and said, ¡°Your uncle property manager is coming to see you¡­¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go. Once we¡¯ve dealt with the mutants on the second floor, this will be over.¡±


    The staircase leading to the second floor was near the church door and was a spiral staircase. Colin had seen it before when he executed the deformed monsters, so he didn¡¯t need to spend much time looking for it. The stairs were covered with a red carpet thick with dust, each step leaving a clear footprint.


    Colin glanced upwards to ensure no monsters were hanging from the ceiling, watching him. As he climbed the stairs, his eyes took in the religious relief carvings on the walls and the unique patterns woven by vine thorns.


    The relief carvings were severely worn, but they depicted people performing various acts of penance: some bore thorns while crawling forward on their knees, some walked barefoot on sharp spikes, and others had stones hanging from their necks as they bent over and walked.


    Even with the details missing, Colin could tell they were engaged in some form of alternative prayer. The word ¡°suffering¡± came to his mind, as did the figure of the ¡°Mother of Suffering and Thorns,¡± a high entity who seemed to be associated with the thorny patterns and the people¡¯s actions.


    He wondered how this high entity was connected to the current state of the world and was curious about the world¡¯s history. But for now, they had reached the second floor, and Colin put his thoughts aside.


    The layout of the second floor was different from the single hall of the first floor. A corridor with many rooms on either side replaced it. Most of these room doors were broken, and eerie howling emanated from within.


    ¡°The second floor¡¯s many rooms dilute the sound effects. If these monsters were all on the first floor, it would have been much more troublesome earlier.¡±


    Colin felt somewhat lucky that when the initial aberrations occurred, the monsters seemed to run around wildly. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t be scattered here and there. Without food or other reasons, they all entered a dormant state, which he had just broken as an outsider.


    BAM!


    Colin kicked open a decayed door, and the light revealed a small ¡°wailer¡± roaring at him. By now, Colin was quite immune to these ¡°small tantrums¡± and was not significantly affected in the short term. Without hesitation, he swung his axe, restoring peace.


    After killing the ¡°wailer,¡± he didn¡¯t leave immediately but instead examined the room. It looked like a standard office with a twenty-square-meter space and a large desk. Despite being covered in dust, the dark brown desk was still sturdy and in good condition. Colin tapped it, noting its quality surpassed his own at home.


    The only damage was some bite marks on one corner, but it didn¡¯t affect its usability.


    ¡°This desk has a connection with my home,¡± he muttered, spotting a matching wooden chair in the corner, ¡°and so does this chair.¡±


    With his home furniture dismantled, he could use some replacements. Colin opened his inventory and stored the desk and chair, which took up two slots and were labeled [Lightly Damaged Thorn Desk] and [Thorn Wood Chair].


    Of his initial 16 slots, he had used more than half. Each slot seemed to ignore weight limits, only being restricted by quantity and size. Similar items could be stacked in one slot, like bread, level three water, or venison, but not desks and chairs.


    Otherwise, Colin would have moved all the benches from downstairs to his home. Those could serve as beds and were far more comfortable than the creaky bed in his wooden hut.


    Even if he didn¡¯t need the extra chairs, selling them to other survivors could earn him money. ¡°My mind is drifting more and more,¡± he thought, realizing he needed to rest soon to avoid further distraction and maintain vigilance.


    He noticed that his mental state was deteriorating, as evidenced by the [Mild Mental Damage] status on his slaves¡¯ status bars. They were losing their sanity and required immediate rest to avoid significant distraction and decreased ability to repel attacks.


    Despite this, the hunting continued methodically. Unfortunately, most of the dozen rooms Colin entered were empty or had severely damaged items. The best ones were already in his inventory. S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Too bad expanding the backpack requires over a hundred mist points. Otherwise, I¡¯d empty this place¡­¡±


    Colin sighed, regretting the small inventory capacity. Even broken items could be sold or used as firewood since denser wood burns longer.


    ¡°Next room, let¡¯s go.¡±


    Colin led the way out of the room, but suddenly froze. There were no more rooms ahead; they had reached the end of the corridor. Only a window remained, beyond which loomed the ominous gray fog, glowing faintly.


    There was no way forward.

 Chapter 13: The Tormented Statue

    ¡°Lord, it seems there¡¯s no more noise.¡±Hearing the low whisper of his first servant, Colin snapped out of his daze. The second floor¡ªor rather, the entire church¡ªwas eerily silent, as quiet as a morgue.


    ¡°Really? It¡¯s finally over.¡±


    Colin rubbed his forehead, feeling a bit disoriented, as if his brain had turned to mush. But fortunately, the task was finally complete, and he could return to his cabin for a well-deserved rest.


    However, just as Colin was about to wrap things up, something unexpected happened. He looked at the quest log on the parchment and noticed a question mark that made his expression freeze.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Didn¡¯t I kill them all?¡±


    A flood of questions filled Colin¡¯s mind as he opened the quest list and saw the progress bar was over 99%. This indicated that there was still one ¡°wailer¡± left.


    But at this moment, Colin couldn¡¯t hear any ¡°wailer¡± cries, which was highly unusual. Almost all the ¡°wailers¡± had been awakened earlier, yet one had somehow slipped through.


    This last ¡°wailer¡± must be special; there was no other explanation. Colin couldn¡¯t convince himself that the remaining ¡°wailer¡± was simply deaf or hard of hearing and had slept through the commotion. A gut feeling told Colin that something big was amiss.


    ¡°Lord?¡±


    Seeing Colin¡¯s increasingly serious expression, the second servant also sensed the gravity of the situation and spoke quietly, ¡°If this task is too dangerous, please let us handle it. We are always ready to sacrifice for your will.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that dire,¡± Colin laughed, feeling relieved by his subordinates¡¯ loyalty and determination. Even though he knew their loyalty was pre-programmed and somewhat forced, it still felt reassuring. Without these two, facing the fog alone would be unbearably stressful. In a place like this, mental breakdowns can happen in an instant.


    ¡°Maybe we missed one. Let¡¯s search carefully; we should find it.¡±


    Colin raised his lantern: ¡°You believe the blood in the lantern can burn for another 33 minutes.¡±


    ¡°Almost an hour has passed?¡±


    Colin remembered the lantern had over an hour and twenty minutes of burn time when they started. Now, nearly an hour has passed. But with the blood collected in his inventory, totaling over 100 milliliters, he had enough time.


    Starting from the end of the second-floor corridor, they checked every corner, behind doors, on the ceiling, in the corners, and even outside the windows, but found nothing. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°You realize you¡¯ve thoroughly searched the second floor and haven¡¯t found the last ¡®Howler.¡¯ It might be on the first floor somewhere.¡±


    ¡°The first floor¡­ the only place I didn¡¯t thoroughly check is behind the podium in the main hall.¡±


    Reflecting on his first-floor exploration, Colin noted that the ¡°wailers¡± indeed thinned out the closer he got to the back, almost as if something more dangerous was there. Soon, Colin and his servants reached the main hall and quickly walked to the deepest part of the church. At the end of the red carpet was a lectern, which was empty.


    When Colin arrived, he didn¡¯t see any ¡°wailers¡± or even any bones. Everything seemed normal, but this normalcy was the most abnormal thing of all. Given the ¡°wailers¡¯¡± habits, they should have ventured into this area.


    Increasingly convinced that something had been here, Colin noticed a statue that his first servant pointed out. Raising his lantern, Colin saw an incredibly lifelike statue at the base. As his gaze traveled upward, the statue¡¯s detailed and shocking image became clear. It was a gaunt, naked man bound to a thorny tree in an exaggerated, tortured pose. His hands and feet were twisted into thorny vines, merging with the spiked tree. Yet, despite his painful stance, the man¡¯s face was peaceful, his gaze benevolent, as if looking kindly at Colin and his servants.


    When Colin¡¯s eyes met the statue¡¯s, he felt huge pressure, his breath hitching. Suddenly, a distant and grand male voice echoed in his ears: ¡°My sins¡­¡±


    The voice was ethereal and fleeting. With its appearance, Colin felt as if the statue might come to life. ¡°An extremely tormented statue. You believe it relates to ¡®suffering,¡¯ but you cannot understand its exact significance. You only know it is not the ¡®Mother of Suffering and Thorns¡¯ you¡¯re familiar with.¡±


    Colin¡¯s hand holding the lantern trembled slightly. He looked away, taking deep breaths to calm down. He realized that in that short moment, cold sweat had soaked his back. Yet, after regaining his composure, the statue didn¡¯t seem as terrifying; it was just eerily strange. ¡°It appears sinister, but you believe it¡¯s just a statue.¡±


    This reassurance from the system calmed Colin a bit. The system had never lied¡ªits information was either trivial or accurate. His servants seemed unaffected, likely having heard nothing.


    ¡°It looks like the last monster isn¡¯t here¡­¡±


    There were few places to hide behind the statue, and he found nothing. ¡°Does this mean I need to solve some kind of puzzle?¡±


    Colin frowned; he disliked games requiring too much thinking, especially when his mind felt like mush. ¡°One, two, any thoughts on this?¡±


    His servants were surprised and flattered by Colin¡¯s query but had little knowledge of such matters. In their stereotypical view, evil things often happen in basements. Dragons hide treasures in basements, villains do bad things in basements, criminals are imprisoned in basements, cults perform evil rituals in basements, and the rich hide their loot in basements. So they suggested:


    ¡°¡­The basement?¡±


    Colin raised an eyebrow. If this were just a game, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible. It was a classic element. But if there really was a hidden basement¡­ Where would the entrance be?


    ¡°You notice that the bricks under the lectern seem different, and you boldly guess this is the basement entrance.¡±


    Following the hint, Colin quickly instructed, ¡°Move the table and tap the bricks to see what¡¯s beneath.¡±


    Thud, thud¡­


    Hollow sounds.


    ¡°Lord, there really is a basement!¡± One beamed with joy. The Lord¡¯s perception was sharp!


    Of course¡­ Colin grinned, feeling a sense of closure. This game, or this world¡¯s people, were still naive. Their knowledge needed improvement¡ªthere was no real challenge.


    Shaking his head, Colin directed his servants to lift the red carpet and open the stone slab, uncovering the path to the basement. But just then, a chill ran down Colin¡¯s spine.


    ¡°Big brother¡­ are you looking for me?¡±

 Chapter 14: The Situation Takes a Turn

    The voice appeared abruptly.Colin was squatting, facing the statue with his back to the door. At the moment the voice emerged, his entire body tensed up. He could feel a malevolent presence right behind him.


    The faces of his two subordinates visibly paled. They seemed to want to say something, but Colin¡¯s gaze silenced them to avoid any unforeseen incidents.


    After a brief hesitation, Colin half-turned and looked behind him, seeing a little girl who had inexplicably appeared on the previously empty carpet. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    She was a delicate, doll-like little girl.


    Her figure was somewhat translucent, dressed in a white long dress, with pale hair and an expressionless face. She stood at the edge of the candlelight, tilting her head, her black and white eyes fixed on him.


    The scene was silent for a moment.


    ¡°Big brother, are you looking for me?¡±


    After a brief silence, the little girl spoke again in a haunting, ethereal, and distorted childlike voice.


    ¡°Big brother, I saw you waking up the other children¡­¡±


    ¡°I saw you chop them into pieces, one by one¡­¡±


    ¡°I was so scared, I kept hiding¡­¡±


    ¡°Big brother, we never hurt anyone. We just wanted to survive. We were just waiting for someone to save us¡­¡±


    ¡°Paper, clothes, scraps of fabric, rats, cats, birds, hair, blood, chunks of flesh¡­ We ate everything we could find, struggling to stay alive¡­¡±


    ¡°Grandfather Priest said he would bring people to save us soon. Everyone was trying hard to hold on¡­¡±


    ¡°I could feel it. Grandfather Priest was almost back. Everyone was about to be saved¡­ But why¡­¡±


    ¡°Big brother, we tried so hard to live. Why did you kill us?¡±


    The little girl questioned Colin repeatedly, as if judging him for his ¡°crimes,¡± her voice filled with pain and coldness. And with each word she spoke, the aura she emitted became more terrifying. Her black and white eyes gradually turned blood-red.


    She took step after step, exuding an overpowering and irresistible presence!


    ¡°I¡¯m so scared¡­¡±


    The little girl stopped in front of Colin, looking up with tears of blood flowing from her eyes, streaking down her cheeks and staining her white dress.


    At this moment, she seemed to recall her past suffering. Her delicate face twisted slightly, and a palpable aura of pain emanated from her.


    ¡°Little girl, I¡¯m the one who should be scared!¡±


    Colin¡¯s scalp prickled as he watched the little girl slowly float closer, stepping into the light. But his body felt frozen, unable to move or speak.


    Otherwise, he would have tried to communicate and explain that things were not as she thought¡­ His subordinates behind him also remained motionless. Colin couldn¡¯t tell their exact state, but he guessed it was similar to his. Otherwise, they would have rushed to shield him.


    Feeling the increasingly chaotic energy in those blood-red eyes, Colin¡¯s heart raced, terror flooding him uncontrollably.


    But he couldn¡¯t move!


    The moment he turned around and saw the little girl, it felt as if the surrounding space had solidified. The only entity able to move within this space was that despair-inducing little girl.


    She stepped out of the shadows, her expression growing more deranged and frenzied.


    Calm, calm, calm¡­ Colin frantically called out in his mind, focusing on the obviously inhuman entity.


    [For some unknown reason, you can¡¯t perceive any specific information about the ¡°little girl¡± in front of you. But even without using your brain, you can tell she came from the dead and is a terrifying ghost.]


    [You believe that, with your current strength, you can¡¯t handle this situation. But it¡¯s too late to run now¡­]


    [However, you think this task shouldn¡¯t be so hopeless. You¡­]


    Rip¡­


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    The prompt was interrupted at the most crucial moment!


    A sharp, searing pain tore through Colin¡¯s shoulder. At that moment, he realized the little girl had ripped a chunk of flesh from his left shoulder.


    Blood gushed out, Colin¡¯s face contorted in pain, his eyes twitching, sweat soaking his outer clothes in no time.


    The little girl took the chunk of flesh, chewed it a couple of times, and swallowed it.


    This sight made Colin¡¯s scalp tingle¡­


    No one can remain calm while watching their flesh be eaten in front of them.


    Tsk¡­ The little girl licked the blood off her fingers, carelessly wiping the blood from her face before looking at him again. Her blood-red eyes no longer held the ¡°rationality¡± from before but were filled with grotesque insanity.


    ¡°Big brother, I¡¯m so hungry. You look delicious¡­¡± she said with a perverse joy, like savoring a piece of cake.


    Colin took a deep breath, trying to force himself to stay calm and focus on the prompt, but it was extremely difficult.


    The pain was unbearable!


    Colin felt his left neck and brain cramping.


    Under the severe physical and mental strain, with his emotions chaotic and tense, it was hard to receive prompts, which was a disadvantage!


    At this moment, this disadvantage was particularly deadly!


    It caused Colin to miss the most crucial piece of information.


    Information that concerned his life and death!


    Adrenaline surged through him as he watched the girl reach out again, seemingly ready to consume him entirely.


    Behind him, his two subordinates, their eyes bloodshot, glared at the menacing ghost, longing to take Colin¡¯s place in suffering.


    Their anger and frustration overshadowed their fear.


    But in the face of absolute power, even the greatest rage and frustration were meaningless.


    Just like Colin, they were paralyzed by some invisible force, unable to speak!


    This power differed from the emotional control exercised by the ¡°Penitent Priest¡± and the ¡°wailers¡±. It was another unknown method.


    ¡°Calm down! Calm down! I must stay calm! I can¡¯t rely too much on prompts. The information given just now was already sufficient. The prompt said this task shouldn¡¯t be so hopeless, meaning there¡¯s still a chance¡­¡±


    ¡°Right! Think about it. She seemed to notice us very early on. When we entered, the door closed automatically. I thought it was a ¡®game¡¯ setting, but now I realize it probably wasn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°She appears cautious, but now she seems to be losing control. This is my chance!¡±


    ¡°She definitely isn¡¯t invincible! Otherwise, with this overwhelming power, there¡¯s no reason she didn¡¯t act sooner!¡±


    ¡°We must have triggered some condition of hers.¡±


    Colin¡¯s mind raced faster than it had during his final exams, spurred by the threat of death: ¡°What did I miss? What did I miss¡­¡±


    Rip¡ª


    The slender, pale hand reached into the wound, tearing another piece of muscle. Colin¡¯s face was twisted in pain, veins bulging on his forehead, sweat dripping down his body.


    And at that moment, Colin discovered the method she used to control him!

 Chapter 15: Desperation

    Shadows! It¡¯s the shadows!Colin finally realized that his shadow was unnaturally extending to the little girl¡¯s feet. The shadows of his subordinates were the same. The shadows of the three had twisted and were now being stepped on by the little girl, creating a ¡°road¡± from the light to their bodies.


    The moment their shadows were stepped on, the control was established!


    At this moment, if Colin¡¯s guess was correct, the little girl had only acted now because he had just recently extended his shadow out of the light, giving her the opportunity.


    When he squatted down to examine the basement entrance, the light was in front of him, and a large portion of his shadow had seeped into the darkness, leading to his current predicament. This timing was too coincidental, making Colin suspect it might have been a meticulously planned setup, waiting for him to check the entrance to the underground passage.


    ¡°No, that so-called ¡®basement¡¯ might be a disguise¡­¡±


    After all, if someone knew there was a path leading underground, they would naturally check it out. Not checking it would be fine, but checking it led to trouble¡­


    Before this, although Colin¡¯s shadow had briefly touched the darkness, the duration or extent wasn¡¯t enough for the little girl to control them immediately. This indicated that the girl¡¯s control required a certain amount of time and enough shadow from the original body.


    Without sufficient shadow, she couldn¡¯t activate her ability!


    There was no time to maneuver. It had been nearly three minutes since the little girl first appeared. They had been thoroughly controlled and were unable to resist.


    If, at the beginning, Colin hadn¡¯t turned around but had immediately rolled forward, he might have created some breathing space. Unfortunately, Colin lacked experience in this area and hadn¡¯t thought of this possibility.


    It wasn¡¯t until now that he realized there was operational space in this aspect, but it was too late.


    Since time couldn¡¯t be leveraged, he had to seek a breakthrough from another condition.


    ¡°Her control requires a certain amount of time and enough shadow. How can I reclaim my shadow from her?¡±


    Pain stimulated Colin¡¯s brain, his body spasming and twitching yet forcefully fixed in place, unable to move and at her mercy.


    Colin could feel the cold little hand reaching in again, caressing his bloody flesh.


    ¡°Big brother, do you want to eat together? You taste really good¡­¡± The little girl¡¯s voice was filled with eerie pleasure.


    She seemed to be on the verge of losing control.


    This was a non-human entity born out of despair, yet in the long, stagnant years, she had regained a bit of her original ¡°rationality¡±. This made her timid, fearful, and cautious when she first saw Colin, not revealing herself recklessly. It wasn¡¯t until Colin unknowingly squatted down to inspect the stone slab, exposing his shadow beyond the light, that she fully appeared.


    However, her ¡°rationality¡± was too fragile. Under the stimulation of blood, it was on the brink of collapse, turning into a completely terrifying evil spirit.


    Colin could clearly feel that the little girl now was drastically different from the one three minutes ago! The next second, Colin trembled all over as another chunk of flesh was torn from his wound.


    This was the third time!


    But this time, amid the intense pain, Colin knew the moment had arrived! He no longer resisted the pain but tried to relax as much as possible.


    Just like in winter, when one tenses up against the cold, Colin let go of the pain transmission, allowing the intense agony to instantly spread throughout his body.


    Clang.


    The lantern fell to the ground.


    Muscles cramped uncontrollably, and with Colin¡¯s deliberate control, the lantern slipped from his fingers.


    The crazed little girl seemed indifferent to this, ignoring Colin¡¯s small actions.


    But at this moment, blood from the lantern¡¯s oil spout began to spill out.


    Like alcohol spilling on the ground and being set on fire, flames quickly spread out, creating a blazing inferno around Colin!


    The shadows on the ground flickered wildly!


    The fire, fueled by the dark and tainted blood, burned far more fiercely than ordinary flames, pushing the gray mist back by ten meters. How could the little girl withstand it?


    ¡°The moment has come!¡±


    Colin felt the control over his body loosening!


    He pushed against the ground, pulling back, trying to reclaim control over his body from the shadows.


    The little girl¡¯s face showed extreme aversion to the flames, but she didn¡¯t seem afraid of them. Seeing Colin about to escape, she immediately reached out to grab him!


    But at this moment, his two subordinates also moved.


    One raised an iron axe to chop at her face, while the other swung a wheel at her head.


    However, neither attack had any substantial effect.


    The axe seemed to cut through a phantom, passing right through. The wheel, when swung down, created a gust that blew the little girl a few meters away.


    Although their attacks didn¡¯t harm her, they managed to free the three of them from her control.


    While the fire was still burning, Colin quickly picked up the lantern with his right hand, raising it above his head to keep his shadow as close to his feet as possible!


    Breaking free from control was just the first step!


    At least the hope is greater now!


    Colin glanced at the bloody wound on his left shoulder, feeling a chill in his heart, cursing: I¡¯ve lost nearly half a pound in three minutes! Blood flowed too much from his left arm, rendering it completely powerless and hanging limply. Colin had no time to bandage the wound, as the terrifying evil spirit was right in front of him!


    He could not afford to think about his arm injury, so he pretended not to notice it and focused on the little girl.


    Meanwhile, the evil spirit little girl standing outside the boundary of light was filled with unmistakable bloodlust and malice. She appeared to have lost her ability to speak, her pale hair rising wildly as if blown by the wind, giving the impression that she was insane.


    At this moment, the evil spirit little girl raised her head and let out a frenzied shriek!


    With this shriek, Colin and his two subordinates felt as if the world was covered with a blood-red filter. Blood began seeping from the ceiling, walls, and floor cracks, merging with the bones in the hall.


    The next second, all the bones in the hall seemed to come to life!


    Rattle, rattle, rattle¡­


    The sound of bones clattering echoed like waves.


    These sounds all came from the ¡°mutants¡± Colin had killed not long ago!


    They were resurrected!


    ¡°It¡¯s over!¡±


    The pupils of Servant One and Servant Two shrank suddenly.


    They knew what this meant; when these ¡°wailers¡± sounded, it signaled their imminent death!


    This time, there was no room for luck¡­ S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But at that moment, Colin suddenly threw a piece of foul-smelling flesh at the evil spirit, little girl.


    It came from Father Kaidish.


    In an instant, the church fell silent.

 Chapter 16: Mission Accomplished

    The scene suddenly fell silent.The ghostly little girl looked down at the piece of flesh, speechless, as if she had entered some kind of shutdown state.


    Seizing the moment, Colin tore off the mostly severed sleeve of his left arm and had Servant One help him cover the wound, tying a tight knot. The process was not easy, and Colin¡¯s forehead once again was covered in cold sweat from the pain, his face pale, and his teeth chattering.


    Beyond the pain, the sensation of strength leaving his body as the blood flowed out and the creeping cold made Colin especially anxious and uneasy, as if he could die at any moment.


    Fortunately, despite the pain, the heavy bleeding was temporarily stopped.


    As for the ghostly little girl in her shutdown state, Colin didn¡¯t intend to disturb the current peace. More fundamentally, they had no effective means to harm her.


    The hint suggested that some special materials could be synthesized into new weapons capable of harming the ghost. However, it only mentioned causing harm without indicating how much.


    To avoid provoking the ghostly little girl, Colin refrained from any rash actions.


    With the hint providing some understanding of the current situation, Colin hoped they could sit down and talk peacefully. Fighting wasn¡¯t the solution.


    According to the hint, some things or objects that could evoke emotional responses might directly cause the ghost¡¯s collapse and elimination. However, the description of the girl in the hint was filled with uncertainty.


    ¡°You see a non-human entity that looks like a ghost, exists like a ghost, and was born like a ghost. Even methods against ghosts work on her. So, is she a ghost?¡±


    ¡°You are confused. All you see is chaos. You cannot effectively observe or determine her specific characteristics. You can only make limited guesses based on your knowledge.¡±


    ¡°A mass of chaos¡­ Is this what the golden finger ¡®sees¡¯?¡±


    Colin had an epiphany. Since the hint said so, he might as well treat her as a ghost. After all, methods effective against ghosts worked on her, and Father Kaidish¡¯s flesh had undoubtedly caused her some mental shock.


    However, it was unclear why there were so many children in this church stronghold. Or perhaps it was an evacuation point?


    Colin remembered that in the description of Father Kaidish on the wheel weapon, it was mentioned that he had defeated many mutated creatures with the wheel while waiting in vain for reinforcements.


    So, who were they waiting for?


    ¡°It seems something happened to the reinforcements, and eventually everyone died in despair while waiting.¡±


    Colin felt he was beginning to understand what had transpired here.


    At that moment, Colin noticed the slightly reddish world in his vision began to fade, restoring its original colors. Some violent emotions within him also quickly dissipated.


    Clatter, clatter, clatter¡­


    The gathered bones suddenly fell to the ground, and the recently revived ¡°howlers¡± died again, turning into a pile of bones.


    ¡°Good thing I didn¡¯t cook the priest¡¯s flesh in the soup, or we¡¯d be done for¡­¡±


    Colin felt a wave of relief.


    At this moment, Colin noticed the eerie, ominous blood seeping into the ground cracks, seemingly returning underground.


    ¡°There really is something beneath the church¡­¡±


    For no particular reason, Colin recalled the survivor who died near this forest. He hadn¡¯t thought much of it then, but now he wondered what she had discovered to provoke such a terrifying enemy to hunt her down?


    There was no time to ponder further. After a few minutes of silence, Colin saw that the ghostly little girl finally moved. He quickly gathered his thoughts.


    The ghostly little girl¡¯s eyes turned black again. She slowly squatted down, and picked up the slightly rotting piece of flesh. Being a ghost sensitive to flesh, she recognized it the moment Colin threw it.


    She held the flesh in her hands for a while, then suddenly put it in her mouth and ate it. Her eyes filled with sorrow, she murmured, ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Grandpa Priest¡¯s taste¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s eyelids twitched at this surprising yet unsurprising action.


    The ghost then stood up again, looking around, her gaze passing over the broken bones.


    ¡°¡­I remember¡­ Grandpa Priest said he would bring back reinforcements to take us away¡­ but we never saw him again¡­ But everyone kept holding on in the church. As we waited, the children died one by one¡­¡±


    ¡°In the end, we encountered pollution. Both the dead and the living turned into monsters, crying out in pain¡­ I, the last survivor, prayed to the Mother Goddess for a miracle, for the children to suffer less, but I forgot what happened next. There are many things I can¡¯t remember¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t remember how I became like this, or what I did. I just remember being in great pain, and I was hungry for a long time. I think I starved to death¡­¡±


    The little girl spoke incoherently, her voice filled with pain and despair, as she slowly turned around.


    When she turned to face Colin again, he felt his heart skip a beat upon seeing her eyes turning red again.


    This meant her madness would soon return!


    ¡°So, it¡¯s only a temporary suppression¡­¡±


    Feeling increasingly heavy-hearted, Colin prepared to take out the synthesis table to create weapons to fight the ghost in a last-ditch effort.


    However, at that moment, he heard the girl say, ¡°Big brother, can I borrow that weapon? I feel like I¡¯m about to lose control¡­¡±


    She pointed at the wooden wheel, the special weapon modified by Father Kaidish.


    Without much hesitation, Colin agreed to her request and had Servant One throw the weapon over. S?a??h th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The little girl caught the wooden wheel, almost as big as her, and looked at the wooden spikes. She smiled innocently at Colin, saying, ¡°Thank you.¡±


    As soon as she finished speaking, a white light appeared on the wheel. The next moment, she pressed the spiked side against herself.


    Crack¡­


    The wooden spikes pierced her chest, and her body cracked like a shattered mirror, with bright red blood flowing from the cracks.


    Through the gaps, Colin vaguely saw a skeletal corpse within her.


    In the next second, she disintegrated like ash.


    ¡°Big brother, leave quickly. I can feel it coming.¡± Her voice, faint and distorted, echoed.


    Colin didn¡¯t have time to listen carefully. Suddenly, he felt compelled to take out the parchment.


    The mission was complete!

 Chapter 17: The Suffering Hunter

    ¡°Congratulations on completing the triggered quest ¡®Bring Peace to the Children.¡¯ You have been awarded 10 Fog Points, 100 ml of Ordinary Tainted Blood, 10 Stiff Black Bread, and a Title Attribute Gift Box.¡±¡°Quest rewards have been sent to your [inventory]. Please check.¡±


    Colin immediately poured the 100 ml of Ordinary Tainted Blood into the almost depleted lantern.


    In an instant, the dim candlelight brightened, pushing the fog from a five-meter radius to ten meters away.


    His field of vision suddenly expanded!


    ¡°Not only does it burn for three hours, but the light range has also changed.¡±


    Colin was stunned, his activity space had doubled, and he took a moment to adjust.


    On reflection, he recalled a hint about the range expanding but had ignored the extent.


    As Colin was about to use Fog Points to ¡°heal¡± his injuries, additional system text appeared before him.


    ¡°Task Completion Rating: S (SSS is the highest).¡±


    ¡°Due to your excellent performance in nearly perfectly completing the quest, additional rewards will be granted.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations! You have obtained ¡®Recovery Card *1,¡¯ added to your inventory!¡± s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Congratulations! You have obtained ¡®Level 1 Inventory Expansion Card *1,¡¯ automatically used due to insufficient inventory slots!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations! You have obtained ¡®Fog Points *10,¡¯ added to your inventory!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations! You have obtained ¡®Treasure Map Fragment *1,¡¯ added to your inventory!¡±


    A series of four rewards flashed before his eyes, and Colin couldn¡¯t suppress a smile.


    He quickly opened his [inventory], which now had thirty-six slots!


    ¡°Recovery Card (Lord Only): Completely restores all bodily functions and removes all negative effects.¡±


    ¡°Note: As long as there¡¯s a breath left, this person won¡¯t die. Even Death can¡¯t change that, I promise!¡±


    ¡°Tsk, this note is cheeky.¡±


    Colin chuckled and immediately used the [Recovery Card].


    The next second, he felt a special power sweep over him, and in less than a second, all his pain vanished!


    ¡°Woohoo~¡±


    Colin exhaled deeply.


    The feeling of being healthy again was fantastic!


    ¡°Congratulations, Lord!¡± His two servants immediately congratulated him.


    Colin waved them off and then looked at the attribute gift box in his inventory, deciding to open it. A black iron badge appeared in its place.


    ¡°Name: Suffering Hunter.¡±


    ¡°Type: Level 1 Title.¡±


    ¡°Usage: Wear on any part of the body.¡±


    ¡°Attribute: When wearing this title, all your personal attributes will increase by thirty percent (minimum not less than 0.3, increase less than 0.1 are not counted).¡±


    ¡°Special Effect 1: ¡®Hunting Time¡¯: When this skill is activated, your strength, agility, and endurance will double, entering an extremely calm hunter mode (lasts three minutes, can be extended to ten minutes, but will cause temporary fatigue, cooldown 1-3 hours).¡±


    ¡°Note 1: Weakness can sometimes follow after excessive exhaustion¡­¡±


    ¡°Special Effect 2: ¡®Mutant Scholar¡¯: After killing one hundred ¡®mutants,¡¯ you will activate the exclusive ¡®Weakness Perception¡¯ effect when facing ¡®mutants¡¯ (the effect acquisition speed slows if the enemy is too strong).¡±


    ¡°Note 2: No tricks, just skill.¡±


    ¡°Attention: This title has growth potential. Next upgrade condition: Kill one lord-level mutant, three elite mutants, and one hundred ordinary mutants.¡±


    Seeing the familiar description, Colin¡¯s eyes lit up. The benefits of overall attribute enhancement were obvious.


    Although it was not as powerful as the priest¡¯s wheel weapon at the moment, this percentage increase would grow with him.


    Even now, a 0.3 increase in all attributes is significant for Colin.


    And that first special effect was a godsend!


    Strength, agility, endurance¡ªbasically, ¡°stronger, faster, more resilient.¡±


    If used wisely, Colin could turn many desperate situations around.


    Its importance was self-evident.


    ¡°But this note is a bit cheeky¡­¡± Colin scoffed internally. ¡°Real men only need three minutes.¡±


    Besides the active effect, the second special effect was also quite strong.


    Most of the enemies in the gray fog were ¡°mutants.¡± With this skill, he naturally suppressed all ¡°mutants.¡±


    He could quickly target their weak points for a fatal blow.


    However, this effect somewhat overlapped with Colin¡¯s golden finger, as he could also learn an enemy¡¯s weak points through prompts.


    One was a passive, instinctive ability, while the other required active thinking, with different effects.


    ¡°Wait, these two can be used together. Against stronger monsters, I can use prompts and this passive to quickly find weak points, even for high-level enemies¡­¡±


    The only downside was that it only applied to mutants.


    But most monsters in the fog seemed to be ¡°mutants¡± for now, making it perfect for the early stages.


    More importantly, this title could grow!


    Though its growth potential was unknown, its current attributes were already terrifying to Colin. The next upgrade could be even more powerful.


    Colin pinned the ¡°Suffering Hunter¡± badge inside his jacket pocket, immediately feeling a pleasant sensation throughout his body.


    The first noticeable change was his improved vision, which was followed by physical and mental enhancements.


    Colin felt like he could face ten opponents!


    ¡°Treasure Map Fragment *3: Collect seven fragments to obtain a complete treasure map. Exploring the treasure map will yield rich rewards!¡±


    ¡°Note: Obtain through quests or killing monsters.¡±


    ¡°You realize there might be such a fragment outside your home. Starting a treasure hunt early is crucial for your growth.¡±


    ¡°Three fragments¡­ The other two came from that female survivor. She must have found something.¡±


    After a quick glance, Colin refocused, not planning to review his gains here.


    He was still in the wild, which is not an ideal place.


    So far, he hasn¡¯t stopped for more than three minutes.


    ¡°Time to go back.¡±


    Colin looked at the benches.

 Chapter 18: Close The Door, It Can’t Get In

    Ultimately, Colin decided not to pick up the wooden chairs. Although, as a dedicated scavenger, he usually never missed anything that looked like trash but might be useful, he felt uneasy recalling the little girl¡¯s final words.¡°It¡¯s coming? Who is ¡®it¡¯?¡±


    Colin remembered that Father Kaidish¡¯s soul image had mentioned something similar. Initially, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention, thinking it was far from him, but the little girl¡¯s sudden disappearance and her words brought back memories of the female survivor.


    This ¡°it¡± could very well be the ¡°Bigfoot¡± monster. If it were, he would surely be doomed.


    Colin¡¯s mind wandered, but as he neared the main door, he froze, halting abruptly. The next second, he heard a distant footstep outside.


    The footsteps were faint, as if coming from a considerable distance, but the word ¡°heavy¡± involuntarily came to mind.


    It couldn¡¯t be this coincidental¡­ Colin¡¯s gaze tightened as he sensed a tingling, ominous feeling seeping through the door.


    ¡°Lord, the sound seems far off and the steps are slow. Should I take the lantern and lead it away?¡± Servant Two asked resolutely.


    He realized how terrifying the source of the sound was and wanted to buy time for the lord to escape.


    ¡°No.¡± Colin shook his head, not out of kindness but because he knew they wouldn¡¯t escape. None of them could.


    They needed another plan.


    Gritting his teeth, Colin gave up opening the door and quickly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs!¡±


    Meanwhile, the footsteps outside grew closer, each step heavy and distinct due to the creature¡¯s massive body.


    As they reached the second floor, Colin was about to look out the hallway window when he had a sudden realization.


    ¡°You two, take the lanterns downstairs and bolt the door. It shouldn¡¯t be able to get in for a while!¡±


    After the little girl vanished, the downstairs door lost its seal. If left open, the creature would likely break through.


    Colin speculated that the previous monster stayed away because of the ¡°Wailer¡± inside the church. Without its presence, the monster didn¡¯t attack.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The two servants took the lanterns obtained from the female survivor and went downstairs.


    Colin peeked through a slightly open window, looking into the thick white fog, towards the sound. S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon, a prompt appeared in his mind.


    ¡¾Although you haven¡¯t seen the monster, the heavy footsteps and terrifying aura clearly indicate that the creature outside is a lord-level mutant!¡¿


    ¡¾It is hunting living creatures in the forest. You don¡¯t have means to confront it directly!¡¿


    ¡¾Against it, you are powerless!¡¿


    A lord-level mutant¡­ I¡¯m just an ordinary little hunter¡­


    Colin felt a wave of helplessness. He really needed to check the calendar before going out next time.


    Just then, footsteps echoed in the hallway, and the two servants returned.


    ¡°The door is bolted, Lord!¡±


    Colin nodded, extinguishing their lanterns¡¯ blood. Before he could speak, a massive, deformed, tumor-covered foot suddenly appeared in the fog outside the window.


    With a loud thud, Colin shut the window before he could fully see it, not daring to look further. He even suppressed the urge to observe it for hints, knowing it was a suicidal act.


    Lord-level mutants could negatively affect ordinary people just by being seen. They could even kill with a glance.


    So Colin didn¡¯t look.


    The next second, a loud thud came from the main door. Dust fell inside the church as the creature banged on the door.


    They were now separated by only a door.


    Colin immediately retreated with the others, leaving the window.


    ¡°Has it stopped?¡±


    After moving away, Colin noticed the banging had ceased. Surprisingly, after one hit, the monster became quiet.


    Colin moved to the staircase and looked down. The tightly closed door revealed nothing, but a glance through the bottom gap confirmed something was outside. Colin knew the door, though sturdy-looking, wouldn¡¯t hold for long.


    For some reason, the creature didn¡¯t seem to want to break through.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s wary of the church¡­¡±


    Colin speculated, waiting a few minutes on the staircase. Confirming the monster wasn¡¯t acting, he led the two downstairs towards the hall¡¯s back.


    He wanted to check the underground passage beneath the pulpit as a possible escape route. If there was a way out, it had to be there.


    Colin removed his shoes, stepping barefoot to minimize noise and avoid provoking the monster outside.


    Soon, they reached the statue. Colin held the lantern, avoiding past mistakes. He kept his shadow within the light, staying vigilant.


    The two servants cleared the basement entrance. It was about a meter square, with stairs leading into darkness.


    A prompt appeared.


    ¡¾You sense this entrance doesn¡¯t lead to an ordinary basement but a dangerous area.¡¿


    ¡¾Judging by its direction, you think it leads to Crow Mountain, possibly hiding an unknown treasure related to the deceased Father Kaidish.¡¿


    ¡¾However, you feel that, in your current need for rest, it¡¯s not the right time to explore.¡¿


    ¡¾You believe it¡¯s a death trap.¡¿


    Feeling the prompt, Colin¡¯s body grew cold. This was the first time the hint was so direct.


    Entering would mean certain death.

 Chapter 19: An Illogical World

    ¡°We can¡¯t go this way,¡± Colin said in a grave tone, halting his subordinates¡¯ urge to explore further.So far, the hints have been accurate, except for the minor surprise with the ghostly little girl. Thus, Colin chose not to attempt entering the underground passage, deciding to think of another solution first.


    His two servants had no doubts about Colin¡¯s command. Experience had shown that their lord¡¯s decisions were always wise and powerful.


    Turning back, Colin noted that the monster was still outside. It seemed to be just sitting there quietly, waiting for them to break down, rather than taking any immediate action.


    The only good news was that they had recently completed a triggered quest, and their lantern¡¯s blood supply was sufficient, giving them a bit more time. However, this break wouldn¡¯t last forever.


    ¡°Lord, the creature seems inactive. Should we try to sneak out through the window?¡± Servant Two whispered.


    ¡°Idiot!¡± Before Colin could respond, Servant One scolded, ¡°If that monster were as stupid as you, it would be easy to deal with. Do you think the Lord would be in this dilemma if it were that simple? You¡¯d be killed before you even hit the ground.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Servant Two apologized, realizing his mistake.


    Just as Colin was about to speak, his expression changed drastically.


    ¡¾You suddenly realize that you have been exploring for three hours and twenty-six minutes. You feel that if you cannot return to the cabin within the next one hour and seven minutes, your chances of surviving the night are extremely slim.¡¿


    ¡°Three hours? It felt like just over an hour. And didn¡¯t you say time wouldn¡¯t be an issue for this mission?¡± Colin¡¯s face turned grim.


    One hour and seven minutes. In reality, he only had thirty minutes to find a solution.


    If he couldn¡¯t figure something out within thirty minutes¡­


    Things would become very dire.


    Although Colin didn¡¯t know exactly what would happen at nightfall, he understood it would be terrifying.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Lord?¡± The two servants noticed Colin¡¯s sudden change in demeanor and became cautious, unsure if their earlier argument had angered him.


    ¡°Nothing. It doesn¡¯t concern you,¡± Colin shook his head, not intending to share the information. It would only add to their stress without helping.


    A minute of silence passed.


    Suddenly, Colin had an idea. He took out a parchment and opened the ¡¾World Chat¡¿.


    ¡°Please, someone help me. I¡¯m dying of thirst. I don¡¯t even have urine to drink anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°Begging for the lantern lighting method. I swear my life will be yours¡­¡±


    ¡°Hasn¡¯t someone already said that the first person to give such a hint will face an unbearable terror? No one wants to be the first. Don¡¯t be naive. Join me in waiting for death¡­¡±


    ¡°If you still want to see the sun tomorrow, use your reserve food. I¡¯m guessing the game gives us the same stamina. If we can¡¯t figure out the lantern lighting method on the first day and be ruthless, we¡¯ll starve to death.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, I want to help, but I don¡¯t want to face that thing. Facing it will drain my energy and threaten my life¡­ This game is too cruel¡­¡±


    The chat was filled with pessimism and despair.


    Colin realized that revealing the lantern lighting method would bring unknown terrifying consequences, which he had already suspected. However, he didn¡¯t know it targeted only the first person.


    This fear kept billions from speaking up or helping each other.


    Colin opened the chat because he had a bold idea¡ª


    He planned to reveal the lantern lighting method.


    Based on the hints, the lord-level mutant outside was hunting people in the forest. If someone else entered, the monster would likely leave.


    Colin believed that the lord-level mutant could sense others in the forest. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t be at his door.


    Once he revealed the method, everyone would quickly learn how to light the lanterns, including those in Colin¡¯s area.


    If anyone entered the forest within thirty minutes, Colin would have a chance to escape!


    ¡¾In your desperation, you came up with this plan. You believe it, though uncertain, has some feasibility. It¡¯s a better option than any other you have.¡¿


    ¡¾However, you realize this will subject you to an unavoidable punishment in a few days.¡¿


    ¡¾Surviving the punishment will be extremely difficult, and you¡¯ll need to pass a willpower test before then, which is why no one dares to be the first.¡¿


    ¡°A punishment in a few days,¡± Colin squinted. Right now, his immediate survival is more important.


    To hell with a few days later; he needed to live now! S?a??h th? N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Quickly, Colin edited a message. Just as he was about to send it, he froze, his eyes unfocused, and his pupils dilated.


    In an instant, he was plunged into darkness. It felt like his vision, hearing, smell, and all senses were stripped away. He could only feel extreme darkness.


    If not for his remaining consciousness, Colin would have thought he was dead.


    Suddenly, the darkness twisted, becoming impure and filled with inexplicable things.


    These things defied logic, with immense, celestial bodies and unimaginable speed, operating by unknown laws.


    Colin felt insignificant. He tried using his hint ability for information but was chilled by the instinct not to do so.


    A strange coldness rose from within as Colin sensed some mysterious entities observing him, making his skin crawl.


    Before he could react, he saw a bloodshot, giant eyeball appear ahead.


    ¡°What the hell is this?!¡±


    Colin¡¯s scalp tingled. Under the eyeball¡¯s gaze, his perception twisted.


    The eyeball radiated pure malice, making the crazy little girl seem gentle in comparison.


    Colin felt intense unease and a desire to retreat. But he knew retreat meant death.


    Gradually, everything vanished. He returned to reality.


    It was as if nothing had happened.


    He had passed the willpower test.

 Chapter 20: A Thousand Fog Points in the Fog

    ¡°The monster seemed to take a few steps back¡­¡± Colin heard Servant One¡¯s voice as soon as he woke up.A few steps back?


    Colin had an inkling but noticed that his two subordinates seemed unaware of his strange experience. This meant that the encounter, which felt long to him, had likely lasted only a few seconds in reality.


    ¡°Is this what they call a strong will?¡± Colin thought, his heart still racing. Even though the bizarre scene had vanished, he remained deeply frightened. If he had failed the willpower test, he wouldn¡¯t have had the courage to act. No wonder so many people preferred to die rather than face it¡­


    Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Colin looked at the chat channel. He hesitated for a moment, then sent his message.


    There was one hour left. Whether they survived, it depended on themselves¡­


    The chat channel was still lively. But as soon as a message appeared, the speed at which the world channel refreshed visibly slowed.


    ¡°Method to light the lantern: Drop a drop of blood on the wick. You can use your own blood or someone else¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°The lantern¡¯s blood supply will burn for one hour. There¡¯s one hour until dark. Whether you survive depends on yourselves.¡±


    ¡°Additionally, if you are willing, please forward this message to everyone. Do not worry about punishment; I alone will bear it.¡±


    ¡°Also, do not blame others or thank me. I am not a saint, nor do I intend to be.¡±


    ¡°Finally, I wish all survivors could overcome difficulties, face fear bravely, and fight for a new dawn and future.¡±


    This long message filled everyone¡¯s vision. Almost instantly, everyone who saw it believed its content.


    It was etched onto their parchments, occupying nearly half the page, ensuring everyone saw it. The key point was that these words weren¡¯t the usual yellow of the world channel but a blood-red, glaring, and eerie one!


    Except for those exploring and unable to check, nearly everyone saw this message. Those who had previously tried to convey information but retreated under pressure were especially shocked. They knew better than anyone the immense psychological pressure of facing that thing.


    Someone actually succeeded!


    Who was this person?


    Everyone had the same question. Just then, new text appeared on the parchment a few seconds after the message froze.


    ¡¾Major Announcement: The safety system detected a survivor posting a prohibited message. This message is extremely dangerous and disrupts the game¡¯s stability. The system will impose an ironclad punishment in seven days.¡¿


    ¡¾Additionally, the system will disclose the individual¡¯s personal information, issuing a red-name warning and a seven-day assassination bounty.¡¿


    ¡¾Due to the global significance and severe impact of this violation, the bounty period will be extended to one year!¡¿


    ¡¾Name: Colin.¡¿


    ¡¾Survivor ID: 654321.¡¿


    ¡¾Bounty Amount: 1000 Fog Points.¡¿


    ¡¾Bounty Duration: Valid for one year (if the target dies beforehand, the bounty is nullified).¡¿


    ¡¾Note: The system¡¯s authority cannot be challenged. Let this be a lesson to all survivors to cherish their lives and follow the game rules.¡¿


    A few seconds later, all information disappeared, and the chat channel exploded in the first second of recovery.


    ¡°Holy crap, someone actually posted the lantern lighting method! Amazing, those red words are terrifying to look at¡­¡±


    ¡°Who is this Colin? Which area is he in? How did he withstand that pressure?!¡±


    ¡°So touching, Someone really stood up for us!¡±


    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re getting emotional? He just gave you a lantern lighting method, and you think he¡¯s some good person?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, stop being so sentimental. Maybe he has ulterior motives and wants us to die; he is a hypocrite. Do you think we are all fools?¡±


    ¡°Shut your mouth, you piece of trash; if I find out who you are, I will destroy your entire family!¡±


    ¡°I swear, anyone who goes after Colin, I will spend my life hunting you down if I survive!¡±


    ¡°Count me in! I even bought a speaker to curse that idiot. Colin is about to face punishment for us, we can¡¯t let him down!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, act quickly. Don¡¯t waste Colin¡¯s good intentions. Whether you want to repay him or not, you need to survive first!¡±


    ¡°Be careful not to wander too far; it¡¯s easy to get lost. Always mark your path, and beware of mutants nearby.¡±


    ¡°Forwarding, the lantern lighting method¡­¡±


    ¡°Using me as a warning, huh¡­¡± S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Colin saw the world announcement, just like everyone else. This exceeded his expectations. If he had known the entire area could see the message, he wouldn¡¯t have added the third sentence asking others to forward it.


    Still, he could only commend the system¡¯s major announcement. It meant his message would spread even faster, giving him more time.


    ¡°The bounty is a problem, though. For a year, I can¡¯t expose my identity panel, or someone will backstab me. I didn¡¯t expect to be worth a thousand fog points¡­¡± Colin laughed at himself.


    He knew how valuable fog points were, acting as an all-purpose currency crucial for personal and subordinate enhancements. People might talk big, but faced with such a reward, even saints would hesitate. Human nature was fickle.


    At that moment, Colin¡¯s ¡¾Private Channel¡¿ notifications exceeded those of the ¡¾World Channel¡¿. However, he had no mood to check those messages now. He glanced at the ¡¾Regional Channel¡¿ to ensure his region saw the critical information, then closed the parchment.


    Colin looked up at the bloody red name hovering over him and, with the help of a prompt, turned it off.


    This game allowed players to choose whether to display their names. As long as Colin didn¡¯t show his identity panel, no one would know he was the red name.


    ¡°Yes, this respects personal privacy.¡±


    Colin felt like making a sarcastic remark. Then he turned to his two servants and said, ¡°Wait. If the monster hasn¡¯t left in the last thirty minutes, we¡¯ll go underground¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡±


    Time until nightfall: 57 minutes.

 Chapter 21: Swift as the Wind

    Under the world shrouded in gray fog, everything was cold and silent. For millions of years, death and madness had been the only eternal themes here. The sudden emergence of new things had not brought any change.Night had already fallen, and by tomorrow, this land would be marked by even more death and decay. But at this moment, something unexpected seemed to occur.


    In a world that had been silent for an unknown length of time and would continue to be silent for an unknown length of time, some light points began to appear. From sparse to scattered, and then to as numerous as the stars in the sky, all this seemed to happen in less than a quarter of an hour.


    Some lights were swallowed by the darkness shortly after they appeared, but more and more lights emerged from it. They were not dazzling, but they were definitely burning.


    Colin, carrying the lantern filled with fresh blood, looked at his two servants after closing the parchment: ¡°It¡¯s time to upgrade you.¡±


    There were two ways to upgrade servants: one was to upgrade their personal levels, and the other was to use materials to synthesize special characters. The former usually only consumed fog points and was quite easy, requiring just a click. However, this kind of upgrade wouldn¡¯t grant any special skills, only a certain attribute boost. The latter required blueprints and corresponding items and materials, which could synthesize special characters like archers, warriors, cavalry, or even mages. This method was relatively troublesome, but Colin had a huge advantage in this aspect. As long as he knew what special characters others had synthesized, he could also create one if he wished.


    At this moment, Colin was going to do the former, simply upgrading the servants¡¯ personal levels. Upgrading one person once required about 5 fog points.


    The two servants were about to express their gratitude when Colin stopped them and gestured towards the door, indicating silence. Then, Colin opened their personal panels and spent five fog points on each to upgrade them.


    In the next second, Colin saw a noticeable change in his two small-framed servants, who were less than 1.6 meters tall. Their waist, abdomen, and limb muscles visibly bulged as if they had undergone a period of standard training. Their height also increased, clearly reaching 1.6 meters.


    ¡¾Slave Two¡¿


    Identity: A slave solely belonging to Colin.


    Status: ¡°Excited,¡± ¡°Mild Mental Damage,¡± ¡°Exhilarated.¡±


    Satiety: 37


    Level: 1 (Max 5)


    Strength: 1.5


    Endurance: 1.4


    Stamina: 1.3


    Sanity: 0.9 ¡­


    Not bad¡­ Colin nodded secretly. All attributes increased by 0.2; now each basic attribute was above 1.2. With the excited buffs, their key attributes were now around 1.5. Especially Servant One, whose strength, endurance, and stamina directly broke through 2.0, twice that of an average person. However, when they ran later, this attribute would be gone. After all, the wheels would be taken off.


    ¡°Good, get used to it. Our action time is approaching,¡± Colin said, suppressing his heartache, giving the two a nod of approval. According to the prompt, this upgrade could be achieved through normal training, but it would take one or two weeks. Colin was out of time and had no other choice.


    ¡°Yes, Lord,¡± the two subordinates said, beginning to stretch their bodies to feel their newfound strength. Colin withdrew his gaze from them, focused on the lantern in his hand, feeling its glow, and waited for things to unfold as he expected.


    Each area had a thousand survivors. Colin didn¡¯t know how large a region was, but it shouldn¡¯t be too vast; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have encountered another survivor so quickly.


    One minute, two minutes, three minutes¡­ ten minutes passed. There was no movement outside the door. Twenty minutes¡­ no movement. Thirty minutes¡­ still nothing.


    ¡°Is this plan too risky¡­¡± Colin felt anxious; even his breathing became difficult, and he fell into an indescribable unease. There were less than twenty-seven minutes until dark. This was the red line. Every second beyond this would greatly increase the difficulty of returning home.


    ¡°Wait one more minute, just one more minute¡­¡± Colin¡¯s forehead unknowingly became covered with cold sweat, his body trembling slightly. The countdown in his mind felt like a death countdown, making him both calm and restless.


    The crucial thing was that, after thirty minutes, there was still no movement outside¡­


    At that moment, Colin felt a touch on his shoulder. His body tensed and then relaxed. s?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Lord! That monster just left!¡± Servant One said excitedly.


    ¡°Good!¡± Colin replied, feeling a surge of strength and warmth on his cheeks. After a brief pause, he asked with excitement, ¡°Which direction did it go?¡±


    ¡°In the opposite direction,¡± Servant Two replied, knowing what Colin wanted to ask, though they didn¡¯t understand how their lord knew the monster would leave.


    ¡°Do we act now?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Colin roughly calculated the monster¡¯s speed, ¡°we start in three minutes. Go lower the gate valve now.¡±


    The two subordinates had no objections. Soon, three minutes passed. Almost at the first second of the third minute, the church door was immediately opened, just enough for a person to pass through. Three figures ran out in succession.


    It was getting dark, and Colin noticed the visible distance outside the lantern light shrinking. He could feel that something bad was about to happen in this world.


    Without much thought, Colin glanced at the path he took coming here, squinting slightly as the route became etched in his mind. Corresponding it with the hints, a rough ¡°map¡± appeared in his mind. After a brief pause of less than three seconds, Colin, with an ax in his right hand and a lantern in his left, rushed toward the direction of the withered forest.


    The two servants followed closely behind. Leaving the forest from the church took only about ten minutes. In a fast run, this time could be almost halved. Once out of the forest, Colin estimated it would take only ten minutes to return to the wooden house, given the smooth path. After all, he had walked here in the morning, not run.


    However, just as Colin left the forest, he suddenly felt a slight tremor in the ground. The next second, he and his two servants sensed a chilling gaze from behind them! The monster was chasing them!


    ¡°Damn, it¡¯s only been two minutes! How is it so fast?!¡± Colin cursed silently. The crucial point was that he didn¡¯t know if the monster would chase them out of the forest.


    ¡°Keep up!¡± Colin shouted. At that moment, the two servants felt their lord¡¯s aura change, becoming like a cold and ruthless predator. The next second, they saw Colin running as if he were flying! It was ¡°Hunting Time¡±!

 Chapter 22: Condensed Light Stone

    Bang! The wooden door was slammed shut.After much struggle and effort, Colin and his companions finally returned indoors before nightfall. As the wooden door closed, Colin leaned against it, feeling a strong sense of safety. The ¡°Hunting Time¡± was deactivated, and his demeanor reverted to its usual gentleness. The exploration took four hours. Despite several close calls, they managed to come out unscathed.


    Of course, the dangers were numerous, but the rewards were equally rich. Colin obtained a substantial amount of resources and important items, and even his two servants were upgraded. These improvements would place him ahead of most others. However, before anything else, Colin threw himself onto the wooden bed, his tense nerves finally able to relax. But he was both tired and hungry.


    Rest wasn¡¯t an option yet.


    At the same time, the two servants, who had been panting heavily since entering the house, finally caught their breath. Throughout the escape, they had used all their strength just to keep up with Colin¡¯s pace, nearly being left behind several times. The Lord was too powerful for them to keep up!


    At that moment, all three inside the house felt a sense of trepidation, and they simultaneously looked out the window. The once faintly illuminated world of gray fog had suddenly darkened. The gray fog seemed to come alive, writhing outside the window, with occasional low growls and faint screams emanating from the mist.


    Inside the wooden house, an unknown source of dim light illuminated the room.


    ¡¾Night has fallen. You estimate it will last at least twelve hours.¡¿


    Twelve hours¡­ the day was also twelve hours long, indicating this world operated on a 24-hour cycle. They must have been transported here in the afternoon¡­ Colin¡¯s thoughts wandered, but he suddenly felt a wave of anxiety and quickly refocused.


    ¡°Stop looking. Eat some porridge,¡± Colin said, kicking aside a pile of rotten wood next to the bed and retrieving the table and chairs he had ¡°collected¡± from the church earlier.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit big¡­¡± Colin looked at the wooden table, which took up nearly a fifth of the space, and shook his head. ¡°Never mind.¡± He also retrieved a long bench, but there was no room to place it in the house. He took out the stone pot and stone bowls, along with bread and water, and directly combined them into porridge.


    Then Colin began taking inventory.


    20 liters of Grade 3 water. Slightly to moderately spoiled meat from various animals *12. Treasure map fragments *3. Hunter title. Ax and lantern set. Four long benches. Black bread *8. Thorns of Suffering *4. Kaidish¡¯s wooden wheel. Condensed Light Stone *2. 107 ml of Foul Tainted blood. 71 ml of Ordinary Tainted blood. Bones, wood, stones¡­


    Various materials almost filled the ¡¾inventory¡¿. Colin took out the wood and stone, instructing his two servants to stack them at the foot of the bed. Then, Colin¡¯s gaze settled on two items in the inventory, deep in thought. One was the Condensed Light Stone obtained from the female survivor, and the other was the wooden wheel obtained from Father Kaidish.


    ¡°Condensed Light Stone: A special mineral emitting a faint white light.¡±


    ¡°Note: Using it can dispel fear, confusion, and other negative effects, harm undead creatures, and accelerate the healing of wounds in ordinary creatures.¡±


    ¡¾Hint: You feel familiar with it. You remember seeing a similar power in Father Kaidish¡¯s wooden wheel. You vaguely sense that if you absorb this power, you might gain a unique ability.¡¿


    ¡°Gaining a unique ability¡­¡± Colin¡¯s heart raced. ¡°This is definitely a treasure¡­¡±


    He almost instinctively felt that this item was related to the underground passage of the church. This suspicion was confirmed when he examined the wooden wheel later. After the little girl used it to commit suicide, Colin found its name changed from ¡°Blood-Stained Broken Wooden Wheel¡± to ¡°Kaidish¡¯s Wooden Wheel.¡± Simultaneously, its description also changed.


    ¡°¡®Kaidish¡¯s Wooden Wheel¡¯: If the holder enters a state of rage while holding it, the remaining power in the wheel can be triggered, emitting holy light.¡±


    ¡°Remaining uses: 3 times.¡± s?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¾Hint: As one of the thirteen saints of the Church of Suffering, known as the ¡®Saint of Light,¡¯ Father Kaidish was ostracized and isolated by other saints. This seemed related to the power he used. The church believed that the ¡®light¡¯ used by Father Kaidish was not a ¡®miracle¡¯ granted by the ¡®Mother of Suffering and Thorns¡¯ but an evil power obtained by selling his soul to a demon, capable of bewitching people. In an unfavorable incident, the church used this as a pretext to execute all of Father Kaidish¡¯s devoted followers, stripped him of his saint title, and banished him back to the place where he first demonstrated ¡®miracles,¡¯ forbidding anyone to follow him.¡¿


    ¡°¡­The church is definitely the bad guy here.¡± Colin thought of the deformed monster lying on the ground, unable to reconcile it with the ¡°Saint of Light¡± in the hint. Considering the actions of the church and the priest, the distinction between good and evil was clear.


    Without further thought, Colin turned his attention to the last part of the hint. Father Kaidish was banished back to the place where he first demonstrated miracles. This place¡­ was likely behind the church¡¯s underground passage. No, there should be more entrances to the church¡­ The Condensed Light Stone on the female survivor suggested she had explored an area filled with special power¡­ This area should align with the direction of the church¡¯s passage.


    ¡°There must be great treasures there, but that monster is unbeatable¡­¡± Colin hesitated. The lord-level mutant had undergone a certain degree of qualitative change. He couldn¡¯t defeat it, not even with ¡°Hunting Time¡± activated.


    ¡°Sigh, to be safe, I should grow stronger before going back¡­¡± Colin shook his head, dismissing further thoughts, and then opened the parchment. He saw a new blood-red task added to the Quest list:


    ¡°Quest Name: ¡®Dignity of the Arbiter¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Quest Requirement: Survive until the eighth day.¡±


    ¡°Quest Description: Your actions have disrupted the stability of the game environment. You will face a punishment from the system.¡±


    ¡°Quest Reward: Hardened1Previously stiff, will stick to hardened black bread from now on Black Bread *3?¡±


    ¡°Note: You still have time to commit suicide.¡±


    ¡¾With your current strength and progress, you feel doomed.¡¿


    Seeing the blood-red text that seemed to drip blood and the hint¡¯s blunt words, Colin felt the pressure. For the first time, Colin felt a tangible desire to become stronger. This reminded him of the church again¡­ Only by mastering special powers could he confidently face the punishment seven days later. But the problem was, the lord-level mutant was blocking the way¡­


    ¡°My head hurts¡­¡± Colin rubbed his temples and fell asleep in his heavy fatigue¡­


    The night passed just like that.


    Colin was awakened early the next morning by a message that appeared in his mind.


    The parchment had been updated with new functions.


    1


    Previously stiff, will stick to hardened black bread from now on

 Chapter 23: The Green Leeks

    The ¡¾Trading Market¡¿.When Colin opened the parchment, he saw this newly added feature. He clicked it open and saw it filled with various materials. Particularly in the food section, Colin frowned: ¡¾Rotten Mutant Flesh¡¿¡¾Bones¡¿¡¾Putrid Eyeballs¡¿¡¾Fat Maggots¡¿¡¾Old Corpse Legs¡¿¡­


    ¡°These are all creepy things. Why would anyone sell such stuff?¡± Colin muttered, slightly disappointed, as he had some money to spend. Though he did see some people who seemed lucky enough to have hunted some wild animals and obtained fresh food, upon closer inspection, it seemed like they had no intention of selling.


    ¡¾Fresh Deer Meat.¡¿


    ¡¾Item Description: A pound of rib meat cut from a deer, very fresh, more nutritious than bread.¡¿


    ¡¾Type: Consumable.¡¿


    ¡¾Remaining Time: 1 day¡¿


    ¡¾Price: 10 Hardened Black Breads, 500 ml of Foul Tainted Blood¡¿


    ¡¾Seller¡¯s Note: Willing to negotiate price for ¡°Mist Points,¡± ¡°Grade 3 Water,¡± or other rare items.¡¿


    There were many similarly marked items that didn¡¯t seem intended for sale. Only fools would buy them since current needs were more about filling the stomach than having good food. Eating a little less meat wouldn¡¯t kill anyone. Ten hardened black breads could last many days if rationed, but a pound of deer meat, no matter how sparingly eaten, wouldn¡¯t last long.


    Moreover, the price included 500 ml of Foul Tainted Blood, which would require killing a hundred ordinary mutants to gather. And those hundred couldn¡¯t be ¡°wailers,¡± which were easier to kill.


    ¡°Wait a minute¡­¡± Colin suddenly noticed something fishy. Once an item was listed on the trading market, its ¡¾Remaining Time¡¿ seemed to stop. In other words¡­


    Colin stroked his chin, realizing that the trading market was being used as a refrigerator¡­ Time was frozen, preventing decay or spoilage. Was there a better refrigerator than this? Absolutely not! S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°No wonder everyone is listing their stuff¡­¡± Colin chuckled, then quickly checked his backpack, finding several pieces of meat that had gone from slightly spoiled to moderately spoiled, and from moderately spoiled to heavily spoiled overnight! Colin¡¯s face turned green.


    Slightly spoiled meat didn¡¯t have a foul smell, just a change in taste, and was perfectly edible¡ªhe had eaten some yesterday. Moderately spoiled meat smelled a bit but was still edible, though it might cause some stomach discomfort. Heavily spoiled meat, however, had a strong odor and was hard to swallow, which is why he didn¡¯t pick up any heavily spoiled pieces near the entrance.


    Colin immediately followed suit, listing his pieces of meat. Once he saw that the remaining time had indeed stopped, he sighed in relief.


    ¡°These people are really clever,¡± Colin laughed, then continued browsing the trading market, curious about the strange items others had found.


    As he browsed, he noticed that the most in-demand item seemed to be water. Yesterday, the lack of water wasn¡¯t as apparent since many had completed daily tasks and survived on bread thanks to Colin¡¯s tips. However, very few had found water.


    Thus, the issue became evident today. A drop of water was worth its weight in gold, as most people couldn¡¯t just step out and find water like Colin, who had received a direct hint from the fog. Most didn¡¯t dare venture far from their houses for fear of getting lost in the fog and dying.


    After a night, water became the most urgent necessity. If they couldn¡¯t get water soon, they might die of thirst.


    ¡°The top trending topic on the world channel is ¡®How to Produce Grade 3 Water¡¯¡­ Wait, trending topics?¡± Colin was surprised. The world channel had apparently been updated, now featuring posts and a search function, resembling a social media platform.


    Moreover, replying to posts didn¡¯t require a horn. The top three trending topics were:


    ¡°How to Produce Grade 3 Water.¡± ¡°How Not to Get Lost in the Fog.¡± ¡°Detailed Guide to Killing Mutants.¡± ¡°A Survival Tip a Day.¡±


    All ten topics were related to survival, with no entertainment or gossip in sight.


    ¡°What the heck, is this still the trash channel I know?¡± Colin muttered, scrolling down, his expression becoming odd as he noticed his name in the seventh spot¡­ Apparently, people were either thanking him or cursing him.


    ¡°Uh¡­ the trash seems to be me¡­¡± Colin laughed, opening the first topic. People had indeed come up with some useful methods, such as heating monster body parts or other water-containing items to evaporate and collect ¡°foul water.¡± By further distillation, they could produce ¡°Grade 3 Water.¡±


    This water, though somewhat rotten in taste, was still water, and no one cared about the taste at this point. They would drink urine if needed, so water was a luxury. This had turned items like rotten flesh into ¡°hot commodities,¡± sold cheaply for things like wood and stones.


    ¡°I lost out¡­¡± Colin thought about the flesh he didn¡¯t pick up yesterday, feeling like he had missed a great opportunity. Overall, though, survivors were lacking water. A unit of Grade 3 Water could fetch a ¡°sky-high¡± price, yet demand still outstripped supply.


    ¡°One servant1I¡¯ll just stick to servant from slaves, for a liter of water, and at this rate, I¡¯ll only have one servant left!¡±


    ¡°+1, exchanging servants for water. These useless servants only slow down my axe swings!¡±


    ¡°Here¡¯s a big secret: you can combine black bread and water to make oatmeal! It¡¯s much easier to digest than black bread. I couldn¡¯t poop today after eating that trash bread yesterday.¡±


    ¡°No way! I hereby name you Colin the Second¡­¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s selling water? Didn¡¯t someone just sell muddy water? It¡¯s gone in a blink! You guys actually drank muddy water? Are you even human?!¡±


    Reading these discussions, Colin suddenly had a question. Their actions were similar to him sharing the lantern-lighting method. Why weren¡¯t they being punished? Was he the only one being penalized for this?


    Feeling a sense of injustice, Colin¡¯s face darkened, but then a prompt appeared in his mind.


    ¡¾After serious consideration, you realize that only actions involving the system itself and causing significant impact are punished, such as the lantern.¡¿


    ¡¾Despite your dubious intentions, you even feel a bit guilty¡­¡¿


    ¡¾You saved many people.¡¿


    ¡°Guilt¡­ significant impact¡­ saved many people¡­ There are still over six hundred people in the regional channel, but nearly four hundred died in one day¡­¡± Colin felt a chill. How many people did this game intend to kill yesterday?


    ¡°Forget it, that¡¯s not my concern. My priority is to survive.¡± Colin looked at the desperate for water and thought, ¡°This isn¡¯t me taking advantage; they¡¯re bringing it upon themselves.¡±


    1


    I¡¯ll just stick to servant from slaves,

 Chapter 24: Territory Upgrade Plan

    ¡°But what should I trade for¡­ Oh, right, I should upgrade this house of mine. A level-one territory is too cramped and narrow. I can¡¯t fit all my gains in here.¡±Colin pulled up the information on his rundown wooden house.


    [Level 1 Territory]: It can block the gray fog, can perform simple synthesis, but cannot be moved or be stored in the inventory.


    After clicking on the upgrade option, four upgrade branches appeared:


    [Underground Fortress] [Sky City] [War Chariot] [Level 2 Territory]


    The descriptions only provided functionality, not the required materials. If the materials were insufficient, the upgrade would simply show that it was not possible. However, the hints allowed Colin to obtain the necessary material information without needing blueprints.


    ¡°Level 1 Underground Fortress requires 3000 units of iron, 2000 units of clay, 1000 units of gravel, 2000 units of stone, 1000 units of wood, 200 units of Thorn of Suffering, and 100 fog points¡­ Hmm¡­¡±


    Colin looked at the material requirements and silently closed the tab. The demand was too high; his materials added up to only a fraction of what was needed.


    He then opened the [Sky City] option, which looked more friendly than the underground fortress.


    [Hint: Level 1 Sky City: Floating Stones 0/200, Thorn of Suffering 4/10, Wood 54/300, Mist Points 20/200.]


    Colin hadn¡¯t even seen floating stones, so he shook his head and abandoned this choice.


    Then he looked at the third option, [War Chariot]. As soon as he saw its functions, his eyes lit up.


    [Level 1 War Chariot: It can block gray fog, resist mental attacks below lord level, be driven for movement, and be mounted with cannons¡­]


    [Note: Driving the war chariot requires fuel.]


    ¡°Imagine an army of war chariots, a million steel giants, cannons plowing the ground, pushing through the gray fog. These mutants would be nothing!¡±


    Colin thought excitedly. Then he saw the material requirements and silently closed the tab again.


    However, the practicality of the war chariot made Colin note down the required materials to collect them slowly.


    Finally, there was the last option: [Level 2 Territory].


    [Level 2 Territory Information: The survivor¡¯s territory range will expand from 4*4 to 10*10 with an additional 5*5 yard.]


    [Hint: Required materials: Stone 49/2000, Thorn of Suffering 4/30, Wood 54/1000, Clay 0/500, Fog Points 20/50.]


    Compared to the other upgrade plans, the level 2 territory seemed much more reasonable. The materials looked like a lot, but since they were basic, they were not hard to find outside the gray fog; it just required some time to gather and store in the inventory.


    The gray fog world mainly lacked two things: food and water.


    Of course, Colin had no intention of wasting time. Before people found a stable water source, water was his monopolized resource.


    Colin calculated the materials he was missing and divided some of his water into several portions of 200 ml each, listing them on the trading market.


    [Grade 3 Water]


    [Item Description: Water with a slight odor, but should be drinkable.]


    [Type: Consumable.]


    [Quantity: 200 ml.]


    [Price: 200 units of stone.]


    [Seller¡¯s Note: Other unique items can be negotiated via private message.]


    ¡°Two hundred milliliters of water for two hundred units of stone, one milliliter for one unit of stone. This trade is fair enough, considering the water is boiled from the precious wood at the foot of Crow Mountain¡­¡±


    Colin muttered to himself.


    Meanwhile, seeing this on the chat channel, people started to curse.


    ¡°Two hundred units of stone for two hundred milliliters of water? Why do not you just rob us?¡±


    ¡°How shameless can you be?¡±


    ¡°What a black-hearted merchant.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, do not buy this guy¡¯s water. We must stand together and not condone these black merchants!¡±


    Colin, who had the chat channel open, saw these messages but didn¡¯t care. He leaned back in his scavenged chair and chuckled.


    ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the almost instant arrival of two thousand units of stone, I might have believed you all formed an unbreakable alliance to resist me. This just shows these materials are abundant and almost everywhere. I was too focused on high-value items yesterday and didn¡¯t notice them.¡±


    Shaking his head with a smile, Colin had his two servants, who were already up, throw the 49 units of stone piled by the bed outside the door. Next, he followed the same method and quickly gathered the 1000 units of wood and the 500 units of clay required.


    During this process, those who had been shouting to resist him started to split internally.


    ¡°You liars, calling for unity to resist the profiteers while secretly buying from them¡­¡±


    ¡°No way, right? You won¡¯t really think these basic materials are treasures, will you?¡±


    ¡°To be fair, anyone trading water for common materials has a few screws loose.¡±


    ¡°Haha, I got some! This water tastes great~¡±


    ¡°Hey, wait for me, I have a mine nearby. I¡¯ll dig and join in¡­¡±


    ¡°With so much water, you must have found a water source and don¡¯t lack it. You should share it selflessly. Don¡¯t you feel guilty?¡± ¡­


    Watching people go from ¡°unity¡± to division, Colin found it amusing and deliberately posted a batch of water every ten seconds, letting many join in this circus.


    To get water, those who objected had no time to speak up, especially those who spent money on horns for this matter.


    Soon, Colin collected all the basic materials he needed, all within three liters of water.


    ¡°So this is the power of monopoly¡­¡± Colin marveled. It would have taken him until tomorrow to gather these materials, but through equitable trade with other survivors, it took less than ten minutes. Monopoly¡­ truly evil!


    ¡°Now, the more challenging items are the ¡®Thorn of Suffering¡¯ and ¡®Fog Points¡¯¡­¡±


    S?a?ch* Th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    These two items were much harder to collect and couldn¡¯t be traded one milliliter for one unit.


    However, while Colin was considering how to trade for them, he received some private messages.


    ¡°Hey, buddy, I have some ¡®Thorn of Suffering.¡¯ It¡¯s good stuff from monster drops. Can I trade it for some water? If you¡¯re willing, I¡¯ll tell you what it¡¯s good for¡­¡±


    Some? This guy must be lucky, Colin thought, stroking his chin. He ignored the latter part of the message since he knew the thorn¡¯s use much better. The other guy probably only knew it could be combined with clay or axes.


    However, the guy was right about one thing: the thorn was indeed a valuable item.

 Chapter 25: No One is More Honest than Me

    Red-name Colin: ¡°How much are you planning to sell it for?¡±Xu Xiangdong: ¡°That name¡­ Are you Mr. Colin?¡±


    ¡°Uh, I didn¡¯t expect you to be the one selling water¡­ I¡¯m a bit moved, I¡¯m your fan. How about this, one thorn for three liters of water? How does that sound?¡±


    Colin was very interested in the thorns in his pocket, but he decisively refused.


    ¡°Not interested.¡±


    The main reason was that the other party was too greedy. Whether he was really a fan was unknown, but wanting to trade one thorn for three liters of water was unreasonable, especially since Colin knew the value of thorns well.


    After responding, Colin posted a trade on the market: 100 ml of water for one Thorn of Suffering.


    Just as he thought, many people had these items. Thanks to Colin¡¯s ¡°secret reveal¡± the previous day, many survivors had them. Colin was reaping the benefits of saving people with his secrets.


    At this moment, the person who had made the initial offer was getting anxious. He hadn¡¯t had any water for a day, and after eating two pieces of bread, he was on the brink of severe dehydration. Seeing Colin¡¯s auction for 100 ml per thorn and failing to secure any, he started to regret his high asking price.


    ¡°I should have asked for less¡­¡± His throat was parched, and while feeling regret, he also cursed Colin for ruining the market with such a low price.


    He sent a request for 50 ml per thorn but received no response. Angry, he yelled, ¡°What a lousy savior, just a garbage man!¡±


    After a fit of helpless rage, he realized Colin no longer needed thorns.


    ¡°Do I have to trade this for some water¡­¡± He took out a blood-red gem from his inventory, his expression conflicted.


    Meanwhile, Colin had gathered all the required materials, including the mist points. Following the instructions, he stored everything in his backpack, lit a lantern, and stepped out of the small wooden house.


    [Do you want to upgrade to Level 2 Territory?]


    Yes!


    Without hesitation, Colin made his choice. Instantly, the materials in his inventory vanished rapidly. Then, the parchment in his hand unrolled itself, floating in midair, emitting a bright yet not blinding light. This light projected onto the wooden house. In the next moment, the house dissipated into the air like dandelions blown away by the wind.


    The house was gone.


    Colin was momentarily stunned. But soon, within the light from the parchment, a gray-white structure began to materialize from the ground up. It looked like 3D printing, gradually forming walls, doors, windows, roofs, and fences from nothing. A single-story building over a hundred square meters in area was being created before Colin¡¯s eyes.


    Colin was amazed. Such advanced creation techniques were astonishing. Even with hints, the response was ¡°you cannot understand.¡± Whether it was the hint or Colin himself who didn¡¯t understand was unclear.


    The house¡¯s glowing frame gradually emerged, followed by more detailed internal structures. Colin was left wondering about the level of the parchment¡¯s creator. Creating a house with just some materials seemed as easy as drawing for an ordinary person, but unlike an ordinary person, this high-level civilization or being was ¡°drawing¡± in reality.


    About three minutes later, the single-story building was complete. The white light on it faded like molten steel exposed to air.


    A ¡°ding¡± sounded in Colin¡¯s mind.


    [Ding: Congratulations to survivor ¡°Colin¡± for successfully upgrading to Level 2 Territory!]


    [Notification: Congratulations to survivor ¡°Colin¡± for becoming the first lord with a Level 2 Territory!]


    [Notification: Rewards will be issued!]


    [Notification: Rewards have been issued!]


    A series of notifications sounded, not just for Colin but for the entire world channel.


    ¡°Holy crap! I heard the system say someone has a Level 2 Territory, did you guys hear it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a Global notification, everyone heard it. There¡¯s a new powerhouse in the world!¡±


    ¡°Wait, did you notice? The notification said ¡®Colin,¡¯ the same ¡®Colin¡¯ who taught us about the lamps yesterday!¡±


    ¡°Colin is awesome! Breaks voice¡°


    ¡°No wonder someone was trading water for basic materials. I thought it was a dumb move. Turns out, the joke¡¯s on me!¡±


    ¡°Brothers, did anyone remember the materials list?¡±


    ¡°I did! Colin traded 2000 stone, 26 thorns of suffering, 1000 wood, 500 clay, and 30 fog points. This should be the materials for upgrading to Level 2 Territory.¡±


    ¡°How do you remember so accurately?¡±


    ¡°Probably because he didn¡¯t get any water from the first trade and had nothing better to do than memorize it.¡±


    ¡°Stop talking, my mouth is getting dry¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the point of memorizing? Can you gather that many materials? Who knows if Colin has other key items. You should dig more instead of worrying about this. Many will trade water soon.¡±


    ¡°Sure enough, more people are trading water for basic materials!¡±


    ¡°Damn, 100 ml of water for 500 stone. Why doesn¡¯t this idiot just die?¡±


    ¡°Wow, I saw one asking for 30 fog points for 100 ml. Is this person brain-dead?¡±


    ¡°Someone instantly bought 100 ml for 500 stones. Are they insane? Look, more people are trading water. This is aiding the enemy!¡±


    ¡°1 ml for 100 stones; I¡¯ll beat you with my mom¡¯s shoe if I find you!¡±


    ¡°I miss Colin. Two hundred ml for two hundred stones. So honest, he didn¡¯t even raise the price!¡±


    After Colin successfully upgraded to Level 2 Territory, many guessed the upgrade requirements. Those with surplus resources, especially water, immediately copied Colin¡¯s method, of trading materials on the market. Many had prepared materials for water, leading to swift transactions. However, this also brought some unscrupulous individuals with outrageous prices, causing chaos in the rankings. S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Colin didn¡¯t expect that these people would make him look like a paragon of honesty compared to them. This amused him, though the rewards weren¡¯t much: 99 hardened black bread, 1 compass, and 1 watch. These were of little use to him since he could get relevant information through hints.


    With the surge of transactions, some players quickly progressed. Then, a new system notification appeared!


    [Notification: Survivor progress detected¡­ ¡°Leaderboard¡± will be open soon!]

 Chapter 26: Recruiting People

    At this moment, with the mechanical voice finishing its announcement, the parchment added a new feature: the ¡°Leaderboard!¡±The leaderboard had three sections:


    Hunting Leaderboard:


    1st place: Colin, 143 kills.


    2nd place: Arthur Nayatos, 39 kills.


    3rd place: Wang Xiong, 39 kills. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­


    Building Leaderboard:


    1st place: Colin, Level 2 Territory.


    2nd place: Lin Yilan, Level 2 Territory.


    3rd place: Meichuan Sanye, Level 2 Territory.


    ¡­ Resources Leaderboard:


    1st place: Colin.


    2nd place: Bear Grylls.


    3rd place: Li Chou.


    ¡­


    Colin topped all three leaderboards!


    His blood-red name was etched into the eyes of every survivor, especially on the Hunting Leaderboard, where he outnumbered the second place by over a hundred kills, dominating the first place.


    The chat channel instantly buzzed with excitement.


    ¡°Holy crap, 143 mutant kills, first in building, first in resources, a bloodthirsty legend! Colin, is this powerful?¡±


    ¡°These three boards are interconnected. Kill more, gather more resources, build further¡­¡±


    ¡°I was worried he¡¯d be killed yesterday. Turns out I was wrong. With over a hundred kills, few can rival him¡­¡±


    ¡°My mental image of Colin just grew three meters tall!¡±


    ¡°No wonder he can handle such psychological pressure. People really differ in constitution. I¡¯ve just killed my second mutant¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are there foreigners on the leaderboard? Isn¡¯t this game all for Chinese players?¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re not Japanese?¡±


    ¡°Fuck? You¡¯re not from the USA?¡±


    ¡°What? You¡¯re not from Russia? I saw this bread and thought this game was for us Russians¡­¡±


    ¡°Damn, some people¡¯s speech is so weird, like machine translation. It turns out you¡¯re not Chinese!¡±


    ¡°It looks like this game has built-in voice translation¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worthy, ranked 77th on the Hunting Board, 49th on the Resources Board, 34th on the Building Board, Level 2 Territory. By the way, I¡¯m simple. Give me boobs, and I¡¯ll give you food¡­¡±


    ¡°Anyone teaching foreign languages? My language skills are poor. I want to learn before I die. Ranked 18th on the Resources Board, blonde and busty preferred¡­¡±


    ¡°Blonde cultist, you betrayed us Chinese! White-haired lolis are the truth!¡±


    ¡°You all just want to whore, but make it sound so refined.¡±


    ¡°Big guy, big guy, what about men? I¡¯m blond, named Harry, big down there¡­¡±


    ¡­


    With everyone dreaming of freebies, Colin was already planning his next move!


    ¡°Food and water are sufficient. These 99 extra loaves of bread allow me to do many things¡­¡±


    Colin returned to his house, leaning back in his chair, one arm on the armrest, his hand supporting his face, fingers tapping the table absentmindedly. Two upgraded servants sat quietly at the large desk, waiting for orders.


    With the territory expanded, the next step was, naturally, to recruit more hands. Having such a large house with just three people and being called a lord with only two servants was unacceptable. It greatly diminished Colin¡¯s dignity as a lord! Recruiting more people was urgent.


    Using the parchment and fogpoints, Colin could only recruit servants¡ªthree points per servant. Recruiting higher-level talents required special recruitment cards, likely only obtainable through tasks. For now, he could only recruit ordinary servants.


    Of course, Colin wouldn¡¯t waste fogpoints on servants since many people were selling them on the world channel. A few hundred milliliters of water or a loaf of bread could be traded for a person. At this point, people were the least valuable resource. The daily tasks couldn¡¯t even support the players themselves, let alone two servants, making them a burden.


    This was why Colin planned to take advantage of this opportunity. However, recruiting wasn¡¯t just about numbers. The biggest limitations were food and lanterns. Food was manageable, as resources weren¡¯t yet critical during this pioneering phase. But lanterns, although replaceable, only burned blood at a standard rate when using system lanterns. Otherwise, the blood burned one to two times faster, which was not cost-effective.


    Currently, Colin had only two lanterns, and he planned to form two teams based on this. The first team would be his own. Ordinary blood could light an area with a 20-meter diameter, about 314 square meters, or nearly three-fourths of a basketball court. This space was large enough for ten people, let alone three. With ordinary blood, Colin could use the synthesis function to merge three to one into foul tainted blood. Beyond that, he couldn¡¯t proceed because he hadn¡¯t unlocked it.


    ¡°Hmm, recruit twelve people here, totaling fourteen. Each group of three spreads out, with number two as my deputy. I¡¯ll lead this team to explore those treasures,¡± Colin thought silently.


    Then, there would be a second team using the other lantern. Servants lacked crafting abilities, so this team would use foul tainted blood. This blood could only illuminate within a five-meter radius, about 78 square meters. To be safe, five people should be enough. More would be inconvenient, risking everyone being taken down if one fell. This team wouldn¡¯t face major challenges. They would just explore near the base.


    ¡°Unfortunately, I can¡¯t take others¡¯ parchment and crafting tables; otherwise, I could form a larger second team,¡± Colin sighed. The parchment and crafting table were crucial and seemed to disappear upon death. He wasn¡¯t certain but found nothing when searching the woman¡¯s body.


    After confirming with his two servants that there were no issues, the plan was set: recruit sixteen servants, forming two teams. Colin started acquiring unwanted human resources from the trading market.


    [Grade 3 Water]


    [Item Description: Slightly contaminated but drinkable water.]


    [Type: Consumable.]


    [Quantity: 200 ml.]


    [Price: One servant.]


    [Seller¡¯s Note: Other unique items are also negotiable.]

 Chapter 27: Can’t Hear! Can’t Hear At All!

    ¡°You have obtained ¡®Servant¡¯ *1.¡± ¡°You have obtained ¡®Servant¡¯ *1.¡± ¡­ The notifications kept refreshing, finally stopping after sixteen times.


    Colin sat behind the table, watching figures materialize around him, marveling at the magic.


    ¡°Greetings to the new Lord,¡± the servants said in hoarse and weak voices.


    Colin nodded, but before he could say anything, several servants collapsed.


    What the¡­


    Colin was stunned and quickly checked their status panels. The status bar showed ¡°Severe Hunger,¡± with their satiety value at just 1! Additionally, there were numerous debuffs like ¡°Dizziness¡± and ¡°Near Shock.¡±


    In less than ten minutes, Colin could see this person starving to death right here!


    Those selling servants were mostly on the brink of starvation themselves, unable to feed others. So, when Colin bought them, their hunger was at its limit, making even standing a challenge.


    ¡°Feed them quickly!¡±


    Immediately, Colin used the crafting table to make some oatmeal porridge with a bit of meat and had Number One and Number Two serve it. After a frantic period, the servants finally recovered.


    Seeing this, Colin breathed a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t want his recruits to die before they could be of use. That would be too unlucky.


    ¡°Thank you, Lord, for saving our lives!¡±


    The revived servants expressed their thanks as their eyes and faces were filled with gratitude. To save these worthless individuals, the new Lord used such luxurious and delicious food.


    Like the previous Number One and Number Two, they were used to hard, sour black bread filled with grit. Tasting this new food made their jaws ache slightly. They even tasted meat in the porridge! Meat! A luxury their previous master couldn¡¯t afford.


    After giving them a ten-minute rest, seeing their status mostly recovered, Number Two smiled and said, ¡°As long as you work hard for the Lord and follow him, you can have this porridge every day!


    ¡°The Lord is fair and just. If you perform well, the Lord will reward you with meat!¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡± one servant asked, immediately feeling scared for questioning the Lord¡¯s deputy.


    Number Two was about to say something, but Colin raised his hand to stop him.


    Colin leaned forward, elbows on the table, hands crossed under his chin. He recalled a survivor¡¯s words from the chat channel and decided to borrow them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not one for long speeches or fancy words. I¡¯m a simple person: you work for me, help me, and I provide you with food and good treatment.


    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t sacrifice you needlessly. I value life, both mine and others¡¯. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord,¡± the dozen servants mumbled, their voices disorganized and low.


    Colin frowned. Did he recruit a bunch of elderly folks on a bus?


    Number One stepped forward, back straight, eyes glaring. ¡°From today, you are the first batch of followers under Lord Colin! I am Number One, and that is Number Two! We are your friendly big brothers!


    ¡°I¡¯ll repeat the Lord¡¯s words! Work for the Lord, and he¡¯ll give you food and good treatment. If you have questions, ask us. I¡¯ll give you three seconds! Three! Two! One!


    ¡°Good, it seems like there are no issues!


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll repeat! Do you understand? If so, say: Yes, Lord!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± The response was slightly better.


    They all looked fearfully at the thunderous voice of Number One. Though also servants, they saw he was twice as strong as them, with bulging muscles and a blood-stained cartwheel behind him, as if he could kill them with a punch!


    But seeing Colin¡¯s lack of response, Number One frowned. He knew the Lord wanted more: spirit, determination, and strength!


    ¡°Not loud enough! I can¡¯t hear you! Are you mute? Speak up! Again!¡±


    Number One roared.


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear! I can¡¯t hear at all! Did you just eat? Even dogs bark louder! Again!¡±


    Hands on hips, eyes glaring, his imposing manner even surprised Colin. He thought Number One was quite talented. Servants could be trained to any height, and Colin had some ideas.


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± The voices grew louder.


    But still, it wasn¡¯t enough. Their crooked stance was unacceptable, and Colin didn¡¯t see the ¡°Inspired¡± status appear.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear! I can¡¯t hear at all! Again! So quiet, and you want to work for the Lord? And you, straighten your back, stand like me!¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s lunch is meat porridge, but if you don¡¯t speak up or stand straight, everyone will go hungry!¡±


    Number One shouted.


    Being a servant himself, he knew the greatest fear: hunger. Beating and scolding were useless; only hunger truly scared them!


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± Hearing about hunger, everyone panicked, blood rushing to their faces, shouting loudly.


    The food Colin gave only sustained their lives; they were still essentially starving, just not severely.


    ¡°Good,¡± Colin took over, clapping his hands. Seeing the ¡°Inspired¡± status appear, he approved. Only then would they not be scared by the fog during exploration.


    Seeing their empty hands, Colin exchanged some materials from the trading market.


    [Iron Block*1 + Wood*1 + Correct Posture = Axe]


    Colin quickly synthesized a dozen axes, a shovel, and some other tools, distributing them.


    Soon, all nineteen had an axe each.


    The Fog Axe Gang, should I do an axe dance? Colin mused.


    He looked at the group, ¡°Number One, Number Two, assign the teams. I¡¯ll prepare. Before we leave, I¡¯ll ensure you¡¯re all full. Don¡¯t disappoint me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡±


    Actually, there¡¯s no need for this¡­ Colin smiled awkwardly yet politely.


    He then opened the parchment and checked the regional channel for new messages. Being prepared was essential for surviving in the mist. After all, hints weren¡¯t omnipotent.


    S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 28: Preparing for Action

    Regional Channel, Current Population: 539¡°Anyone near the Withered Woods? I made a big discovery! This is a great opportunity!¡±


    Seeing this message, Colin perked up. He was almost certain the person was referring to the area at the foot of Crow Mountain where he had been yesterday. However, Colin decided not to respond and opted to observe quietly for now.


    After this person spoke, others quickly followed in the chat channel: ¡°I know that forest. I saw it yesterday, but I was too scared to go in. What did you find?¡±


    ¡°No wonder when I was chased by a few mutants, they stopped following me when I entered. I didn¡¯t realize there was a boss in there¡­¡± someone said, relieved.


    Colin scanned through and saw that around twenty people had either approached or entered that forest. This somewhat indicated that these people were not far from him.


    ¡°It seems that a region shouldn¡¯t be too large. What about beyond the region?¡± Colin wondered. Then, he saw the person who initiated the conversation appear again.


    ¡°Check this out! [Glowstone] [Sunshine Mushroom]. Yesterday, I ventured into the forest and saw a collapsed open-air mine filled with these things. Unfortunately, I only managed to grab a bit before monsters showed up¡­¡±


    Colin had seen Glowstone before. He curiously clicked on Sunshine Mushroom for a look: glowing white mushrooms growing together like long needles.


    Note: Consuming it will dispel inner fear and provide a slight attribute boost. Contains trace toxins; overconsumption leads to adverse effects. [Hint: You seem to hear the mushrooms making a barely noticeable sound: Praise the Sun!]


    [Consuming more than three portions daily causes involuntary praise of the sun. More than five portions daily result in temporary idiocy, only praising the sun. More than ten portions daily turns one into a glowing, sun-praising fool.]


    This thing is dangerous. Colin shivered, sensing its sinister nature.


    By now, the regional channel was buzzing with excitement over these items. The initiator continued: ¡°I¡¯m forming a team. Let¡¯s gather in the morning, explore in the afternoon, and share the loot in the evening¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m interested, but how do we meet up? That forest seems big¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll mark the perimeter. Follow the marks, and I¡¯ll wait outside until noon.¡±


    ¡°How much blood do you have to wait that long?¡±


    ¡°No, you misunderstood. The mining area has no gray fog, so I can wait indefinitely.¡±


    ¡°Friendly warning, there¡¯s a big monster in the forest. I saw it yesterday; its footprint is bigger than my entire body.¡±


    ¡°How can we trust that you won¡¯t trick us? Why would someone share such a good thing?¡±


    ¡°Okay, the mine has some monsters. I can¡¯t handle them alone. More people mean a better chance.


    ¡°As for that huge monster, I know about it. It¡¯s pretty dumb. Stay in the mine area long enough, and it will leave. But I don¡¯t know where it goes, so just escape the forest during that time.¡±


    ¡°Guys, I have a hunch the mine has something to permanently drive away the gray fog. You don¡¯t want to carry a lantern forever, right?¡±


    ¡°Plus, this Glowstone can enchant weapons. It¡¯s definitely good stuff.¡±


    ¡°Also, those who can¡¯t even travel far, don¡¯t bother joining.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    This person is lying. Colin was certain. If it were that easy, the corpse he saw yesterday wouldn¡¯t have been so devastated. But Colin wasn¡¯t clear about the liar¡¯s motive.


    The lord-level monster indeed abandons its target for more achievable goals, so perhaps the person, like Colin, wanted to use others as a distraction to escape.


    ¡°It might be worth a try. Starting at noon?¡±


    ¡°Count me in!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going. Be careful. Schemes in the gray fog are common.¡±


    The regional channel began to rally. Colin decided not to join, knowing how terrifying the lord-level mutant was. Without a sure way to kill it, he wouldn¡¯t risk it. In a situation with so many uncertainties, risking one¡¯s life was foolish.


    With guidance from the hints, Colin didn¡¯t need to take such risks. While monitoring the regional channel, he searched the trading market but found no good deals and shook his head.


    Time to move.


    ¡°Number One, here¡¯s 100 ml of blood. Your task is to collect as much water as possible and make sure it¡¯s boiled into Grade 3 water before storing. If you find ores, especially iron ore, mine and store them in the warehouse¡­¡±


    A level-2 territory had a storage space like an inventory, capable of holding large amounts of supplies. Servants also had inventory, but with only one slot and a weight limit of around 10 kg.


    As for finding the way, Colin wasn¡¯t worried. His starting point was good. A few minutes¡¯ walk would reach the river. Keeping track of this route was not hard.


    ¡°If you encounter danger and can¡¯t handle it, flee immediately. Don¡¯t try to fight. Safety first. As long as you return to the territory, you should be fine.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± Number One nodded.


    After instructing Number One, Colin turned to Number Two¡¯s group, who had improved but were still disorganized.


    A neat formation didn¡¯t guarantee combat effectiveness, but a disordered unit couldn¡¯t perform well.


    ¡°Alright, meal time! We leave fifteen minutes after eating!¡±


    Colin took out several black loaves and some slightly spoiled meat in front of everyone. He had wanted to buy fresh meat from the market, but food¡¯s importance was now well-known, so no one sold meat. After half an hour of frantic trading, water prices had finally dropped¡­


    ¡°Yesterday, during exploration, I didn¡¯t see a single animal track. Did the priest kill them all?¡± Colin muttered, then placed the ingredients on the synthesis table under the green-eyed gazes of his subordinates.


    [Hard Black Bread*30 + Slightly Spoiled Rat Meat*3 + Slightly Spoiled Venison*2 + Slightly Spoiled Wolf Meat*4 = A Pot of Stew (Energizing Meat Porridge, one bowl gives energy for a whole day~)]


    ¡°Let¡¯s eat!¡± Colin announced with a smile, no longer holding them in suspense.


    S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 29: The Village

    Before long, when everyone was nearly satisfied, Colin began the operation. The group of over a dozen people filed out.[There are some beasts ahead, but they are too far away to be worth your time.]


    The prompt has changed? Colin was surprised. Yesterday, it indicated that there were some treasures ahead.


    ¡°This means someone has already taken the treasures. It seems they¡¯ve had good luck too,¡± Colin thought. He wasn¡¯t too disappointed, since everyone has their own fate. He¡¯s not the protagonist who always gets the best opportunities.


    Even being ranked first on the leaderboard, Colin doubted he would stay there for long and wondered when someone would surpass him.


    [To the left, not far away, there¡¯s a river. There are some dangers, but as long as you don¡¯t go too deep into the forest, it won¡¯t be too troublesome. With some luck, you might even encounter river beasts.]


    [To the right, there are many special creatures, but there are also some special treasures. It might be worth a try.]


    None of these options seemed great. Colin mused that the prompt updates after moving a certain distance. He speculated that the prompt provides information only when there¡¯s a benefit or danger nearby. For instance, if there was a treasure chest to the right, the prompt would only indicate the presence of the chest without specifying its exact location.


    However, Colin¡¯s disappointment turned to curiosity when he saw the prompt for the rear:


    [Behind you, about an hour¡¯s distance away, there¡¯s something you desire most.]


    ¡°Something I desire?¡± Colin looked puzzled. Given the current situation, the thing he desired most was the treasure hidden in the underground palace. As for other things, Colin couldn¡¯t think of anything he particularly craved. Even the other treasures weren¡¯t described as something he desired¡­


    What could be back there? Yesterday, that direction was just barren and desolate. Today, it¡¯s different.


    ¡°It seems the prompt ability changes with one¡¯s personal growth.¡±


    An hour¡¯s journey¡­ After some thought, Colin decided to head in that direction. He was very curious about what could be there.


    He handed the ¡°watch¡± and ¡°compass¡± to Number One since he didn¡¯t need them. With the prompts guiding him, he didn¡¯t need to worry about time or direction, so giving these items to the second team was fitting.


    After watching them leave, Colin¡¯s team also started moving. He carried a lantern, leading a group of axe-wielding subordinates, quickly heading toward the rear. The fourteen-man team moved in a roughly diamond formation. In theory, this allowed Colin to defend against surprises from all directions except above and below.


    But this was just a theory. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In the gray, terrifying fog, Colin¡¯s group had been advancing on the smooth dirt path for nearly twenty minutes. As they approached their destination, Colin suddenly stopped. He noticed an abandoned dirt and stone road stretching from the right, leading forward.


    ¡°Stay alert,¡± Colin said in a deep voice, resuming his steps but at a slower pace. The prompt only mentioned certain dangers ahead, assuming he remained cautious. Even a single mutant could cause significant damage if underestimated.


    Soon, Colin reached the stone road. Observing as he walked, he saw many withered weeds along the path and large areas of abandoned farmland on both sides.


    ¡°These weeds seem to have withered recently,¡± Colin wondered.


    After a while, Colin¡¯s heart skipped a beat. In the thick fog, he saw some shadowy outlines.


    ¡°They look like houses¡­¡±


    Moving closer, he discerned low, rural-style houses, reminiscent of the old earthen houses in his memory.


    [You recognize this as a small village with fewer than ten households, all of whom have turned into mutants.]


    Colin wasn¡¯t too surprised by this prompt. Where there are fields, there are houses, and naturally, people.


    ¡°Close ranks and prepare for battle!¡± Colin ordered. He didn¡¯t plan to avoid the village; the round trip would take nearly two hours. He needed to replenish his blood supply, and this village likely contained thirty to forty mutants. While others might flee from such a number, Colin, with his ¡°Suffering Hunter¡± badge, saw it as an intense workout.


    Clearing these mutants would significantly alleviate his blood crisis.


    As the village became clearer, Colin saw dead trees, earthen walls, thatched huts, and wells. Strewn across the village¡¯s stone paths were corpses wrapped in flesh.


    These corpses¡¯ clothes hadn¡¯t completely decayed, showing signs of cuts from swords.


    ¡°They didn¡¯t die in the catastrophe, but before it,¡± Colin speculated.


    At that moment, as Colin¡¯s group approached, nearby mutants began to wake from their slumber, one by one, standing shakily. Their hollow eyes turned towards Colin and his men, looking eerie and terrifying.


    Bang!


    Colin threw an axe, causing a mutant¡¯s head to explode, snapping his subordinates out of their shock.


    ¡°Kill!¡± Number Two shouted.


    Dozens of mutants charged forward. Despite their high attack power, mutants were fragile, even weaker than ordinary people. Colin drew another axe, standing behind his men, ready to intervene if anyone struggled.


    Once they downed the first mutant, fear left their hearts, and they fought more fiercely. Though mutants were fearless of death, they couldn¡¯t withstand Colin¡¯s slaughter.


    Suddenly, a roar came from the village well, and a large stone flew out. A two-meter-tall, wet, foul-smelling mutant emerged. Its head seemed crushed into its chest, appearing headless.


    This mutant charged at incredible speed, wielding sharp white claws and targeting the outermost subordinates.


    Colin squinted. If it broke through, it would be a slaughter. Without hesitation, Colin activated his ¡°Hunting Time.¡±


    In the next second, Colin shot forward like a cannonball, iron axe in hand, leaping onto the mutant and hacking down on its back.


    The axe struck, slamming the mutant into the ground and sending up a cloud of dust.

 Chapter 30: Is This a Healer? Probably…

    A one-hit kill! Colin felt the monster beneath him struggle a few times before dying. The power of ¡°Hunting Time¡± combined with ¡°Mutant Scholar¡± meant that as long as the monster wasn¡¯t stronger than Colin, he could kill it instantly.¡°Thank you, Lord!¡± the saved servants quickly said. Colin nodded in response and then looked at the remaining monsters. Since he had started, he might as well finish them off.


    In less than ten minutes, Colin had defeated all the monsters.


    ¡°Congratulations! You have obtained 7ml of Foul Tainted Blood.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A total of over 130 ml of blood. To his surprise, Colin also got a ¡°Twisted Soul.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I seem to have gotten something good!¡± Colin was surprised to find a special recruitment card in his inventory.


    [Special Talent Recruitment Card: Can recruit a person with special abilities. There is a certain chance of failure.]


    [Note: The initial loyalty of the person is 50%. They will follow your orders but cannot be treated violently. If their loyalty falls below 30%, they might leave at any time.]


    ¡°It can fail? Well, I shouldn¡¯t be that unlucky. But their loyalty isn¡¯t absolute like ordinary servants.¡± Colin read the description and decided to use the card on the spot, curious about what kind of special talent it would bring.


    After using the card, Colin saw white light particles appear before him, quickly gathering and transforming. A small female figure emerged.


    She was a petite woman wearing a white clerical robe, standing about 1.6 meters tall, with blonde hair, blue eyes, a delicate face, and holding a book with a golden sun emblem.


    Seeing Colin, she drew a circle on her chest and bowed slightly, her voice gentle: ¡°I am Sanna Helaca, a Priestess of Holy Light. You may call me Sanna, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Miss Sanna. You can call me Lord or Colin,¡± Colin replied while checking her personal information.


    [Priestess of Holy Light: Sanna Helaca.]


    Identity: Priestess of Holy Light from the Church of Eternal Sun. Description: Loving, gentle, brings healing light. Strength: Stage One. Status: Hungry. Satiety: 22 (1-20 Extremely Hungry, 21-40 Hungry, 41-60 Normal, 61-80 Full, 81-100 Very Satisfied) Strength: 2.9 (1 for a normal human) Endurance: 2.3 (1 for a normal human) Stamina: 2.1 (1 for a normal human) Spirit: 1.8 (1 for a normal mage) Intelligence: 1.5 (Magic-enhanced, unrelated to general wisdom) Mana: 500/500 Skills: ¡°Strong and Fit,¡± ¡°Meteor Hammer,¡± ¡°Sweep Kick,¡± ¡°Straight Punch,¡± ¡°Abdominal Strike,¡± ¡°Enhanced Knockback,¡± ¡°Crippling Strike,¡± ¡°Blessing of Courage,¡± ¡°Holy Light Healing,¡± ¡­


    ¡°Uh, Miss Sanna, your attributes and skills seem a bit off¡­¡± Colin glanced at the slender, delicate-looking girl and couldn¡¯t help but comment. The skill list, sorted by strength, revealed that she was much better at fighting than healing.


    Colin estimated that even with his ¡°Hunting Time,¡± he might not be as strong as her. Of course, he did not say it out loud for fear of her demonstrating her combat skills. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He noticed that the four corners of her thick holy book were reinforced with iron¡­


    In a way, she was indeed a very special talent.


    ¡°Honored Lord, do you need my help? Though my ¡®Holy Light Healing¡¯ isn¡¯t very strong,¡± Sanna asked gently.


    ¡°No, no¡­actually, yes,¡± Colin replied, distracted by her profile, before quickly correcting himself, realizing she was referring to the injured servants.


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡± Sanna walked to one of the heavily injured servants and raised her holy book. Seeing the wounded, a look of compassion appeared in her eyes.


    ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t let them die¡­¡± Colin said reflexively.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Sanna¡¯s holy book emitted a white light, but she turned her head upon hearing Colin.


    ¡°Uh, nothing. I said I¡¯ll prepare some food for you later¡­¡± Colin coughed, changing the subject.


    Sanna, focused on casting ¡°Holy Light Healing,¡± didn¡¯t hear clearly and didn¡¯t overthink it. She concentrated on her spell, and white light emanated from her holy book, easing the pain of the wounded. Even the uninjured felt a sense of peace and calm.


    ¡°You are truly a divine messenger!¡± the servants exclaimed in gratitude.


    ¡°It¡¯s my duty,¡± Sanna smiled, unused to such praise.


    ¡°Have some food. It¡¯ll help you recover and get back on your feet¡­ uh, I mean, help you take action¡­¡± Colin brought over a bowl of meat porridge. The aroma made Sanna¡¯s eyes light up, but she hesitated, her eyes lowered, and she spoke softly:


    ¡°This, this has meat. Such food is precious; it can save lives. If given to the injured, it could help them survive¡­ Please save it, don¡¯t waste it on me. I¡­ I can eat something else. I remember having some food¡­ Maybe some roots in my holy book¡­¡±


    Sanna knew the value of food, especially nutritious food like this porridge. It could save lives. In critical moments, this bowl of porridge could be the difference between life and death.


    She opened her iron-bound holy book, revealing some unknown dried grass¡­


    What kind of life did you live¡­ Colin felt a pang of sympathy but quickly took the grass and threw it into his bag, speaking firmly: ¡°Listen, this isn¡¯t special treatment. If you don¡¯t recover, you¡¯ll be a burden to us all.¡±


    As he spoke, Colin tried to take her hand and give her the porridge but found he couldn¡¯t move her. He let go, realizing her surprising strength, and continued: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have plenty of food to last us a long time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the lord is very kind. He gave everyone meat porridge,¡± the servants chimed in.


    Sanna hesitated, ¡°Really? Food, especially this kind, is very important¡­¡±


    ¡°Trust me.¡± Colin pulled out several loaves of bread from his bag.


    Finally convinced, Sanna took the porridge: ¡°May the sun bless you, Lord Colin.¡±


    [Priestess of Holy Light Sanna Helaca¡¯s loyalty has increased by 10%, now at 60%.]


    Colin heard the system¡¯s voice in his mind.

 Chapter 31: A Heavy Blow!!!

    Not one hundred percent loyal¡­ The special talent summon card isn¡¯t counted as a system summon?Colin¡¯s thoughts were all over the place. While Sanna was eating, he took out the quest item.


    ¡°Twisted Soul¡±: A blue, flame-like gas, with twisted faces visible inside if looked at closely. Remaining time: 2 days, 23 hours, 54 minutes.


    Note: If your inspiration is below 2, you will not be able to listen effectively. If your inspiration is above 5, you will definitely get a quest.


    [Hint: You believe your inspiration is above 5¡­]


    Boom¡ª


    Colin crushed the flame immediately. A wave of illusory flames hit his face, putting him in a daze.


    ¡°Frost stone¡­ didn¡¯t we already hand it in, twenty tons¡­¡±


    ¡°Why¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s changed! It¡¯s now one hundred tons a year! The pope¡¯s order cannot be disrespected¡­¡±


    ¡°This¡­ it¡¯s impossible to complete¡­¡±


    ¡°Shut up! You lowly beast! Ultimately, you are not working hard enough¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Dad, save, save¡­¡±


    ¡°In the well, get into the well¡­¡±


    ¡°Throw it down¡­ bang¡ª¡±


    Disorderly voices echoed in Colin¡¯s ears, causing his brain to throb with pain. In his daze, he saw an extremely chaotic scene.


    A group of church knights in pointed silver armor slaughtered the villagers. The men in the well, along with some children, escaped down the well¡­ The church members threw a stone down, and that was the end¡­


    When Colin regained his senses, he immediately opened the scroll, which now displayed a new quest.


    [Trigger Quest: Revenge.]


    [Quest Requirement: Kill the ¡®Mutant ¨C People of Suffering ¨C Knight of Suffering¡¯ wandering on the beach of Silver Moon Bay.]


    [Quest Time: Unlimited (this quest can be taken by others.)]


    [Quest Description: Due to the sudden increase in tributes demanded by the Empire¡¯s state religion, the Church of Suffering, the villagers were unable to fulfill the requirements and were killed on the spot. To quell their resentment, avenge the villagers!]


    [Quest Reward: Black Bread*99, Recovery Card*3, Fog Points*100.]


    ¡°Black bread, more black bread¡­¡± Colin was speechless. ¡°No title, just some Fog Points and recovery cards, which are decent¡­¡±


    However, Colin quickly shifted his focus. He squinted his eyes, recalling the words he had just heard. After a brief moment of contemplation, his breathing became rapid, and his body trembled as he spoke, ¡°Frost stone¡­ Search the house and see if you can find any whitish stones¡­¡±


    Before long, one of his subordinates retrieved a palm-sized white stone from a half-collapsed thatched house. Colin took a deep breath when he saw it¡­ Saltpeter!


    He suddenly understood why the hint mentioned there was something he desired here¡­ because who could resist the lure of fireworks and firecrackers?


    In the knowledge of these suffering people, this stuff was called frost stone, used to make ice.


    Colin could confirm that this material had not been weaponized in this world¡¯s civilization. If it had, the state of affairs would certainly be different. Given their level, they might have discovered that burning it made fireworks, but fireworks couldn¡¯t compete with the extraordinary powers of the ruling class. Hence, it had not been developed further.


    After that, Collin collected the daily quest rewards of bread and blood, stored them away, and gazed into the distance.


    ¡°If nothing goes wrong, the ore should not be far from here¡­¡±


    From the hint, Colin estimated that the ¡°thing you desire¡± was less than half an hour¡¯s journey away. As for the triggered quest, he didn¡¯t plan to tackle it right away. According to his estimation, not many people at this stage could complete such a quest, so he wasn¡¯t worried about anyone snatching it.


    He took a deep breath to calm himself. Colin felt this discovery was far more intriguing than the ordinary weapons provided by the system.


    ¡°How are the injuries?¡± Collin asked, eager to see the ore.


    Number Two responded promptly, ¡°Thanks to the help of the Holy Light Priest, the injuries are all treated.¡±


    ¡°Continue moving forward.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    This time, Colin, feeling a burning anticipation, quickened his pace. Although they encountered a few more mutant attacks on the way, they were easily dealt with.


    Most of the monsters were killed by Sanna¡­


    Halfway through, Sanna volunteered to lead the way and help fend off the monsters. Considering Sanna¡¯s personal attributes seemed somewhat different from those of a typical priest, Colin agreed to her request, instructing the others to watch out for her.


    But soon, they realized they had overthought it.


    Collin and his men watched as Sanna cast ¡°Courage Blessing¡± on herself, followed by ¡°Light Shield,¡± boosting her strength to 4.1. Then, with her glowing fists, she punched down one mutant after another, taking down an elite monster with three punches.


    Unconsciously, Sanna led the front, while everyone else lowered their axes and followed behind her¡­


    This scene reminded Colin of a meme: S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    A fake healer, nervously casting healing spells amidst the pained cries of teammates, crying and shouting, ¡°Don¡¯t die, don¡¯t die.¡±


    A true healer, preemptively protects a group of whimpering teammates, punching down monsters before they could harm anyone, preventing danger from happening.


    Smashing skulls, breaking bones, sweeping legs, sending monsters flying seven or eight meters with one punch, her punches were brutal and aesthetically violent, perfectly embodying the phrase ¡°saving lives through violence.¡±


    ¡°My lord, did I meet your expectations?¡±


    Sanna, standing at about 1.6 meters, turned around. The bible was strapped to her waist, her hands glowing white with an evaporating mist¡ªthe blood of the mutants. Her delicate side face and the white, gold-edged robe were splattered with the blood from the shattered mutants, giving her holiness a bizarre, desecrated beauty.


    However, as she turned around, everyone except Colin involuntarily took half a step back.


    No disappointment at all¡­ Colin thought to himself but didn¡¯t show it. He smiled and said, ¡°Your strength is indeed surprising.¡±


    More accurately, it was terrifying.

 Chapter 32: While My Neighbors Hoard Food, I Hoard Guns; Making My Neighbors My Food Supply

    Finally, Colin and his team arrived at a mine entrance, clearly marked with signs of human activity, supported by several severely bent wooden stakes.In front of the slightly damp mine entrance, with withered vegetation and scattered stones, Colin didn¡¯t hesitate to use his ability.


    [Hint: You realize this is the thing you desire¡ªsaltpeter. It can be synthesized into a crucial weapon.]


    [Although the gunpowder made from it is outdated in your era.]


    [But as you dreamt last night, you long to baptize this land with artillery fire and sweep away all the gloom, making this the first step.]


    ¡°It¡¯s too much! You even know about my dreams¡­¡±


    Colin didn¡¯t dwell on this small matter. His gaze turned to the chunks of saltpeter on both sides of the mine entrance. This natural saltpeter hadn¡¯t been refined yet and was full of impurities. A gentle squeeze would produce a lot of powder.


    However, when Colin took out the synthesis platform and used his thoughts to synthesize and retrieve multiple batches, the impurities disappeared¡­


    Although Collin didn¡¯t understand the principle, the saltpeter in his hand had turned into fine, slightly yellow powder with no visible impurities.


    Collin¡¯s eyes gleamed, but he knew there were still some steps to go before it became a ¡°finished product.¡± Even with the crafting table simplifying the steps and providing hints, it would still take some time.


    Nonetheless, Collin didn¡¯t plan to return immediately but decided to try making a packet of ¡°Power¡±1ÅÁÍß (Pawa)- I don¡¯t know but maybe it¡¯s the author using the pinyin equivalent for the English word Power, which explains the clarification in parenthesis??? But could also be powder instead? (strength/power) nearby. Although hints could provide some data, the true power needed to be witnessed firsthand to avoid theoretical knowledge without practical proof.


    He then ordered his men to collect the scattered saltpeter outside the mine entrance, gathering about dozens of portions. Finding a nearby temporary shelter and swiftly killing the mutants inside, Colin ordered everyone to guard the place.


    Collin also took out some food, synthesizing some jerky for everyone to replenish their strength: [Burning Stick*10 + Slightly Rotten Wolf Meat*4 = Slightly Rotten Wolf Meat Jerky*4.]


    Maintaining a good state is crucial when food is not lacking. Sanna, Number Two, and the other servants had no objections, though Sanna¡¯s face showed a hint of heartache seeing Colin exchange valuable, stamina-restoring food for various materials.


    ¡°Are you really going to trade food for ordinary charcoal?¡± Sanna couldn¡¯t help but ask softly.


    Sanna had no concept of the powerful, explosive thing Colin mentioned. In her view, it might be at most equivalent to a mage¡¯s explosive spell, which wasn¡¯t that powerful against ordinary people.


    Given some food, Sanna believed she could defeat a group of ordinary people. Moreover, Collin hadn¡¯t hidden the chat information from the world channel from her.


    ¡°Is someone really trading food for charcoal? Is this guy an idiot?¡±


    Sanna saw similar messages, full of mockery and skepticism, making her frown and feel the urge to correct these people about Cllin.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯ll soon realize its importance¡­¡±


    Colin continued working, a slight smile on his face as he glanced at the passing chat messages. Sanna, with her sapphire-like eyes, watched Colin¡¯s focused side profile.


    Seeing his genuine seriousness, Sanna refrained from speaking further, nodding and ensuring his close protection. As the team¡¯s strongest combatant, she naturally assumed the responsibility of ensuring Colin¡¯s safety.


    At this moment, some peculiar-smelling stones appeared from Colin¡¯s trade market. Seeing this, the regional chat channel became lively again.


    ¡°Haha, I just traded a few pieces of sulfur for some food. Haha, who¡¯s stupid enough to use food to clear out all the sulfur in the trade market¡­¡±


    ¡°Sulfur? This stuff is useless for survival. Why trade for it¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait, did you say someone traded sulfur? At this stage, why would anyone trade for sulfur?¡±


    ¡°I have a bad feeling¡­ I wonder if my guess is right. Maybe someone found a saltpeter mine¡­¡±


    ¡°What does sulfur have to do with saltpeter? Why do you look so serious¡­¡± Someone asked, confused.


    ¡°No way, no way, does anyone not know how to make gunpowder? Charcoal, sulfur, saltpeter¡ªthese are the three essentials that the natives used. Did the person above drop out of kindergarten?¡±


    ¡°23332often used to express laughter or amusement, similar to ¡°lol¡± or ¡°haha¡± in English. It¡¯s derived from the emoticon ¡°233¡± which resembles a laughing face when viewed in a certain way. The extra ¡°3¡± adds emphasis, making it an even stronger expression of laughter.¡­ I wonder which lucky guy found a saltpeter mine. The survivors in that area are doomed. Controlling a gunpowder source early on is basically becoming invincible¡­¡±


    ¡°While my neighbors hoard food, I hoard guns, making my neighbors my food supply¡­¡± Someone gloated in the chat channel.


    He did not expect this person to be in their region, considering the trade market was shared by all zones. With millions of zones, the chances of being in the same one were slim. As everyone developed, gunpowder would lose its edge.


    ¡°Ah¡­ this shouldn¡¯t be in our region¡­¡± the regional chatter responded, a bit deflated, ¡°Besides, saltpeter is naturally rare. Most of us struggle to get out; who has the chance to find it¡­ Maybe they have more snakes over there¡­¡±


    While my neighbors hoard food, I hoard guns. Hoarding guns equals hoarding food? Is Mr. Colin hoarding guns? It doesn¡¯t seem like it¡­


    Sanna thought curiously, focusing on food and not quite understanding the context of the phrase. She knew guns were spear-like weapons, so the chat made no sense to her. However, judging by the change in tone, Colin seemed to be doing something significant.


    Relieved, Sanna had worried Colin was like a cultist or mad scientist, believing in combining random things for power or sustenance. But usually, they just produce useless junk, claiming it could empower or nourish them. S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Her hands were slightly glowing, Sanna¡¯s calm expression hid her many thoughts. Just then, she heard Colin exclaim, ¡°Finally made it!¡±


    Curious, Sanna turned to see a box of black powder on a shabby bench. Is this the powerful weapon Mr. Colin mentioned?


    1


    ÅÁÍß (Pawa)- I don¡¯t know but maybe it¡¯s the author using the pinyin equivalent for the English word Power, which explains the clarification in parenthesis??? But could also be powder instead?


    2


    often used to express laughter or amusement, similar to ¡°lol¡± or ¡°haha¡± in English. It¡¯s derived from the emoticon ¡°233¡± which resembles a laughing face when viewed in a certain way. The extra ¡°3¡± adds emphasis, making it an even stronger expression of laughter.

 Chapter 33: Cultural Export

    A full box of standard black powder,1so, maybe it¡¯s really powder last chapter lol over fifty kilograms, emitted a faint special smell.These black powders were in powder form. Generally, if there were egg whites available, they could be added to bind the powder and grind it into granules the size of rice grains. This would create gaps in the granules, allowing the flame to pass through faster when ignited, making it even more powerful.


    But Colin didn¡¯t have such conditions at the moment, nor could he find a similar substitute, so he didn¡¯t intend to further process it. Moreover, Colin knew that even in this powder form, it was sufficient.


    [Hint: You have over fifty kilograms of standard black powder. You have never made such a thing before, but you feel that this box of black powder is enough to cause considerable damage to a lord-class mutant.]


    ¡°This won¡¯t kill it? This monster is quite tough.¡±


    Collin squeezed the black powder in his hand, feeling a hard-to-describe sense of harvest joy, his lips slightly curved, and his eyes shining brightly. ¡°Then let¡¯s make another hundred pounds!¡±


    He didn¡¯t say this out loud.


    Sanna, standing beside him, looked at the powder in Colin¡¯s hand, finding it hard to believe that this thing possessed the land-shaking power he claimed. She also found it hard to understand what this had to do with art.


    Even the members of the Storm Church, known for their recklessness and violence, couldn¡¯t create earth-shaking power without the level of a bishop.


    In the midst of the group¡¯s confusion, Colin synthesized a wooden barrel and poured about ninety pounds of black powder into it.


    While pressing it down with his hands, he also poked some holes with a stick, making it look somewhat like a honeycomb briquette. Then he sealed it with a lid.


    He also traded for a vine from the market and tied it around the barrel repeatedly, leaving only one hole at the bottom.


    This was to enhance its explosive power.


    The remaining black powder was used to make a fuse, as it wasn¡¯t feasible to light it with a matchstick up close.


    After completing all this, Colin looked around. This area, near the mine, was not suitable for experiments, as it might collapse the already shaky mine.


    After some thought, he led the group away to a wide open space at a considerable distance and placed the explosive barrel there.


    After further consideration, Collin placed a large flat stone on top of the barrel.


    Then, he dragged a stick on the ground, drawing a line while spreading the powder along it.


    After retreating about a hundred meters, Colin had no black powder left. Due to the fog, Colin could no longer see the explosive barrel, only the black line extending forward.


    [You think that igniting this hundred-pound explosive barrel at this distance carries some risk. Fortunately, it doesn¡¯t contain steel fragments or similar items, so you don¡¯t need to worry too much about associated injuries.]


    [However, since you placed a stone on top of the barrel, you think it¡¯s best to retreat another fifty meters or find a suitable cover if possible.]


    ¡°Is the power of black powder really that great, even a hundred meters isn¡¯t enough?¡±


    Collin was stunned. Black powder was much less powerful than yellow powder, but he hadn¡¯t expected that a hundred pounds would still be dangerous at a hundred meters.


    Whoosh¡­


    The fuse was lit, quickly burning forward and emitting a white, pungent smell.


    Collin suddenly felt his blood speed up, and his heartbeat quickened.


    ¡°Retreat.¡±


    With a single command, everyone quickly followed him in retreat.


    Only when the hint assured Collin that the distance was safe did they truly stop.


    Following Collin¡¯s lead, the group became somewhat tense. They held their breath, staring into the foggy distance, despite seeing nothing.


    After a few seconds, nothing seemed to happen.


    ¡°Mr. Collin, is there something wrong?¡±


    Sanna was about to ask when a massive red fireball exploded in front of her eyes, reflecting in her pupils.


    The fireball disappeared quickly, so fast that before she could react, the sound and shockwave hit simultaneously!


    A white ring flashed across the ground. Everyone felt as if they had been hit by an invisible wall, their chests feeling heavy and uncomfortable, like being punched.


    The explosion was brief.


    But the buzzing sound lingered in their minds, echoing in their ears for several seconds until they gradually recovered.


    Compared to them, Colin had covered his ears just before the explosion, so his ears recovered faster.


    Collin glanced around, feeling a sense of achievement from the shocked, fearful, excited, or mixed expressions on Sanna, Number Two, and the others.


    Number Two slowly recovered from his shock. The residual violence in the air from the massive explosion left him feeling unsettled, wanting to say something but struggling to find the words. S?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Suddenly, his brain jolted, and almost without thinking, he blurted out a phrase the Lord occasionally used, though he didn¡¯t know its exact meaning:


    ¡°Holy shit!¡±


    As soon as he spoke, a dozen ¡°holy shits¡± followed. Their vocabulary was quite limited.


    ¡°I¡­ cough cough.¡±


    Sanna covered her mouth, avoiding joining in with the coarse language she didn¡¯t understand but felt was vulgar.


    After silently repenting her ¡°sin,¡± she glanced at Colin, and her eyes completely changed.


    At this moment, she seemed to understand the meaning of what those people in the chat channel had said¡­


    [Holy Light Priest Sanna Helaca¡¯s loyalty to you has increased by 10%, now at 70%.]


    Another increase. But knowing Sanna¡¯s character, even with only fifty percent loyalty, or less, she would probably still fight to protect us¡­


    Colin didn¡¯t pay much attention to this hint, feeling that it wasn¡¯t accurate. Human relationships couldn¡¯t be measured so simply.


    Instead of loyalty, Colin thought it would be better described as friendliness.


    However, just as Colin was lost in thought, he saw Sanna pouncing towards him.


    With little time to react, Colin was knocked down.


    The main reason was that he didn¡¯t believe she would harm him.


    The next second, with a thud, an object fell from the sky, landing on the ground and rolling a couple of times before stopping.


    It was a stone about the size of half a head. Even with just a small part remaining, Colin recognized it as the stone he had placed on the explosive barrel.


    1


    so, maybe it¡¯s really powder last chapter lol

 Chapter 34: Aid in the Snow

    The revenge of the stone¡­Colin quipped to himself.


    However, the stone didn¡¯t hit his position, missing by about two meters.


    After a few seconds of deathly silence, Colin rubbed his chest where his ribs had been bruised, forcing a smile to reassure Sanna that he was fine.


    Collin¡¯s gaze unconsciously swept over Sanna, and then he thought the soil seemed softer¡­


    After all, his back didn¡¯t hurt from the fall, but his chest was bruised¡­


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Sanna sincerely apologized.


    Even without her help, that stone wouldn¡¯t have hit anyone; it was a bit embarrassing¡­


    ¡°Do you need me to brush off the dirt on you?¡± Sanna asked.


    ¡°No, no need¡­¡±


    After politely declining, Colin subtly changed the topic to escape the awkwardness, ¡°More importantly, I think we should check out the explosion site.¡±


    When he mentioned the explosion, Sanna¡¯s eyes lit up, and she nodded in agreement.


    Not long after, Colin arrived at the spot where he had placed the explosives and saw a shockingly large crater.


    The crater was over half a meter deep and several meters in diameter, clearly indicating its terrifying destructive power. However, the soil around the crater was very ¡°loose,¡± sinking underfoot like fluffy cake.


    [Hint: By observing, you find that the explosive power is similar to the descriptions you have seen online.]


    [Therefore, you are quite certain that even though this world has many strange things, the scientific knowledge you know is still valid here.]


    Colin¡¯s lips curled into a smile. He had been a bit worried that the presence of magic or similar energies in this place would greatly reduce the power of firearms.


    However, fortunately, the hint provided a satisfying answer.


    Next to him, everyone was surprised. Sanna took a deep breath of the lingering ¡°fragrance¡± in the air, her usually gentle and kind voice now tinged with excitement:


    ¡°How much of this stuff can you make?¡±


    She had seen clearly from start to finish that using such a unique weapon didn¡¯t require any magical activation.


    This meant that this thing¡­ could be used by ordinary people! s?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If it could be mass-produced¡­


    The mere thought made Sanna feel happy.


    ¡°Making ten to twenty barrels shouldn¡¯t be a problem¡­¡±


    Collin thought for a moment and said casually, ¡°It mainly depends on how much frost stone is left in the mine¡­¡±


    He wasn¡¯t too worried about running out of saltpeter. Given the productivity of this era, that seemed unlikely.


    Unless the ruling class of extraordinary beings personally mined it, that was even less likely¡­


    So, the saltpeter mine likely had plenty of reserves.


    With the system¡¯s various functions, he could quickly produce a large amount of explosives even by himself.


    But the problem was, mining saltpeter in the cave was very troublesome. If Colin didn¡¯t want to be tied to this place, he needed to establish a production line.


    That would require a lot of manpower¡­


    People were cheap¡­


    To put it bluntly, in this situation, a human life might be worth only a hundred or two hundred milliliters of water¡­ a piece or even half a piece of bread (for lords who didn¡¯t eat human flesh).


    However lanterns, blood, and food restrictions, along with territorial limitations, made it impossible for Colin to have a population boom.


    Moreover, missing this opportunity would only increase the cost of a population boom.


    When the initial group of servants who couldn¡¯t be fed all starved to death, the cost for Colin to have a population boom would be astonishing.


    The more he thought about it, the more pressure he felt.


    For a moment, the joy and sense of accomplishment from the black powder were washed away completely.


    ¡­


    At that moment, in a secondary territory within the fog, a secondary lord named Huang Weiyang was leisurely enjoying roasted rat meat.


    Despite the lack of spices, salt, or any condiments, the crispy meat aroma was unforgettable, with the fragrant oil blending with his saliva, making Huang Weiyang crave the protein.


    ¡°I worked hard for years without buying a house, but in this godforsaken place, I have one¡­¡±


    He chuckled self-deprecatingly, missing his small rented apartment.


    Although the toilet clogged every day, even without flushing anything, at least he wouldn¡¯t risk dying every time he stepped outside.


    And the tech stocks he invested in last year were still rising; he had planned to splurge by the end of the year, but then he ended up here.


    Just as he was reminiscing, a distant, rumbling explosion made him shiver.


    ¡°What was that?!¡±


    He was puzzled for a moment, then remembered the information he saw in the chat channel earlier, his face turning pale.


    No, it couldn¡¯t be¡­


    Though he had joked about hoarding guns, feeling a bit of schadenfreude, experiencing it himself was different¡­


    Now, their area had become a granary¡­


    The man looked at the chat channel, where most people were still unaware, but some nearby had noticed the anomaly.


    ¡°I think I heard something, does anyone know what happened?¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t notice? What¡¯s so strange?¡±


    ¡°I think I heard it too, sounded like thunder. But what¡¯s more important is the team exploring the forest. Some active guys suddenly went silent.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re probably dead, no big deal.¡±


    ¡°Guys, I have something to tell you. Don¡¯t freak out¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it? So mysterious¡­¡±


    ¡°Spit it out, stop dragging.¡±


    ¡°Someone in our area made explosives¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Suddenly, the chat channel went silent.


    But after a few seconds, messages exploded, and even the lurkers were drawn out.


    ¡°Holy shit, are you serious? Out of millions of areas, it happened to be ours?¡±


    ¡°Honestly, the odds are too low.¡±


    Huang Weiyang looked at the messages and smiled bitterly, typing:


    ¡°I served in the military and have seen these things. I guarantee I didn¡¯t hear wrong. That was definitely an explosion, not thunder¡­ We¡¯re really that one in a million¡­¡±


    ¡°Holy shit, explosives! There¡¯s no ban for this?!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    The chat channel was filled with venting messages.


    Those who had explored outside knew what having black powder meant¡­


    After everyone finished venting, the man hesitated before cautiously suggesting:


    ¡°How about we join forces to¡­ talk to that person? I roughly know the direction.¡±


    Talk? What a joke!


    Everyone knew what he really meant.

 Chapter 35: Delivery at Your Door

    ¡°Lord¡­¡± ¡°Lord Colin?¡±


    Warm, white, pure, and gentle light shone before him, accompanied by a voice as warm as a spring breeze. Slowly, Colin returned to his senses after his daze.


    When he saw Sanna¡¯s glowing fist close by, it was as if he had surfaced from underwater, suddenly becoming ¡°awake.¡±


    Immediately, Colin realized that everyone was looking at him with worried expressions.


    ¡°Did something happen that we don¡¯t know about?¡±


    Sanna retracted her hand, her voice like a soothing chant, calming and reassuring everyone, making them feel as if they were bathed in the spring breeze.


    Seeing Colin¡¯s face turn strange and his eyes vacant, Shana had decisively used some special power when ordinary methods couldn¡¯t wake him.


    After all, Shana remembered that she used to be a member of the Sun Hymn Choir but was later transferred to another department of the Eternal Sun Church, taking on different responsibilities.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I was just thinking about something else.¡±


    Colin rubbed his forehead. For some reason, when he was thinking about the population issue earlier, he suddenly thought of something important and fell into a whirlpool of thoughts, getting deeper and deeper, unable to come to his senses for a while.


    Even now, Colin still felt a lingering sense of panic and unease, as if something bad could happen at any moment, something he couldn¡¯t change or prevent.


    Everything seemed to become urgent¡­


    But when Colin tried to recall his thoughts from earlier, he found he couldn¡¯t remember what he had been thinking about, as if he had suddenly become forgetful.


    ¡°What are we going to do now?¡±


    Sanna¡¯s clear blue eyes looked at Colin, interrupting his thoughts.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the mine and start mining. No matter what happens next, we need to take it step by step.¡±


    Cllin made a decision. Regardless of what came next, the immediate priority was to increase their strength as much as possible.


    And explosives were power!


    Soon, they returned to the saltpeter mine, about three meters high and four to five meters wide.


    The entrance was pitch dark, obviously home to some mutated creatures, but Colin hadn¡¯t received any warnings about significant danger, indicating that the mutated creatures inside shouldn¡¯t be too strong.


    Collin carried a lantern, prepared for anything, while Sanna led the way. The group, tightly clustered, entered the mine.


    Inside the mine, it was dark, cold, and damp, the air thick with a musty, decaying smell.


    Long-term disregard had left the ground relatively flat, albeit littered with fallen rocks from the ceiling or walls.


    The tunnel was supported by large, unnamed wooden stakes that formed long passages about two meters tall, forcing them to duck occasionally.


    The deeper they went, the narrower it became. The sound of dripping water deep in the cave made everyone tense.


    Due to the mine¡¯s humidity and the nature of saltpeter, it grew colder the further they went, unlike other types of mines, which typically got hotter deeper in.


    Fortunately, they hadn¡¯t encountered any mutated creatures yet. After a short walk, they finally reached the mining area.


    The walls here were covered with colorless, white, or gray crystalline minerals.


    Without wasting time, Colin used some crude iron blocks and wood he had bought from the trade market to quickly craft six iron pickaxes.


    Clang, clang¡ª


    Number Two immediately led a few men to start digging.


    As soon as they broke off pieces, Collin collected them into his backpack and began processing them on the spot.


    Others stood guard with axes, ready to fend off any creatures that might attack.


    After about ten minutes, there was no sign of any creatures, as if the cave were dead.


    The sound of shivering caught Colin¡¯s attention. His guards, dressed only in shorts and ragged shirts, were shaking in the cold cave, eyeing the diggers with envy.


    ¡°Miss Sanna, do you have any warming spells?¡±


    Colin remembered that her healing magic had a warming effect.


    Sanna looked troubled and hesitated before saying, ¡°Well, I do, but my magic is limited. I can only sustain it for about ten minutes¡­¡±


    What? Ten minutes is your limit too? Collin thought to himself.


    Then he decided against having her use magic, instead shouting, ¡°Everyone, rotate every ten minutes! Dig for ten minutes, then rest for ten minutes! Start rotating now!¡±


    He wanted everyone to experience the honor of labor!


    ¡°Yay!¡±


    ¡°Praise the Lord!¡±


    The guards, excited, grabbed the pickaxes and started swinging with vigor.


    The only sound was the clang of steel against rock, as each worker put their back into the task, faces full of determination.


    Sanna, exempt from the cold due to her constitution and magic, looked at the others¡¯ pickaxes, regretting she couldn¡¯t help. But she understood the importance of safety¡ªher mining would be more efficient, but in case of an emergency, the servant¡¯s lack of strength could lead to casualties, so she had no complaints.


    Ten minutes, half an hour, an hour, almost two hours passed¡­ S?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The mine had become less narrow under Colin¡¯s efforts, significantly more spacious than before.


    With increasing proficiency, Collin¡¯s speed at mixing explosives also increased.


    His inventory now held nearly two tons of black powder!


    ¡°Thankfully, the inventory had compartments and won¡¯t shake, though not as absolutely still as the trade market¡¯s storage. As long as there¡¯s no contact, it¡¯s essentially motionless. Otherwise, if it exploded in my inventory, I¡¯d be doomed.¡±


    The thought of that scene made Colin shiver.


    After all, this was two tons of explosives!


    Well, now it¡¯s three tons¡­


    The speed of making black powder far exceeded Colin¡¯s expectations.


    But at that moment, Colin¡¯s expression turned strange because he saw a notification.


    [Through barely perceptible vibrations, perhaps sounds or intuition, you seem to realize that someone is approaching this area.]


    [You speculate that they are survivors like you.]

 Chapter 36: You Are Lying

    ¡°Stop, stop, stop.¡± Colin ordered his workers, who were busy mining, to halt. When they all looked at him, he pointed behind him: ¡°Leave this place first; there are people approaching from outside.¡±¡°People are approaching? Other lords?¡± Sanna asked without showing any doubt.


    She had previously speculated that Colin might possess some special abilities, different from her own magic. Therefore, she wasn¡¯t surprised and didn¡¯t intend to inquire further.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Collin nodded. ¡°It¡¯s probably the explosion that attracted them. In any case, let¡¯s retreat for now.¡±


    With that, everyone quickly left the mine in a rush. Being trapped inside and attacked would be quite troublesome.


    Outside the mine, everything was quiet. Collin looked in several directions through the gray fog, realizing that there were multiple groups approaching and quite a few people in total.


    The nearest and largest group was less than a kilometer away.


    Colin checked the regional chat channel and noticed that the recent explosion had attracted the attention of most people in the area. The vast, open environment had facilitated the sound¡¯s spread, causing people kilometers away to take notice.


    Soon, word spread, and many began heading toward the mine, eyeing the significant profits from the saltpeter mine.


    However, many had switched to private chats, so the information in the public channel had significantly decreased. Clearly, they were all heading over.


    Colin had explosives but no corresponding firearms. While dealing with mindless mutants was manageable, handling humans would be more challenging.


    Unless the opponents walked into a trap and he detonated the explosives to kill them, that would yield minimal gains, especially since the lantern might get destroyed.


    Thus, Collin didn¡¯t intend to blow them up without even meeting them first. He hadn¡¯t encountered other survivors yet and was unsure of their progress. However, as the current top-ranked survivor, Colin had some confidence.


    ¡°Lord, is this troublesome?¡± Number Two asked.


    ¡°Not too much¡­ These people probably want a share of my profits, but whether they can manage that is another story.¡±


    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go see them.¡±


    Colin headed towards the nearest group, leading his team. Along their predicted path, Colin planted some explosives and waited quietly.


    Before long, he could see faint lights through the gray fog. Instantly, he received both good and bad news.


    The good news was that, judging by the dim light, they seemed to be holding ¡°Foul Tainted Blood¡± lanterns, indicating they had no more than five people each, less than his own group.


    The bad news was that there were nine such lanterns, meaning there were at least nine people, which, even if accompanied only by initial slaves, was still several times his number.


    Seeing the shadowy figures through the lantern light, Collin unhesitatingly used his ability to gain a hint:


    [From the nine lanterns before you, you deduce that the total number of people is around forty.]


    ¡°About forty people, this might be a tough fight¡­¡± Colin squinted. This number posed a challenge; he would need to quickly and decisively crush them to avoid prolonged battle and potential casualties, which wasn¡¯t his goal.


    As the two sides approached, they saw each other through the fog when they were less than twenty meters apart. S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Both sides watched each other cautiously without speaking or taking any aggressive or retreating actions.


    Observing the other group, Colin couldn¡¯t help but feel amused by their appearance. They wore mismatched outfits, some in rusty armor wielding rusty swords, some in tattered mage robes with staffs embedded with shattered gems, and a few upgraded slaves.


    Overall, they seemed weak. If Collin encountered them individually, he could easily defeat them. Furthermore, he noticed that they were not united, keeping their distances from one another, which he could use to minimize his losses and maximize his gains.


    When the other side saw Collin¡¯s group, they were taken aback by their number and the size of Collin¡¯s lantern, which covered a radius of ten meters, or over 300 square meters, as opposed to their five-meter radius lanterns, which covered only 78 square meters¡ªa stark contrast.


    They also noticed a small, golden-haired, blue-eyed woman in a white-gold church robe, whose elegance and sanctity inspired envy. Clearly, she was not from Earth but a summoned subordinate¡ªan extraordinary talent summoning card that none of them had.


    They assumed Colin, with absolute control over his subordinates, must have taken advantage of her.


    Even the two female survivors among the nine had similar thoughts.


    A loose coalition, a rabble¡ªColin judged inwardly, sensing their wariness and hostility. His displayed strength disrupted the ¡°balance,¡± making him the largest force present. If he acted, these ¡°small groups¡± would be in danger, causing them to close ranks slightly.


    After several seconds of silence, Colin felt a gaze fixed on him. Turning, he saw a man in ragged armor, who asked: ¡°Are you here looking for the saltpeter mine too?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Collin nodded with a smile. ¡°Did you find the mine¡­¡±


    Before he could finish, the man suddenly interrupted sternly: ¡°You are lying.¡±

 Chapter 37: Something Seems Off

    ¡°You are lying.¡± The man spoke with such certainty, as if he saw right through Colin¡¯s act.[You are puzzled by his words and can¡¯t understand how he saw through your disguise. After some thought, you notice a clue.]


    [You realize this man¡¯s sense of smell is quite keen; his breathing was much more frequent than the others¡¯. It seems he detected your setup through scent.]


    Damn, does he have a dog¡¯s nose? Colin thought to himself. Although it was surprising to be seen through, he remained unfazed.


    Seeing the man about to speak again, Colin smiled and said: ¡°Your next line is: The sulfur and gunpowder smell gave you away. You¡¯re the one who made the explosives.¡±


    The tall man in rusty armor, holding a rusty sword, was about to speak when Colin¡¯s words came out. He was stunned, instinctively wanting to speak, but Colin beat him to it again: ¡°Your next line is: How did you know?¡±


    ¡°How did you know¡­¡± The man felt a mix of embarrassment and anger as he spoke, his face turning red.


    At that moment, a cold ice spike suddenly shot towards Collin, but it was shattered by Sanna using the ¡°Sun Bible¡± in her hand.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± The man in half-knight armor glared at the ¡°mage¡± who wasn¡¯t exactly an ally.


    ¡°This guy discovered the saltpeter mine, so what are we talking about? Look at the size of his team; do you think he will share with you? Do not be stupid! The moment he gets a chance, he will pick us off one by one!¡± The man in the tattered mage robe, holding a broken staff, appeared mentally unstable as he scolded.


    ¡°Besides, in the gray fog, it¡¯s kill or be killed. There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll share profits with you.¡±


    ¡°Now¡¯s our chance. Let¡¯s unite and take him down. That way, we can form a unified group!¡± The ¡°mage¡± then looked at Sanna with undisguised greed and lust in his eyes: ¡°And this girl, she¡¯s a top prize. Don¡¯t you want to have fun? I guarantee, once we take him down and gain control of her, everyone gets a turn!¡±


    ¡°The mage is right! I¡¯ve had my eye on her! Take down that man, and everyone gets a share!¡± shouted another who was already standing with the ¡°mage.¡±


    Their group consisted of five people who were already united before encountering Colin. The mage was their leader.


    Hearing their ally¡¯s words, the rest of the group started clamoring. S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Haha, I can¡¯t wait to strip her and hear her scream in bed!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hold back, brothers, let¡¯s go!¡±


    The armored man frowned, regretting joining these people. He noticed their sanity seemed off, probably due to some past trauma, making their emotions extremely volatile.


    However, the mage was right. Colin needed to be controlled, or he would be unstoppable.


    As for killing him, the man thought it unnecessary.


    Meanwhile, the ¡°mage¡± hesitated, wondering why the man who found the saltpeter mine hadn¡¯t acted yet. Their words, though not loud, could be heard within a short distance.


    Facing such vulgar language, the man showed no reaction. Even a normal person would get angry and charge at them, right?


    Something seemed off¡­


    Suddenly, he saw the armored man sniff the air, his face changing. The mage also sniffed, his eyes widening.


    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for the explosion. What are you waiting for?¡± A cold voice came from ahead.


    ¡°Get back! Hit the ground now!¡± The mage paused and attempted to warn the others, but his words were drowned out by the deafening explosions.


    Boom, boom, boom¡ªthree loud explosions erupted near their feet.


    The powerful shockwaves scattered them, with dirt flying up and raining down. Those close to the explosions fell, their heads ringing, struggling to get up.


    Their sense of balance was disrupted, making it impossible to recover for at least ten seconds.


    ¡°Protect me! Protect me!¡± the unlucky survivors screamed in fear, one even losing a leg in the blast.


    But no one heeded their cries.


    Before the encounter, Colin had placed small amounts of explosives on the ground and then moved to a distance. He stood in a nearby area, drawing their attention away from the buried explosives.


    In fact, the keen-nosed man had smelled the gunpowder on the ground, not the people a few meters away.


    With the gray fog¡¯s natural cover, they only realized the explosives were about to detonate too late.


    Their already disjointed group was now scattered, some even considering escape.


    ¡°Despicable, cowardly, attacking from the shadows!¡± someone cursed in anger.


    They didn¡¯t know Colin¡¯s plan was to scatter them and pick them off one by one. Unexpectedly, they stepped right on the explosive barrels¡­


    Though it was different from his plan, the result seemed better.


    ¡°Holy Light Protection!¡± Sanna suddenly chanted, and in an instant, a divine glow enveloped everyone within a certain range.


    This dawn-like radiance would last for about three minutes, reducing at least half of the damage Colin¡¯s team would take. However, casting this spell on so many people showed signs of fatigue on her face; her already limited mana was nearly depleted.


    ¡°That woman is a healer! I¡¯ll take care of her; you go after the survivor! Capture the leader first!¡± The ¡°mage¡± declared, attacking Shana with his ice spike, planning to freeze her in three hits.


    Unexpectedly, the healer¡­ After shielding her teammates, glared at him coldly and then charged at him!

 Chapter 38: Mage, Save Me

    Seeing Sanna rush into the light of one of the survivors like an unstoppable force, knocking them down with a single move, the ¡°mage¡± felt dumbfounded.He vaguely sensed that perhaps he had chosen the wrong opponent.


    ¡°What are you waiting for?! Attack! We have the numbers; we can definitely take them down!¡± The survivor, being overwhelmed by Sanna, panicked as he saw his servants being easily defeated one by one. He turned to see the others just standing there in a daze.


    With his shout, the others snapped out of it and began to retaliate.


    At this moment, there were four survivors attacking Sanna, along with their minions, totaling seventeen people. Within a few seconds of their hesitation, Sanna had already defeated one survivor and his servants, disrupting their attack rhythm.


    ¡°Finally got it.¡± Sanna grabbed the lantern in her hand. This item was very important to her; without it, she would have to stay within Colin¡¯s light range, unable to fully unleash her combat power.


    After kicking a few people into Colin¡¯s light range, she launched another fierce attack on the remaining enemies!


    With strength four times that of an ordinary person, Sanna¡¯s power couldn¡¯t be simply calculated by adding one plus one. If a normal person could punch with fifty kilograms of force, she could now easily punch with two hundred kilograms of force. If she didn¡¯t hold back and targeted vital areas, a single punch could kill.


    Even after casting protection on everyone and holding the lantern, she could still fight back effectively!


    ¡°Mage, save me!¡± A leader couldn¡¯t hold on any longer. Seeing Sanna easily break through their defenses filled him with terror. His two level-one servants couldn¡¯t last even a single move against her!


    One of his servants even had a strength of 2.0, yet still wasn¡¯t a match!


    Is this really a healer?! This is a battle healer!


    At this moment, everyone felt they had fallen into Colin¡¯s trap. They were misled into thinking Sanna was the weakest, a soft target, only to find she was a tough opponent.


    The survivor turned to the ¡°mage¡± for help, but the next second, he collapsed along with his four servants. Sanna took his lantern and placed it on the ground.


    Shana didn¡¯t intend to kill him. She would let Lord Colin handle him later. She knew that lords could plunder from each other, and these ¡°high-quality¡± servants were valuable spoils.


    Then, Sanna turned to the ¡°mage,¡± holding the lantern in one hand and the ¡°Bible¡± with its iron spike in the other. She attached the chain on her wrist to the book to prevent it from slipping and charged forward.


    ¡°Useless fools!¡± The ¡°mage¡± cursed under his breath. He couldn¡¯t see the attributes of others¡¯ subordinates, so he didn¡¯t know Sanna¡¯s current stats. But judging by her performance, her strength was likely close to 3 or even at 3!


    Otherwise, she couldn¡¯t have defeated them so easily.


    A look of ferocity appeared in his eyes as he gritted his teeth and said, ¡°You forced me!¡±


    He growled, ¡°Eat the mushrooms!¡±


    His five servants shivered at the command, eyes filled with despair, but they followed the order without hesitation. Around their necks hung red mushrooms on strings.


    [Blood Mushrooms: Mushrooms grown from twisted flesh. They can provide a massive strength boost to those with less than 2 strength, but reduce sanity, spirit, and intelligence by 95%. Under this effect, the servants cannot be knocked unconscious.]


    [Description: A seemingly ordinary red mushroom.]


    [Note: After half an hour, those with an initial constitution below 2 will die in extreme pain. Those above 2 will become ¡°stupid¡± and ¡°weak¡± for an hour, with the effect weakening as constitution increases.]


    Clearly, these servants had an initial constitution below 2, meaning their only outcome from eating the mushrooms was death.


    But they couldn¡¯t disobey their lord¡¯s command, even if they felt no loyalty.


    The bitter, foul, and hard-to-swallow taste spread in their mouths. As they swallowed, they felt a fiery sensation in their stomachs. Their blood boiled, their eyes reddened, and their veins bulged, and they were filled with uncontrollable rage, ready to tear apart everything in sight.


    A thin leash kept them in place, like beasts chained up, ready to be unleashed.


    ¡°You¡¯re dead!¡± Sanna¡¯s usually gentle voice was hoarse. She couldn¡¯t see the mushrooms¡¯ details, but she sensed these people couldn¡¯t be saved.


    At this moment, she thought of Colin, who treated even his servants with basic human respect, unlike this man who saw people as disposable tools¡­


    ¡°Kill her!¡± The ¡°mage¡± shouted, fearing Sanna¡¯s cold gaze.


    With their boosted strength reaching up to 2.5, the ¡°mage¡± believed they could now face Sanna. He had used these mushrooms to kill a mutated wizard before, trading many servants¡¯ lives for victory.


    Since the market opened, he has used this method to deal with powerful enemies, always being successful. As for the servants¡¯ lives, they were easily replaced in the market.


    This time, he expected the same outcome, though he regretted that the woman would be torn apart by his frenzied servants.


    However, to his shock, the scene was still¡­ a massacre. His berserk ¡°army¡± fell like paper figures, with Sanna taking them down with ease. Unable to knock them out, she brutally broke their legs, rendering them immobile.


    At this moment, he doubted if the mushrooms had expired.


    ¡°Damn it! Why is she so difficult?¡± The ¡°mage¡± fumbled in his bag, trying to use a scroll to buy more servants from the market, employing his ¡°swarm¡± tactic.


    But as he opened the market, a hand grabbed his wrist.


    Crack¡­ ¡°Ah!¡± With little resistance, his bones were snapped. As the grip loosened, he cried out, clutching his wrist and kneeling in pain.


    A cold voice came from in front of him. ¡°You can die now.¡± He looked up, about to beg for mercy.


    But in a flash of white light, he saw blood spraying in the air, bone fragments, and¡­ an eyeball?


    The eyeball, a nerve attached to muscle, slowly flew through the air, reflecting the bloody explosion of a headless corpse.


    Dressed in a tattered mage robe.


    With a thud, the ¡°mage¡± fell, twitching briefly before going still. S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 39: What Did I Do Wrong to Make You Disrespect Me So?

    Clang! The sound of a metal sword hitting the ground suddenly rang out.¡°I surrender.¡± A man wearing a metal chestplate decisively dropped his sword, raising both hands high and facing Colin.


    The gap between the two sides wasn¡¯t small at all. Despite appearing to have the advantage in numbers, they were utterly crushed. Within a few minutes of fighting, they had already lost half their people. That ¡°Mage¡± had his head blown off on the spot, utterly dead.


    They suffered such heavy losses, while the other side only had a few minor injuries among their servants. This battle was unwinnable.


    Following his surrender, the others quickly dropped their weapons, fearing they would be mistaken for enemies and killed by Colin if they hesitated. Seeing Sanna¡¯s performance, they abandoned the thought of fleeing. It was impossible to escape.


    ¡°I thought you would be a bit tougher.¡± Colin smiled. After Sanna charged out, their side¡¯s ¡°battle¡± slowed down. Sanna¡¯s fighting style was too violent and attention-grabbing. Given the overall progress of the survivors, few could match her. Only those summoned with the ¡°Special Talent Recruitment Card¡± could compete with her. Unfortunately, they had none.


    Collecting his thoughts, Colin¡¯s eyes grew cold. He approached with a lantern, saying in a deep voice, ¡°Control them.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± Number Two responded, rushing forward with others to subdue the four remaining lords. Following Colin¡¯s instructions, they were all forcibly restrained, their hands tied behind their backs, and their knees pressed into their backs and necks. This restriction reduced their oxygen intake, leaving them too weak to resist. Colin had learned this method from the Beacon Country, perfect for this situation. S?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Hand over your servants and open your bags. Let me see.¡± Colin approached slowly, speaking with authority.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going too far? We¡¯ve already surrendered. I can offer you compensation. We haven¡¯t harmed your interests at all, and we didn¡¯t even find your ore. Besides, I didn¡¯t lead them¡­¡± One woman raised her head, desperately trying to distance herself from the responsibility. In her mind, she had done nothing, said nothing, and wasn¡¯t the one to initiate. She surrendered and didn¡¯t resist, thinking that compensation and a period of captivity should be enough. But Colin¡¯s words indicated he intended to take everything from them, including their precious ¡°parchment rolls,¡± a crucial asset for any lord. This was unacceptable!


    Colin narrowed his eyes, feeling a surge of anger. These people had come to claim a share of his saltpeter mine¡¯s profits and even wanted to kill him to seize his spoils. If not for his strength in defeating them, this could have happened.


    Without speaking, Colin struck her with the side of his axe, leaving her dazed and bleeding.


    ¡°Do you feel wronged?¡± Colin squatted down, grabbing her hair and lifting her head, looking at her blood-stained face with an emotionless tone: ¡°I understand. You think you didn¡¯t do much, so you shouldn¡¯t be held responsible. But to me, since you didn¡¯t try to stop them, you¡¯re not innocent. You even participated actively. If Sanna were weaker or if we couldn¡¯t fend off your attack, I wouldn¡¯t even have the chance to surrender. You¡¯d stand on my corpse, mocking my folly while sharing my spoils.


    ¡°Unfortunately for you, you lost. Now you tell me you had no ill intent despite wanting to kill me and take everything I have. Lady, what did I do wrong to make you disrespect me so?¡±


    The woman opened her mouth, seeing the coldness in Colin¡¯s eyes, and said nothing more, relinquishing all her permissions. Instinct told her that this impressive man wouldn¡¯t give her another chance to bargain. Compared to her belongings, her life was more important.


    Soon, Colin took everything from them, including fifteen servants. His team grew to twenty-nine people! Most importantly, he acquired four lanterns, a crafting table, and their parchment rolls. With these, Colin could quickly organize a significant force. This was a true windfall.


    As for the four, Colin neither killed nor released them. Each survivor was a mobile human warehouse. Colin intended to give them a chance to atone and contribute to humanity, perhaps by mining. In this chaotic world, Colin was determined to help humanity regain its glory. Taking over some talent wasn¡¯t too much to ask, was it?


    ¡°Today, I¡¯m kind as always,¡± Colin muttered to himself, looking at the parchment rolls. He suddenly remembered the headless corpse in the dense forest. Where were her parchment roll and crafting table?


    Without overthinking, Colin approached the man on the ground, the unluckiest of them all, having stepped on a landmine and lost a leg.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t kill me. Brother, I¡¯m sorry for offending you. Everything I have is yours. My life is yours. I¡¯ll serve you!¡± Seeing Colin approach with a group, the man was terrified. Sanna had taken down his servants and they were of no help.


    ¡°You¡¯re smart.¡± Colin smiled, praising, ¡°If everyone were like you, I wouldn¡¯t have lost my temper.¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Those fools dared to provoke you. Brother, you¡­¡± He noticed that Colin, after taking all his belongings, left him behind. ¡°Brother, what are you doing¡­¡±


    Colin, seeing his smile, spoke kindly, ¡°Let¡¯s see if you survive in the gray fog.¡±

 Chapter 40: In The Fog

    At the edge of the light, within the fog, hateful and venomous curses quickly faded away.With a sudden, abrupt scream, all movement ceased there, falling into complete silence.


    The corpse remained, but Colin and his group didn¡¯t immediately act.


    After a brief moment of silence, they snapped out of the terrified trance caused by the distorted scream.


    Colin stepped forward, seeing the corpse drenched in cold sweat, its dying expression grotesquely twisted. The jaw had dislocated during that last scream.


    Apart from the eyes, there were no visible wounds on the body. Those eyes¡­ had melted.


    Along with the eyelids, they melted in the sockets like candles, inducing a sense of horror.


    Everyone had the same question in their minds: What did he experience?


    From beginning to end, no one, including Colin, saw anyone or anything approaching him in the gray fog.


    Until Colin took away the lantern and retreated, exposing him to the fog for less than three seconds before everything ended.


    [The gruesome scene before you makes you shudder. You realize he wanted to close his eyes before he died, but unfortunately, those thin eyelids couldn¡¯t shield him from the horrific sight.]


    [His eyes, eyelids, and the brain beneath melted instantly from looking directly at the indescribable¡­]


    [You realize you have no interest in the gray fog or any intention of disrespecting it.]


    ¡°The hint¡­ chickened out.¡±


    Colin felt his throat dry. This was the second time the hint backed down.


    The first was yesterday during a willpower check, when a sixth-sense-like intuition warned him against his curiosity.


    This time, Colin instinctively sensed a connection between the gray fog and the bizarre, illogical world from his ¡°steadfast will¡± trial.


    The thing that made the hint retreat was likely of the same level, or perhaps even the same entity.


    But¡­


    Looking at the horribly mutilated corpse, Colin felt the hint was right. He had no interest in the gray fog, nor any intention of interacting with it.


    ¡°Still, the test wasn¡¯t completely fruitless. The parchment rolls and crafting table didn¡¯t disappear, confirming that these items don¡¯t vanish upon death. My previous guess was wrong.¡±


    Colin checked his inventory, noting that the items taken from the enemy were still there, unchanged. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Where did the female survivor¡¯s parchment roll and crafting table go then?


    Did someone search her body before he arrived?


    No, that was unlikely. If she had been searched, the person wouldn¡¯t have left other valuable items behind. Nothing else was missing from her body.


    For a brief moment, Colin sensed a deep mystery surrounding the corpse he briefly encountered.


    However, now wasn¡¯t the time to ponder this. Colin turned his gaze to another direction, where continuous wails echoed.


    Those were the servants who had consumed the ¡°flesh mushrooms.¡±


    Sanna stood there, having piled up all the people she had defeated. After ensuring Colin¡¯s situation was under control, she kept watch over the raging, frenzied servants without taking action.


    She had no hesitation dealing with the mastermind, ¡°Mage,¡± but hesitated with the wailing people on the ground.


    Under her white robe with gold trim, her fists clenched and unclenched repeatedly.


    Killing them to bring peace seemed like the most reasonable choice, reducing their pre-death suffering.


    But every time she decided to strike, her fists lost their strength, feeling utterly powerless.


    This powerlessness¡­ felt familiar.


    In her daze, the current scene overlapped with a blurred memory.


    There was no gray fog in that memory, but under a flag emitting holy light, ordinary people fell one by one.


    At that time, food seemed to be scarce¡­


    This time, it was the holy light that was lacking¡ªa stronger holy light¡­


    Every time, she felt so powerless.


    ¡°Killing them to lessen their pain, at least, would reduce their suffering¡­¡±


    Sanna took a deep breath and made her final decision.


    She wasn¡¯t indecisive, and she could be ruthless when necessary. But this feeling of repeating a past, irreversible regret was hard to bear.


    If these people were soldiers or loyal enemies, none would have survived when she charged over.


    But this situation was different.


    Her glowing white hand grasped a frenzied servant, but just as she was about to apply force, a voice sounded in her ear.


    ¡°Do you want to save them?¡±


    Colin approached, having finished looting the enemies, except the Mage.


    There were five, with the Mage dead and another perishing outside the lantern¡¯s reach.


    Three remained.


    These three were peacefully unconscious (or comatose), and Colin, being merciful, didn¡¯t disturb them, silently helping them close the lantern and taking the servants who might snore and wake them, hiding his deeds.


    Even if they later had nightmares, it wasn¡¯t Colin¡¯s concern.


    He just checked, and they were grateful for a good night¡¯s sleep, leaving him a reward and indicating that he could take it without waking them.


    After completing his good deed, Colin quickly returned to Sanna.


    Sanna¡¯s hand trembled, realizing Colin had arrived with the others. Clearly, he had dealt with the other enemies.


    Yet, there were only four captured lords in the group; the others were likely dead.


    Recalling Colin¡¯s words, she hesitated, then nodded. ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    She wasn¡¯t inclined to lie. After exhaling a breath of frustration, she glanced at the wailing people again:


    ¡°But they seem beyond saving. I¡¯m sorry, did I delay you¡­?¡±


    ¡°No problem on my end. They surrendered directly.¡±


    Colin replied, then asked again, ¡°Do you want to save them?¡±


    Shana was taken aback, realizing what he meant, and nodded firmly:


    ¡°Yes, Lord Colin, I want to save them.¡±


    Colin tilted his head, resting his chin on his hand, squinting at her. After a few seconds, he said:


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Then let¡¯s save them.¡±


    Not wanting to force it¡­ Sanna seemed to realize this required a sacrifice, about to speak.


    But Colin raised his hand, stopping her.

 Chapter 41: 200 Pound Strongman

    Saving these people undoubtedly came with a cost¡­But that cost¡­


    Was actually not that high.


    At least, not as high as Sanna thought.


    ¡°The hint offers two methods: the first is to upgrade these five servants to level three, allowing their base attributes to break through level two, and then using Sanna¡¯s ¡®Holy Light Healing¡¯ to help them withstand it.¡±


    ¡°But, while upgrading a level one servant only costs five fog points, upgrading to level two requires 25 points, and level three is a whopping one hundred and fifty¡­¡±


    Colin immediately abandoned this plan. Including his own points and what he just looted, he had about five hundred fog points. Though he could trade for more¡­


    It was just too wasteful.


    No one would naively use fog points to trade for water now¡­


    Even if they did, it would be rare, and by the time he traded, the bodies of these people might already be cold.


    ¡°The second method is more acceptable: upgrading the servants to level two; their base attributes would reach around 1.5, then spending three hundred fog points to upgrade Sanna once, granting her a new skill¡­¡±


    Colin quickly decided on the second plan.


    The first plan required a total of seven hundred and fifty fog points to upgrade five servants to level three with attributes around 2 each, which Colin wasn¡¯t willing to do.


    Compromising, spending one hundred and fifty fog points to upgrade five level two servants, then three hundred to upgrade Sanna by one level, he found acceptable.


    Moreover, Colin had seen through the hint that this would fulfill an inner regret of hers.


    Although Colin didn¡¯t know what this regret was, she had contributed the most and was the biggest hero¡­


    So, he decided to fulfill it.


    Colin gathered his thoughts and approached the mage¡¯s corpse. After taking control of all the servants, he checked their information.


    **[Servant]**


    Identity: Belongs to Colin.


    Status: **[Flesh Mushroom Poisoning]**: ¡°Berserk,¡± ¡°Insane,¡± ¡°Dying,¡± ¡°Hallucinating,¡± ¡°Semi-comatose¡±¡­


    Satiety: 11


    Strength: 1.7 (continuously decreasing)


    Agility: 1.6 (continuously decreasing)


    Endurance: 0.4 (continuously decreasing)


    Stamina: 0.3 (continuously decreasing)


    The series of debuffs made Colin¡¯s eyelids twitch; he hadn¡¯t expected the mushroom¡¯s effects to be so severe.


    Without looking further, Colin, despite his inner pain, quickly upgraded their levels.


    With one hundred and fifty fog points spent, the wails of the people on the ground noticeably weakened.


    Colin saw their attributes increase significantly.


    However, this wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°We still need your help.¡±


    Sanna nodded without hesitation.


    Colin opened her panel and unhesitatingly upgraded her.


    This time, he noticed something¡ªa pure substance, similar in appearance to the gray fog but fundamentally different, emerged from his body in three wisps.


    Three wisps¡­ Does it require over one hundred fog points to become visible?


    Colin speculated.


    Then he saw the three wisps enter Sanna, and her aura changed dramatically.


    [Holy Light Priest: Sanna Helaca]


    Identity: Holy Light Priest of the Eternal Sun Church.


    Description: A loving, gentle priest who brings healing with holy light.


    Strength: Second Stage.


    Status: ¡°Encouraged,¡± ¡°Blessed with Courage¡±¡­


    Satiety: 77


    Strength: 3.9¡ª7.1 (initial value¡ªblessed value)


    Endurance: 3.3¡ª5.9


    Stamina: 3.1¡ª5.4


    Agility: 2.1¡ª3.4


    Spirit: 2.8¡ª4.1


    Intelligence: 2.5¡ª3.9


    Mana: 1200/1200


    Skills: ¡°Strong and Healthy,¡± ¡°Meteor Hammer,¡± ¡°Sweep Kick¡±¡­ ¡°Wind of Revival (new).¡±


    [Wind of Revival]: Generates a healing wind within an eight-meter radius, rapidly restoring all orderly beings within range (effects can stack).


    [Level-Up Note]: All attributes increase by 1, all skill effects enhance by ten percent.


    [Next Level-Up Requirement]: 1000 fog points, 1 Mark of Light, 100 Condensed Light Stones.


    ¡°Monster-like attributes¡­¡±


    One glance at Sanna¡¯s attributes made Colin shiver. Externally, she didn¡¯t seem to change much.


    However, her aura was now noticeably more sacred and noble.


    Ignoring the fact that she could punch a bear to death.


    ¡°This kind of situation could only happen in this world. In a normal world, someone with this power wouldn¡¯t look so small¡­¡±


    Colin couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Boxer Mike Tyson had big, strong muscles, but his attributes weren¡¯t as high as hers¡­


    She could stand there, and a two-hundred-pound strongman might not be able to move a finger of hers.


    At this moment, Sanna also sensed her changes, her mind filled with a new skill and an understanding of its effects and usage.


    ¡°Praise you, Lord Colin¡­¡±


    Sanna¡¯s blue eyes were moist, her eyes red, biting her lip. She had many words of gratitude, but all she managed was this short sentence.


    She knew this upgrade required a substantial amount of resources.


    [Holy Light Priest Sanna Helaca¡¯s loyalty to you increased by 30%, current loyalty is at 100%!]


    [Note: She will never betray you.]


    [Hint: Your sacrifice is not without reward. You vaguely sense a bountiful harvest at some point in the future.]


    [Hint 2: Your selfless act of saving the dying slaves moved all present slaves, who empathized with them.] S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    [You realize they will offer you unwavering loyalty, even beyond your death.]


    Ignoring the system¡¯s content and hints, Colin patted Sanna¡¯s shoulder: ¡°Save them quickly.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Sanna nodded heavily, took a deep breath, and suppressed her excitement.


    Just as she was about to use the new skill, Colin suddenly called out to stop her, facing her confused look.


    Colin coughed twice, looking embarrassed, realizing that Sanna¡¯s skill healed and purified all within an eight-meter radius.


    There seemed to be no limit on the number of people¡­


    Whether saving many or few, the cost was substantial, but using it for just a few people¡­


    Seemed wasteful.


    Colin shared this sudden thought with Sanna, who agreed. The group quickly gathered together.


    An eight-meter radius, covering about two hundred square meters, could comfortably fit forty to fifty people.


    Soon, Sanna¡¯s soft, visible green wind swept through the area.

 Chapter 42: Clever Miss Colin

    The screams weakened¡­Sanna stood in the center, surrounded by a gentle green breeze, and everyone¡¯s condition was quickly improving.


    Seeing that there were no more issues here, Colin began to count the spoils of the battle.


    Opening his inventory, his eyes first landed on some special items, most of which came from the mage.


    Especially the six hundred plus ¡°Twisted Flesh Mushrooms,¡± which were particularly eye-catching.


    [You realize that these mushrooms might be combinable with the ¡°Sun Mushrooms¡± you have seen before. Once combined, their negative effects will be greatly reduced.]


    [Additionally, if given to an alchemist of stage three or higher, they could create a special nerve-connecting potion.]


    ¡°So, that¡¯s how these things are used. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t have either right now¡­¡±


    Colin muttered, then looked at the other items.


    A mage robe, a staff, some fog points left after spending, a treasure map fragment¡­


    And a ¡°Twisted Soul.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Twisted Soul¡¯ looks pretty new, probably acquired today, and he couldn¡¯t wait to send it to me. Although this mage was not a good person, his awareness is commendable.¡±


    Colin toyed with the broken staff in his hand, his gaze lingering on the mage robe, faintly sensing the power within both items.


    [¡°Tattered Witch Robe¡±]: Wearing it will decrease your sanity to some extent, but you will gain three times that amount in mental protection.


    [Note 1: As long as I am dumb enough, I won¡¯t go insane.]


    [¡°Broken Frost Staff¡±]: Using it can trigger the residual frost power within, freezing enemies with endurance below 4 for a minute after three hits.


    [Remaining uses: 5]


    [Note: Severely damaged, cannot be repaired.]


    ¡­


    ¡°A piece of control equipment, not bad¡­ uh¡­¡±


    Colin instinctively used his hinting ability, and within seconds, his body stiffened, his expression turning strange¡­


    [You realize these two items come from the same person and have withstood the erosion of time due to their superior craftsmanship; otherwise, they would have rotted away long ago.]


    [You know too little about them to trace their origins, but you find a negative effect on them.]


    [If a male uses these items, he will gradually become more extreme in behavior and lose male characteristics over time, with a small chance of turning into a female¡­]


    This is something that should be sealed away!


    In a swift motion, Colin threw both items into his inventory and silently vowed never to use them.


    Even if he had to jump off a building, he would never wear that robe or use that staff!


    He didn¡¯t want to turn from ¡°Mr. Colin¡± into ¡°Miss Colin¡±¡­


    Weakening male characteristics was also unacceptable!


    If it weren¡¯t for realizing that these might be important quest items like ¡°Kaidish¡¯s Wooden Wheel,¡± he would have auctioned them off for something in return.


    As for the ¡°Twisted Soul,¡± Colin didn¡¯t need to think to know it came from the witch.


    After completing the quest, the hints for these items might change.


    ¡°Whether or not to do the quest aside, the items are fine, so let me see where they come from.¡±


    The twisted blue humanoid flame quietly burned in Colin¡¯s hand, emitting a faint blue glow without any heat.


    Colin examined it closely from various angles, confirming that the quest required an inspiration value greater than 9, not sacrificing his little brother, nor would it make Sanna gain a sister. Only then did he crush it.


    A familiar daze quickly washed over him.


    ¡°Where¡­ am I? Cough cough¡­ where are my sisters¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I am a witch. I come from¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What happened here? Why are there monsters? Where¡¯s the treasure? My sisters are still waiting for me¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t be afraid, I¡¯ll stay to help you¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­I did not spread the plague¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­ want to go home¡­¡±


    In an indescribably dreamlike scene, Colin saw a beautiful woman in a witch¡¯s outfit suddenly appear on this land. S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    She encountered problems upon arrival, forgetting many things but eventually recalling them.


    Her purpose seemed to be searching for some treasure, but perhaps out of pity, she chose to stay and help the local villagers resist the plague.


    However, someone leaked her presence to the church, which believed she had spread the plague.


    In the end, she was executed by a knight order sent by the Church of Suffering.


    ¡°The church really never does anything good¡­¡±


    Colin muttered. So far, apart from Father Kaidish, he hasn¡¯t seen the church do anything good.


    A new quest appeared on the scroll.


    [Quest Triggered: Homesick Witch]


    [Quest Requirement 1: Defeat the ¡°Mutant¡ªSuffering Citizen¡ªSuffering Knight¡± patrolling Silvermoon Bay and retrieve the witch¡¯s head from the shipwreck.]


    [Quest Requirement 2: Defeat the ¡°Mutant¡ªWitch¡¯s Head¡± in the shipwreck.]


    [Quest Requirement 3: Return the ¡°Witch¡¯s Head¡± to the temple in the Witch¡¯s Forest.]


    [Quest Time: Unlimited.]


    [Quest Description: The knight order from the Church of Suffering began a massacre under the guise of mining when villagers refused to disclose the witch¡¯s whereabouts.]


    [In the end, her location was discovered. Before her death, she seemed not to harbor resentment but instead remembered her homeland. So, fulfill her wish to return home.]


    [Quest Reward: Black Bread*999, Fog Points 1000, Special Character Summon Card, Title Gift Box*1, Level 1 Temple Blueprint*1, Water of Life 1000ml, Life Tree Seed*1.]


    [Hint: This quest is extremely difficult. You believe you lack the means to reach the ¡°Witch¡¯s Forest,¡± you believe you lack the means to seal the ¡°Witch¡¯s Head,¡± you believe the ¡°Witch¡¯s Head¡± is more dangerous than the Bigfoot Mutant Lord¡­]


    After reading, Colin took a sharp breath, feeling deeply afraid.


    This quest overlapped with the ¡°Revenge¡± quest he had accepted earlier. Had he gone to complete that quest first, his grave would probably be overgrown by now.


    Because he would likely have encountered the starting lord-level ¡°Witch¡¯s Head¡±¡­


    ¡°Thankfully, I was clever and didn¡¯t act recklessly¡­¡±


    Colin sighed in relief.


    Now, looking at the witch¡¯s robe again, he noticed the many cuts, especially around the collar, where there was dark brownish-red dirt that looked like congealed blood.


    Clearly, it was blood that flowed out when the beautiful witch was beheaded.


    ¡°These triggered quests can¡¯t be taken lightly. They seem simple, like just killing a few monsters, but then you find out they almost always involve lord-level mutants¡­¡±


    ¡°Lacking enough information will land you in a dire situation like last time.¡±

 Chapter 43: Major Expansion

    ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s put this quest aside for now¡­¡±The quest rewards were indeed plentiful, but it was clear he couldn¡¯t complete it at the moment.


    Immediately, Colin shifted his focus and started inventorying other gains.


    This time, he acquired thirty-nine slaves and four survivors, totaling forty-three people.


    Including his own team, he now controlled fifty-seven people.


    The number had increased dramatically!


    However, more important than the number were the nine lanterns, nine crafting tables, and nine scrolls.


    These items were the key to the expansion.


    Colin pulled out a somewhat broken chair, sat down in the wilderness, and squinted his eyes in thought:


    ¡°If you use a crafting table to synthesize ¡®ordinary¡¯ blood, then this crafting table triggers the condition for synthesizing ordinary blood¡­


    ¡°Servants can use crafting tables, that¡¯s been confirmed¡­


    ¡°That means these nine lanterns do not have to be like Team One¡¯s, which only fit a few people; instead, they can be expanded into large teams, each set up like mine with fourteen people!¡±


    Colin squinted his eyes and breathed heavily. Doing the math, he realized that ten teams, each with fourteen people, totaled over 140 people, nearly ten times his current number¡­


    This instantly solved his urgent need for more manpower for mining.


    Thinking of this, Colin looked gratefully at the other survivors¡­


    Truly, they were lifesavers in his time of need!


    However, the four survivors felt a chill down their spines, sensing danger.


    ¡°Why do I feel like I¡¯ve gotten stronger without doing anything?¡± Colin muttered to himself.


    He continued thinking about the scroll¡¯s friend function (only both parties taking out the scroll could add each other), allowing for remote material transfers, even if not in the mining area, enabling private transactions. S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In simpler terms, Colin could arrange several teams to mine, and after mining, have the materials sent directly through the friend list in the personal channel¡­


    As long as they mined quickly, Colin could unleash unlimited firepower at the front without worry.


    ¡°The only risk is that servants can¡¯t operate the scroll. The transaction requires survivors to transfer the materials to their inventory before sending them¡­¡±


    This was the only risk in the plan.


    However, this risk was controllable because servants could see the scroll¡¯s contents.


    And due to their absolute loyalty, they could effectively prevent harmful actions, avoiding danger.


    ¡°Three to five teams should be left in the mining area, with corresponding crafting tables and two scrolls one for regular use and one backup. This area is crucial and must be strictly controlled.¡±


    ¡°Then, I can free myself, leave here, and use a few territories to create ¡®war chariots¡¯ to flatten Crow Mountain Forest¡­¡±


    ¡°I remember war chariots requiring a lot of iron¡­¡±


    ¡°But after so long, those miners should have dug up some minerals¡­¡±


    ¡°By the way, the team structure can still be improved. After this trip, I feel it can be sixteen or seventeen people, four teams of three, one ¡®lantern bearer,¡¯ and three ¡®lantern guards¡¯¡­¡±


    Colin roughly planned the setup for later, but suddenly thought of something¡­


    There were more people coming to help him.


    This area was sorted out, but there were still people approaching from four directions¡­


    They should be near this area soon.


    Even one more person meant four more teams and over fifty additional fighters for Colin.


    He didn¡¯t know how to thank them for their kindness.


    As for the food issue, he wasn¡¯t too worried. The current supplies were enough for a day, which was plenty of time to get things done.


    If not, he could trade on the market.


    This morning, he reaped a good harvest with everyone; it had been four or five hours, so fresh sprouts should be ready.


    ¡°In addition, there¡¯s over five thousand ml of foul tainted blood here, which can synthesize over sixteen hundred ml of ordinary blood, which is enough for a while¡­¡±


    ¡°And over two hundred black bread, various fresh and not-so-fresh meat over a hundred portions, totaling over a hundred pounds. Someone even specifically killed a wild boar and brought it over, very considerate¡­¡±


    Colin checked his inventory and sighed¡­


    The money came in no slower than robbing.


    Oh¡­ This seemed like robbing¡­


    In his thoughts, ten minutes passed quickly. The five servants on the ground had opened their eyes and looked at Colin with gratitude.


    Apart from being relatively weak and having just reattached their legs, they had survived this crisis successfully.


    They understood their value and the cost of what Colin had given them.


    All they could repay was loyalty.


    Though loyalty meant little when a lord had absolute control over servants, it was all they had to offer.


    Sanna, having used ¡°Wind of Revival¡± for a long time, stood weakly, waiting for Colin to speak.


    ¡°Can you still walk?¡± Colin asked, simultaneously checking their stats. Their basic attributes were around 1.5, and the word ¡°invigorated¡± appeared even without intervention.


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± They stood trembling, their legs still in pain from the recent healing.


    But by tomorrow, this would significantly improve.


    Compared to ordinary people, servants recovered faster.


    And perhaps, due to long-term labor, their bodies efficiently used food.


    ¡°Rest and eat a bit, Sanna, you too.¡±


    Colin then turned to Number Two, his longest companion, and began his second expansion plan.


    Soon, nine carefully selected servants stood before Colin in a line, their eyes filled with unwavering loyalty.


    Among them was Number Two, all chosen as ¡°lantern bearers¡± and team leaders.


    ¡°You will be team leaders for my squads two to eleven. Your only purpose is to follow my orders and ensure your lanterns burn at all costs¡­¡±


    Colin said solemnly, ¡°Any questions?¡±

 Chapter 44: Battle Axes

    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡±They responded loudly, secretly resolving to ensure the continuation of the lanterns¡¯ light at any cost.


    ¡°Place the items here; each of you comes here and takes a set. Store the crafting tables in your inventory.¡±


    Colin distributed the lanterns, crafting tables, and some materials. Each lantern already contained at least one hundred ml of ordinary blood, enough to burn for three hours. As for further supplies, Colin was confident he could replenish them.


    Next, Colin gave the nine team leaders three minutes to select 3-5 servants each, forming new groups. Each team included one-third ¡°veterans¡± to guide the new members, fostering quick team growth.


    ¡°Set up the pots!¡±


    At his command, nine servants simultaneously used the crafting tables. The tables had nine slots, and with the correct materials and arrangement, they could produce the desired items. With blueprints, they could even create items that are not typically possible.


    Instantly, nine large pots were set up. This time, Colin, having learned from experience, prepared the food first before recruiting more people, avoiding chaotic delays that could lead to starvation among the new recruits. Many of the sold servants were on the brink of starvation, and a delay in feeding them could be fatal. With nearly a hundred new recruits, proper handling was crucial to preventing deaths.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°Good. Make sure no one in your team starves to death, or else¡­¡± s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Colin¡¯s stern expression left the consequences to their imagination. Mainly because he hadn¡¯t thought of any specific consequences yet.


    ¡°Everyone, light the lanterns with blood!¡±


    At Colin¡¯s command, nine bright lights shone through the gray fog. Simultaneously, over a hundred servants were projected from Colin¡¯s scroll, appearing weak and barely able to stand. The prepared teams quickly chose the necessary members, fed them, and organized them into their groups.


    Soon, the expansion was complete. Including Colin¡¯s team, the total number of people was 162. Colin¡¯s team remained at fourteen members, while the others had sixteen. Colin needed only Sanna as his close guard; more would be cumbersome.


    Looking at the nine teams lined up before him, their eyes filled with awe and reverence, Colin took a deep breath and smiled slightly.


    ¡°Now this feels like being a lord¡­¡±


    On the other side, the four survivors watched the scene with mixed feelings. They realized escape was no longer an option¡­


    Bang!


    Colin threw a wooden table to the ground. The survivors flinched, surprised that someone would bring a table while exploring.


    Unlike them, who maximized their inventory with supplies, Colin had even brought furniture, making it look like a vacation.


    Ignoring their strange looks, Colin took out materials, crafted weapons, and placed them on the table. Then, addressing the group, he said solemnly:


    ¡°Those without weapons, step forward and take one.¡±


    It was still an axe¡ªover a hundred second-generation battle axes. Brutal, violent, and powerful, these axes required no special skills to combat the mutants.


    In close combat with mutants, brute force was the key. Either you die, or you swing the axe again!


    The battle axe had proven its effectiveness, so Colin chose it as the standard weapon for his troops. As for ranged weapons, only bows and arrows could be made now, but they were ineffective against mutants. Without sufficient damage, even a master archer would only create ¡°porcupines¡± charging through the mist.


    Moreover, the current visibility, including the lantern range, was only about twenty meters. The bow¡¯s power was greatly limited.


    Thus, Colin temporarily abandoned the idea of ranged attacks. A single axe strike, if it didn¡¯t kill, then another strike, and if that failed, retreat¡­


    From team two onward, they orderly approached the table and took an axe as their weapon. Over a hundred people stood in formation, battle axes in hand, awaiting Colin¡¯s orders.


    Colin, expressionless and serious, looked at their reverent, nervous faces, contemplating how to evoke ¡°excitement.¡±


    Among the servants, some were already ¡°excited¡± after eating, while others were not quite there¡­


    He couldn¡¯t replicate ¡°I can¡¯t hear you¡± here, as they were in the gray fog, and others were approaching with gifts.


    After a few seconds of silence, Colin took out fifty pounds of wild boar meat and slammed it on the table.


    This immediately drew most people¡¯s attention. Colin hadn¡¯t let everyone eat to their fill, keeping most in a state of hunger.


    The sound of swallowing echoed through the group¡­


    Colin, looking at them, prepared to speak:


    ¡°Soon, you will face a trial. Your performance in this trial will be recorded. If you excel, this will be your dinner, with the best team receiving ten pounds of jerky as a reward. But if you fail, then this will be your dinner.¡±


    He pointed to the nearly empty pots with a few grains of rice left.


    Colin¡¯s words quickly motivated the servants, filling them with determination.


    For those approaching, Colin didn¡¯t plan to directly engage nor to use Sanna, his trump card. Instead, he sent the nine teams to persuade the newcomers, aiming to acquire their scrolls, lanterns, and crafting tables.


    Based on the information, these groups were small, likely only three or four people, or even fewer. They posed little threat, making them perfect for practice.


    ¡°Can I join them?¡±


    Just before departure, a voice came from beside him. Colin turned to see the man with the keen nose and iron armor. Colin had confiscated his armor earlier but returned it after finding it was just regular gear.


    It took up space in his inventory.

 Chapter 45: Ha, What’s The Use of Numbers?

    ¡°Give me a reason.¡±¡°I feel like I can be of some help. Consider it a way to make up for my previous actions¡­¡±


    The armored man spoke in a deep voice. He couldn¡¯t exactly say that he was hungry and wanted some meat; that would be embarrassing. Of course, what he said wasn¡¯t entirely untrue¡ªhe had been working hard to help and thought he deserved some special treatment.


    ¡¾You judge that his words are mostly true, but he is hiding some inner thoughts.¡¿


    ¡¾However, these thoughts are irrelevant.¡¿


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Colin asked, touching his chin. ¡°And tell me what you plan to do. Let me see if you can actually be of help.¡±


    ¡°Li Hang. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you have the ability to see through the fog. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t send them out and wouldn¡¯t have intercepted us so accurately¡­¡± Li Hang whispered his thoughts.


    Eventually, Colin nodded and allowed him to join the second team, giving them permission to listen to Li Hang¡¯s suggestions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting here for you. I hope you bring back a satisfactory result.¡±


    Soon, the group of over a hundred people marched in the direction Colin indicated. If all went well, they would encounter the survivors coming for his ore within five minutes.


    Watching them leave, Colin quickly packed up the table and other items, preparing to follow them secretly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to train them to handle problems independently?¡± Sanna asked, surprised. This kind of trial was something even the church used; she thought Colin wouldn¡¯t participate at all.


    As he packed, Colin replied nonchalantly, ¡°I¡¯m joking. I would be heartbroken if even one of my soldiers got hurt, let alone killed. I want them to gain experience, not to die¡­¡±


    ¡­


    In the fog, four lanterns moved, shadows flickering within their light.


    ¡°Brother Huang, do you have the map? Oops, I mean, Brother Huang, are you sure about this? We¡¯ve encountered quite a few mutants along the way; they seem strong¡­¡±


    One of the lantern bearers spoke, his clothes stained with blood from previous encounters.


    Huang Weiyang, deep in thought as he walked, replied, ¡°They¡¯re just ordinary mutants. Put in some effort, and you can kill them with a few chops. At most, you¡¯ll get a bit injured. So, he shouldn¡¯t be that strong. There aren¡¯t many Colins in this world. If my guess is correct, he¡¯s just gotten his hands on some black powder, and there should be only four or five of them at most. The fact that the first explosion was so loud means it used a lot of material, likely from a large ore deposit. He¡¯s being wasteful because he has plenty.


    Unfortunately, he doesn¡¯t know how to hide or think. Many people on the channel plan to come here. There were some small explosions just now, indicating they¡¯ve already started fighting. It¡¯s been less than fifteen minutes, so they should still be engaged. We¡¯re arriving at the right time!¡±


    ¡°Brother Huang makes sense,¡± another survivor agreed with his reasoning. A saltpeter mine that big should be shared!


    Following a trail of footprints, they soon saw a bright light ahead. The four were startled and huddled together.


    Seventeen people¡­ Those people didn¡¯t seem to be hiding. But why were their lights so bright?


    Huang Weiyang and his companions exchanged glances but didn¡¯t make a move. They were 19 people strong, facing 17. The odds were even or in their favor; retreating was out of the question.


    Just as he was about to speak, one of the survivors approached. As the lights merged, they were once again surprised by how bright the other group¡¯s light was.


    ¡°Are you here for the saltpeter mine?¡± Number Two asked, showing no fear of these lords. Having dealt with nine of them recently, they no longer felt intimidated by anyone but Colin.


    Too arrogant¡­ Huang Weiyang glanced at the servant next to Li Hang, annoyed by the bright light. He was ready to fight if necessary.


    ¡°Since you didn¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll take it as a yes. Hand over your scroll, crafting table, and lanterns, and come with me. Otherwise, if we start fighting, it wouldn¡¯t be good if we accidentally kill you noble lords.¡± Number Two looked at them disdainfully. ¡°Our Lord said everything should be done peacefully.¡±


    So arrogant!


    ¡°Is this your idea of peace?¡± Huang Weiyang frowned, dissatisfied with Li Hang. Did they think having a few more servants made them invincible? Even if they had two, three, or ten times as many people, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid. After all, he was the neighborhood¡¯s sanda champion!


    What¡¯s it got to do with me? They¡¯re not my subordinates¡­ Li Hang thought, feeling the discontented gaze.


    Then he said, ¡°Why are you looking at me? I advise you to do as told, or you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    At that moment, he glanced around, suddenly smiling: ¡°I¡¯m waiting to be surrounded. What are you waiting for?¡±


    Li Hang recalled Colin¡¯s words when he bombed them before, unable to resist quoting him.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Huang Weiyang sneered. ¡°So what if you have more people? I¡¯ll show you that numbers aren¡¯t everything!¡± S?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He was confident in his abilities. But just as he finished speaking, a lantern suddenly lit up nearby.


    Sixteen people¡­


    Huang Weiyang frowned. So what?


    But the next moment, another lantern appeared¡­


    And then another¡­


    32, 48, 64, 80¡­


    A total of nine super-bright lanterns lit up around them!


    No way out!


    Huang Weiyang stood paralyzed, his hand shaking on his axe.


    A total of 145 people, each holding an axe, stared at him.


    He didn¡¯t dare move or breathe heavily, fearing they¡¯d attack if he made the wrong move.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to resist?¡± Number Two glared at him.


    ¡°Just joking, just joking. I¡¯m all for peace. I don¡¯t like fighting¡­¡± Huang Weiyang said hastily. ¡°But you mentioned your lord¡­¡±


    He glanced at Li Hang, puzzled. Wasn¡¯t their lord right here? But he couldn¡¯t say that¡ªit would be a death sentence. They¡¯d be slaughtered.


    ¡°Why are you looking at him? He¡¯s not our lord!¡± Number Two scolded.


    Li Hang shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. If I were you, I¡¯d cooperate. We nine were overturned by our boss. Do you think you four can do better? Ridiculous¡­¡±


    Many knew, but overlooked, that lantern lights could be hidden. The trick was simple: have subordinates encircle them. It didn¡¯t affect the mist¡¯s effect but was a blind spot.


    Colin gave Li Hang a chance because he noticed Li Hang¡¯s keen observation skills, something Colin himself hadn¡¯t realized. After all, the main enemies of survivors were mutants, not other survivors.


    Li Hang used this, along with Colin¡¯s ¡°full map¡± explosion point, to let the nine teams encircle and cut off their retreat.

 Chapter 46: I Admit I Was Taking a Gamble

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one more chance. Answer now, hand over your stuff, and our lord will see you!¡±This time, Number Two¡¯s desire to take action was evident.


    ¡°¡­We¡¯ll hand it over.¡±


    Huang Weiyang sighed, choosing to comply. There was no other choice. Sometimes you had to admit that numbers did matter.


    ¡°If you had done this earlier, we wouldn¡¯t have had to go through this. I thought you were so tough that you could take on ten people at once,¡± Li Hang sneered, feeling an odd satisfaction from his borrowed authority. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    With their hands bound behind their backs, they were marched back like prisoners. Soon, they saw Colin and his group sitting in the mist.


    After bringing them over, Number Two and Li Hang whispered a few words to Colin before leaving.


    Huang Weiyang couldn¡¯t help but glance at the woman in the white and gold-trimmed church robe, but he quickly looked away, remembering what Li Hang had said. This woman was summoned by the special character card that had defeated them.


    His gaze then shifted to Colin, but before he could get a good look, a voice called out from the front.


    ¡°Open your inventory and let me see.¡±


    See? How could it be just a simple look? It was like stripping us of our dignity!


    Huang Weiyang¡¯s face turned red, feeling humiliated. This felt as degrading as having his pants pulled down. But then, he felt a nudge on his pant leg. The older man, who had asked for the map earlier, signaled him to look to the side.


    He glanced over and saw a pile of non-mutant corpses, quickly deflating his anger. Forget it, he thought. They¡¯ve already taken the most important things¡ªthe scroll, crafting table, and lantern.


    After calming himself down, he opened his inventory and watched his prized possessions being taken one by one, his heart breaking.


    ¡°Oh, right. Also, hand over the rights to your servants,¡± Colin said indifferently.


    A capitalist once told him that exploitation shouldn¡¯t be rushed¡ªit should be done step by step.


    ¡­


    Elsewhere, another team encountered Colin¡¯s group. Unexpectedly, this team also had people who had integrated ¡°ordinary tainted blood,¡± and there were quite a few of them.


    Clearly, they were here for one reason: the saltpeter mine.


    ¡°Hand over the scroll, lantern, and crafting table, then come with us. Otherwise, stay here and don¡¯t leave,¡± Number Two said fearlessly to the three lords and their dozens of subordinates.


    ¡°Your lord? Interesting¡­¡± The lead survivor looked at the surrounding bright lanterns and the hundreds of people in the light, taking a deep breath.


    Then he looked at Li Hang in the crowd and, after a brief observation, sneered, ¡°It seems you are not their lord.¡±


    This was easy to see, given the lack of natural fear or respect servants had for their lords.


    In response, Li Hang shrugged, saying, ¡°Brother, if you¡¯re going to surrender, do it quickly and cut the pretense. Otherwise, you¡¯ll end up crying.¡±


    ¡°Hmph,¡± the lord said, looking around at the glinting axes without fear. ¡°Did your cowardly lord tell you that some battles can¡¯t be won with numbers alone? Not all lords are as weak as you think. There are strong and weak among lords too.¡±


    He seemed confident, as if he had a trump card to turn the tide.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, I love guys who talk tough. It makes it more fun to break them,¡± Li Hang laughed. Having decided to ¡°pledge loyalty¡± to Colin, he was fully committed and wouldn¡¯t underestimate any opponent. He had recently learned the hard way not to underestimate his enemies.


    In the next moment, several servants in each group appeared, holding waist-high wooden barrels.


    Li Hang didn¡¯t hesitate to light a small piece of wood, tossing it to the ground where it ignited, releasing a pungent smell. The flames quickly spread toward the survivors¡¯ feet.


    The lead survivor noticed some buried traces ahead, realizing they were aimed right at them¡­


    With Colin¡¯s ¡°full map hack,¡± Li Hang could easily see through and handle others, like cheating in a game.


    The area was already filled with explosives!


    ¡°Do you want to bet that our barrels aren¡¯t filled with gunpowder?¡± Li Hang asked, staring at him.


    ¡°You¡­ You¡¯ve got guts!¡± The confident survivor¡¯s eyes darkened as he listened to the sizzle of burning powder, glaring at Li Hang.


    After a moment of thought, he said, ¡°I surrender¡­¡±


    Without further words, he threw out the survivor¡¯s core set. The other two, seeing this, also chose to comply.


    The fire was extinguished.


    No one took this ¡°game¡± lightly. Everyone knew the cost of death and didn¡¯t want to die easily. Without the explosives, he might have had a way to win, but with gunpowder, it was different. Even without guns or cannons, charging in with explosive barrels would have the same result.


    Everyone knew that servant lives were the least valuable. They couldn¡¯t believe a lord hiding in the shadows would care much for these guys. So, they thought they would be blown up before the Lord would even show himself.


    Dying without knowing who the opposing lord was would be too frustrating.


    ¡°Smart move,¡± Li Hang said, relieved.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it seem like you¡¯re that loyal either¡­¡± The survivor taunted.


    Li Hang remained unfazed, ¡°I admit I was taking a gamble, but you lost, didn¡¯t you? You performed well. If you keep it up, you might get the chance to be a ¡®consultant¡¯ like me.¡±


    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    For those who had surrendered, Li Hang was always cordial, albeit with a schadenfreude kind of warmth.


    ¡°Li Chou.¡±


    ¡°Same surname, huh? Nice to meet you. I am also Li. Want me to put in a good word with the boss so you do not have to mine?¡±


    ¡°Heh, there are about a billion people with our surname.¡±


    ¡°True. Open your inventory and show me your trump card¡­ ¡®Flesh Mushroom¡¯? I thought it would be something impressive¡­¡± Li Hang pouted. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Have you seen it before?¡± Li Chou¡¯s eyes narrowed, a faint glint passing through them.

 Chapter 47: What is Fairness?

    ¡°Of course, there was another guy in a mage¡¯s robe, not sure where he found it, who used this kind of mushroom to fight the boss. Unfortunately¡­¡± Li Hang sneered at the survivor named Li Chou, acting as if he had personally defeated the other guy. ¡°He died a terrible death.¡±¡°I underestimated him. I met that guy yesterday and briefly cooperated with him. He was quite strong but not a good person. After killing that mutant, he tried to turn on me, but I escaped. It¡¯s good he was killed,¡± Li Chou said with a sigh of relief. ¡°Luckily, I surrendered early and avoided a big mistake. It seems our boss is very strong to have killed that guy.¡±


    If he remembered correctly, that person did use a ¡°swarm¡± strategy, which was very troublesome. He didn¡¯t expect him to be killed.


    Beside him, Li Hang recalled the ¡°mage¡± and nodded in agreement. ¡°Indeed, he dared to have designs on the boss¡¯s woman. He deserved to die. But our boss, well, didn¡¯t even need to act. The problem was solved. That¡¯s when I realized that following the boss had a future.¡±


    Li Hang continued to ¡°brainwash¡± him: ¡°Look, there were a thousand people in this area. After yesterday, there were only five hundred left. Now, it¡¯s probably down to four hundred. Each area will have one lord becoming the regional overlord. We have no hope, so it¡¯s better to live miserably than to die nobly, right?¡±


    Their lanterns, scroll, crafting table, and all ¡°dangerous items¡± in their inventory were confiscated.


    Li Hang no longer believed this brother Li Chou had any chance to turn things around. After dealing with four survivors earlier and now taking down three more, he was brimming with confidence and talked more. Besides, this information wasn¡¯t a secret.


    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Li Chou nodded, a slight smirk on his lips.


    ¡°From now on, no talking!¡± Number Two sensed something off but couldn¡¯t pinpoint it, so he just scolded them.


    ¡°Sure, Number Two,¡± Li Hang laughed. If this guy could turn the tables, Li Hang would swallow the watermelon-sized synthesis table whole. Turning the tables in a desperate situation required conditions, and without them, desperation only led to death. Otherwise, survivors wouldn¡¯t have died so quickly.


    Soon, they returned to the base. Li Hang felt like the tables and pots seemed to have been moved¡­ And the people¡¯s expressions looked¡­ strange?


    It was probably just his imagination.


    Just as Li Hang was about to hand them over like before and wait for Colin to spring the ambush, something unexpected happened.


    Li Chou suddenly pulled a metal triangle from his sleeve and aimed it at Colin, who was chatting with Sanna.


    ¡°Under the witness of the ¡®Shield of the Just Knight,¡¯ I request a fair and just duel to the death with the man before me,¡± he declared solemnly and quickly.


    In the next second, Colin felt himself being pulled into a space about a hundred meters in diameter. Though the surroundings remained unchanged, only the space seemed warped.


    The change happened quickly, but Sanna reacted just as fast, using her ¡°Sun Bible¡± to cast ¡°Meteor Hammer¡± at him.


    But it was too late.


    When Li Chou held the ¡°Shield of the Just Knight¡± and aimed at his target, he became immune to outside attacks. A flash of white light, a clink, and the Bible seemed to hit an invisible shield and bounce off.


    ¡°Be careful, Lord Colin!¡± Sanna and the others realized that even without moving, Colin¡¯s distance from them was increasing.


    Reality had twisted somehow.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Colin reassured everyone and looked ahead. He remembered the man¡¯s words about requesting a fair duel.


    After his declaration, Li Chou didn¡¯t immediately act. Colin felt locked in a space about 100 square meters, like a duel arena. But it seemed to have no real effect.


    [You realize that the opponent is using a mystical item with a high rank.]


    Holding his axe, Colin examined his opponent, noticing the rusted equilateral triangular shield. The shield was small, like an armor shoulder piece, with curved corners, roughly palm-sized, and covered in rust, but still showed orderly lines.


    Li Chou glanced at Colin¡¯s axe, smiling strangely. He didn¡¯t sense any threat from Colin. Looking around, he admitted he was gambling but felt confident he had bet correctly. This handsome man was the leader¡ªthe boss Li Hang talked about. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Heh, your spoils are nice, but they are mine now,¡± Li Chou sneered, holding the triangular shield, ignoring Colin¡¯s gaze, and continuing solemnly:


    ¡°In this fair duel, we follow three rules. I promise to forgo using weapons, and so must you. I promise to forgo blocking, and so must you. I promise to forgo using mystical items, and so must you.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, invisible rules were set, and breaking them would incur severe penalties.


    The duel would officially start in three minutes¡­


    But that wasn¡¯t the shocking part.


    In front of Colin, Li Chou started pulling rusted metal armor pieces from his inventory, putting them on. In three minutes, Colin would face a fully armored opponent without the ability to block, run, or use weapons¡­


    This was supposed to be a ¡°fair¡± duel¡­


    ¡°This thing is so shameless¡­¡± Colin was dumbfounded as he watched him gear up.


    Then, ¡°smack,¡± Colin felt a whip strike on his back, burning pain and impact, making him stagger forward. Turning around, he saw his skin broken and blood seeping, forming a whip mark on his clothes.


    The sudden strike was because he hadn¡¯t put down his weapon, violating the no-weapon rule.


    And it was real damage!


    ¡°Next time, it¡¯s decapitation.¡±


    An invisible voice warned him of the consequences of breaking the rules again.

 Chapter 48: Hesitation Leads to Defeat

    ¡°Are you Li Chou, the third on the resource ranking?¡± Colin let go of his axe, dropping it to the side. The strange, watched feeling disappeared. He recalled seeing this name among the top three on the resource ranking.Without waiting for a response, Colin glanced at Li Hang. There wasn¡¯t an imposing aura, but Li Hang felt an inexplicable jolt in his heart. Clearly, without this guy leaking some information, Li Chou wouldn¡¯t have locked onto him so decisively. Outside, Li Hang tried to explain something, but their voices couldn¡¯t get through. However, Colin could read his lips, guessing he was saying, ¡°Boss, it¡¯s not what you think, let me explain¡­¡±


    What a lame excuse¡­


    ¡°That¡¯s me. I thought you wouldn¡¯t remember me like most people, considering I¡¯m just the third. People only remember the first place,¡± Li Chou said, sounding self-deprecating, but his face was brimming with confidence. Ranking third among billions was something to be proud of.


    Following Colin¡¯s gaze to Li Hang, he continued, ¡°Li Hang is a decent guy, though a bit talkative. Since you¡¯re his boss, I¡¯ll let you continue working together under me. Now, since we¡¯re all unfortunate souls forced into this ¡®game,¡¯ I¡¯ll give you a chance. Apologize, call me Brother Chou, surrender immediately, and hand over everything you have, and I¡¯ll forgive you.¡±


    Li Chou¡¯s voice came through his steel helmet, dripping with smugness. This setup he found yesterday in some ruins gave him an edge over 90% of the other candidates, securing his spot in the top three of the resource ranking and ninth in the hunting ranking, making him proud.


    ¡°You talk a lot. Nervous?¡± Colin asked curiously. There was still a minute before the fight began. Aside from the three rules, this duel, initiated by a mystical item, was barely fair.


    ¡°Nervous? Do you think that¡¯s possible¡­ Do you really think you can win?¡± Li Chou sneered. Although Colin¡¯s calm demeanor made him hesitate, he saw no way Colin could turn the tables. This armor boosted all his attributes by 0.3 and offered excellent protection, making him nearly unbeatable.


    Confidently, he believed only the top ten hunters could challenge him, and they weren¡¯t in his zone. Even if they were, once locked in a duel, they couldn¡¯t beat him. The mysterious, top-ranked Colin was the only exception, but was he here? No.


    Li Chou dismissed the thought: ¡°Friend, there¡¯s still time to apologize. I¡¯m just doing to you what you did to me. Your subordinate was right; life is precious. Why die stubbornly?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll see after the fight,¡± Colin said nonchalantly. He realized he could still use ¡°Hunting Time,¡± something bound to him, straddling the line between a mystical item and not.


    Li Chou laughed, ¡°Barehanded and unarmed, you think you can beat me? You think you¡¯re Jackie Chan? Even he needs props. Surrender now, and I¡¯ll spare your maid and take the rest. How about that? Fair, right? Or I might accidentally kill you later, and that wouldn¡¯t be good. Surrender now¡­¡±


    ¡°Nervous? Scared of killing? Boosting your courage with this act?¡± Colin saw through him, recognizing a novice who, like himself, hadn¡¯t killed anyone before.


    Li Chou¡¯s expression under the helmet stiffened, then he retorted angrily, ¡°Wait till I make my move, and we¡¯ll see how tough you talk.¡±


    ¡°Getting anxious?¡± Colin didn¡¯t react to the outburst, as a voice echoed in both their minds.


    ¡°Duel start!¡±


    Colin and Li Chou heard the same command.


    ¡°Now it¡¯s too late to surrender.¡± Li Chou, wearing his heavy yet intricately designed silver armor, started moving towards Colin, gaining speed with each step.


    However, just as he was about to charge, he hesitated. Colin¡¯s demeanor had changed¡ªcold, ruthless, devoid of emotion. If he had been calm before, now he exuded an aura of sheer lethality, making Li Chou feel like prey. But he knew, hesitation meant defeat!


    In the sound of metal scraping, Li Chou charged at Colin like a silver humanoid tank, unstoppable. ¡°So slow¡­¡± In Hunting Time, Colin saw everything in slow motion and easily dodged Li Chou¡¯s attack.


    Li Chou sensed something was wrong but felt a sharp pain in his jaw as Colin¡¯s right elbow smashed into it. His mind blanked, and he staggered back. Colin didn¡¯t let up, pressing down on Li Chou¡¯s upper body and slamming his knee into his abdomen repeatedly. The rusty armor dented, his ribs cracked, and pain exploded through him. All Li Chou could think of was escaping, but Colin¡¯s grip was ironclad. Blood gushed from his mouth, dripping from his helmet. When Colin released him, he swayed and collapsed with a thud.


    The fight was over.


    Li Chou, struggling, looked up at Colin with a mix of confusion, shock, fear, and disbelief. The battle had lasted less than a minute, and he didn¡¯t even understand how he lost. When he realized it, he was already on the ground, pain coursing through his body. ¡°What the hell¡­ happened?¡± he croaked. S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯m just lucky?¡± Colin wiped the blood off, looking around, realizing it wasn¡¯t over yet. Li Chou, even while fading, managed to summon the strength to say, ¡°I surrender¡­¡± before passing out.


    He didn¡¯t know if he¡¯d wake up, but he knew that if he didn¡¯t admit defeat, the rules would kill him when the countdown ended. At the same time, Colin felt the distance to the outside world return to normal. Sanna and the others were back by his side, while Li Chou lay ten meters away on the ground.

 Chapter 49: When the Art Style is All Wrong, It’s Right!

    ¡°You will control the fate of the loser!¡± An invisible whisper appeared beside his ear, and Colin felt a sense of control over Li Chou. As long as he willed it, he could make Li Chou die instantly. Furthermore, Li Chou could not defy him or do anything to harm him.At this moment, aside from his thoughts, Li Chou¡¯s status was almost like that of a slave to the system, or even worse. Reflecting on the recent events, Colin seemed to understand something.


    ¡°Mr. Colin, are you injured?¡± As soon as she appeared, Sanna immediately used her Holy Light Healing technique to envelop him.


    ¡°Protect the Lord!¡± The servants quickly surrounded Colin, forming an impenetrable barrier. They had just witnessed the battle in a blur, only knowing that the two had clashed, and it ended abruptly.


    ¡°Phew, the fight was dangerous, but I¡¯m fine, just a bit shaken¡­¡± Colin exhaled in relief, making a small gesture with his fingers. ¡°It seems I might be just a tiny bit stronger.¡±


    Hearing this, Sanna and the others were relieved. Except for Number Two, they had never seen Colin in action and were unsure of his strength. But it seemed he was indeed unharmed.


    On the other side, a few survivors looked at Li Chou, who was continuously vomiting blood under Li Hang¡¯s feet, and their mouths twitched uncontrollably. Then they looked at Colin, who wasn¡¯t injured at all¡­


    His followers were so biased! This was a completely one-sided battle! Especially since Li Chou¡¯s chest armor was completely smashed¡ªhow could an ordinary person do that? Where was this ¡°just a tiny bit stronger¡±?


    At this moment, they realized deeply that it wasn¡¯t just Sanna who was a monster, but the survivor himself was also a monster!


    Seeing Li Chou¡¯s condition, they couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy, grateful that they had surrendered early.


    Meanwhile, Colin walked toward the fallen Li Chou, and Li Hang immediately became flustered. After all, this incident was due to his mishandling. Who would have thought someone would hide something important outside rather than in their inventory? Or that such a mysterious item even existed in this world?


    Fortunately, Colin simply reassured him not to worry, patting his shoulder without saying much else.


    ¡°This item is good, and now it belongs to me.¡± Colin smiled as he looked at the triangular shield on the ground called ¡°Shield of the Just Knight.¡± He knew very well how formidable this item could be when used properly.


    He walked up, bent down, picked it up, and examined it, clearly sensing it was no ordinary item. Despite its rusty appearance, Colin couldn¡¯t damage it even when applying force.


    As soon as he touched the shield for just three seconds, a repeating whisper echoed in his ear: ¡°I crave a ¡®fair and just¡¯ battle¡­¡±


    Colin suddenly had the urge to find someone to duel with and glanced at the unconscious, bleeding Li Chou on the ground. He seemed the most ¡°qualified¡± for a duel¡­ Duel instincts seemed to prioritize those weaker than oneself.


    Fortunately, this thought was easily suppressed as soon as it arose. But as time passed, this urge would grow stronger.


    ¡°It seems he didn¡¯t always carry this thing,¡± Colin muttered, checking its information.


    [¡°Shield of the Just Knight¡±]: You can use it to make a declaration that forces any enemy within 30 meters to fight you. The winner will control the loser¡¯s fate.


    Basic Rules: No escape, no external assistance, maximum fight time of one hour.


    Active Rules: The shield bearer gains a home-field advantage and can impose three rules that must be followed by both parties, as long as they are widely regarded as fair.


    Note: This item has negative effects. Specific details must be explored and understood personally.


    ¡°Generally recognized as fair¡­¡± Colin complained inwardly and then focused, activating the hint.


    [A palm-sized shield, its two corners curved, full of copper rust, with lines faintly outlining a balance symbol representing justice. You think it might come from the power of a strong entity, possibly the ¡®King of Knights,¡¯ representing the virtue of ¡®justice.¡¯]


    [Note: Daily contact time should not exceed one hour, or you may become a duel maniac.]


    ¡°¡®King of Knights,¡¯ huh. If this is how shameless ¡®justice¡¯ is, I can¡¯t imagine how twisted the other virtues are.¡± Colin muttered and noticed Sanna staring strangely at the shield in his hand.


    ¡°Do you recognize it?¡± he asked, curious.


    Since her arrival, Sanna has shown a great deal of unfamiliarity with this world, whether it was the Church of Suffering or the mutants. She seemed unaware of these concepts. Colin had heard her talk about her past, which seemed to come from another world entirely.


    ¡°It seems familiar¡­ May I see it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Colin handed over the shield. Sanna took it and glanced at the recovering Li Chou before quickly suppressing her absurd thoughts.


    ¡°It should come from the mysterious items associated with the ¡®Justice¡¯ virtue among the Eight Virtues Knights. The negative effects don¡¯t seem strong and don¡¯t need sealing. I remember our church learning some of their techniques¡­¡± Sanna frowned, struggling to recall.


    ¡°Are they from the same world as you?¡±


    ¡°Probably¡­¡± Shana hesitated but nodded.


    For some reason, thinking of Shana¡¯s unusual personal attributes, Colin suddenly found this plausible¡­


    When the art style is all wrong, it¡¯s right.


    ¡°Do you know what the other ¡®virtues¡¯ can do?¡± Colin asked, curious about how else the art style could be twisted. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Sanna tried to recall but seemed stumped. She started to speak but then paused, eventually shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡­ I feel like I remember, but as soon as I try to say it, I forget.¡±


    It seemed that special character cards had sealed memories¡­


    Colin speculated inwardly.


    Not thinking too much about it, Colin shook off the sudden influx of random thoughts, tossed the rusty triangular shield in his hand, and looked at the other survivors, his lips curling up slightly.


    ¡°How about a 1v1 friendly match?¡±

 Chapter 50: The War Chariot and the Loyal Double Agent

    Previously, Colin had struggled to deal with the double agents, constantly contemplating betrayal. Now, with the shield in hand, everything was solved. Li Hang, frustrated, picked up the shield and ¡°declared war¡± on Colin.¡°In the witness of the ¡®Shield of the Just Knight,¡¯ I request a duel with this man¡­¡±


    Three minutes later, the duel was over. Li Hang, looking miserable, returned the shield to Colin, gave a resentful glance at Li Chou, and went hunting with Number 2.


    And then¡­


    The battle began again!


    The battle ended again.


    The battle began again!


    The battle ended again.


    The battle began yet again!


    The battle ended yet again.


    ¡­


    In a short time, Colin had controlled all the survivors. Their faces uniformly displayed the frustration of having seen half a dung beetle while eating bread, and they occasionally glared at Li Chou with resentment.


    Third place? This?


    By now, they all knew that this was the so-called top three on the resource leaderboard¡­ a waste! His loss had nearly cost everyone behind him their lives!


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, as long as you don¡¯t affect me, I won¡¯t harm you.¡± Seeing their miserable faces, Colin showed a kind smile, knowing he had achieved his goal of dividing the hatred.


    He could have used strict methods to control these people instead of the ¡°Shield of the Just Knight,¡± but to avoid accidents, he felt it was better to establish absolute ¡°authority.¡± On this basis, Colin wouldn¡¯t hesitate to show his generosity and trust.


    The next hunting operation went smoothly without any accidents. Including previous ones, Colin collected a total of 27 lanterns, with corresponding numbers of crafting tables and scrolls. As for general supplies, they were almost too numerous to count.


    Colin could hardly believe it himself; it was only the second day¡­ By now, halfway through the second day, he had over four hundred subordinates. The plan to attack, initially set for the third day or later, could now be advanced!


    Target: The Lord-level Mutant at the foot of Crow Mountain!


    Next Target: The underground area of the Suffering Church!


    [War Chariot: Steel Plates*500, Glass*50, Rubber*200, Thorns of Suffering*100, Fog Points*100.] [Note: The tank requires fuel to operate.]


    [Hint: It can burn most things, but the most suitable materials are: Coal + Foul Tainted Blood = Lowest-grade Scarlet Fuel (each unit allows travel for three kilometers).]


    ¡°Let¡¯s get the tank ready!¡±


    The chariot that had seemed unreachable to Colin yesterday was now within reach.


    ¡°Steel plate synthesis requires two refined irons each; refined iron requires two crude irons; and crude iron requires two iron ores¡­ Four thousand iron ores!¡±


    ¡°Glass synthesis needs quartz sand, which I haven¡¯t seen, but I remember there¡¯s some in the trading market¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve also seen rubber; I have no idea where people found it¡­¡±


    ¡°The remaining two are fine; I have plenty¡­¡±


    Calculating the materials needed, Colin, although already aware, still felt the pinch.


    ¡°With my current number of people, the ideal is to have ten chariots¡­¡±


    Having decided, Colin generously traded fog points, food, and other resources to acquire mineral materials with ¡°iron¡± in their names from the trading market. Currently, iron ore demand is not high, and prices are low.


    [Iron Ore]


    [Item Description: Ore that has undergone preliminary development.]


    [Type: Mineral Material.]


    [Quantity: 76 units (Note 1.)]


    [Price: One piece of bread, 100ml of level three water.]


    [Merchant¡¯s Note: Please, someone, be kind and give some food. Your little cutie can hardly dig anymore!]


    Colin quickly bought it without hesitation, aiming to give back to the hardworking common folk. He couldn¡¯t forget those still struggling just because he had taken off.


    Colin purchased large amounts of iron ore for extremely low prices. This change drew the survivors¡¯ attention and quickly became a topic on the world channel.


    ¡°Who just bought so much iron ore? I wanted to get some for a shovel but had no chance.¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling¡­ Colin¡¯s at it again, stabbing me in the back.¡±


    ¡°Stab now!¡±


    ¡­


    Only a few people in the chat channel realized something and began hoarding iron ore. This action caused iron ore prices to skyrocket, visibly filling the pockets of the mining lords (miners), who then dug with more vigor.


    Now, thirty pieces of iron could get one piece of bread, the price doubling!


    The first rich led to the later rich!


    During this undercurrent, Colin completed his list. A total of 40,000 pieces of iron ore and enough materials for ten chariots. Without a doubt, this was a major move! Even with low prices, it cost Colin a lot of materials! S?a??h th? ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Standing before a lord¡¯s wooden hut, Colin took over the level one territory. Then, he used the crafting to synthesize large amounts of iron ore into steel plates!


    ¡°Upgrade to [Level One War Chariot]?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    As soon as he decided, the materials in his inventory quickly disappeared, and a high-tech-like 3D printer rapidly materialized the chariot. Meanwhile, a system notification suddenly appeared in the minds of all the lords, including Colin.


    [System Notification: Congratulations to Lord ¡°Colin¡± for constructing a Level One War Chariot!]


    [Reward: 999 Hardened Black Breads will be distributed soon!]


    [Reward Distributed!]


    [All lords are encouraged to strive together!]


    The chat channel exploded again.


    ¡°Damn, I knew it was Colin again. Last time too! Only he moves this big!¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the prophet? Come take your hit!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the War Chariot Blueprint? Did anyone catch it?¡±


    ¡°No, just saw someone buying lots of iron ore, nothing else.¡±


    ¡°Use brute force to figure it out. I guess iron ore synthesizes into steel plates, the highest we can make!¡±


    ¡°Brothers, grab the iron ore! It¡¯ll be gone soon!¡±


    ¡°(¥Î=§¥=)¥Î©ß©¥©ß, taking advantage of the situation? Fifteen pieces of iron ore for one fog point!¡±


    ¡°Crying, thanks to Colin, I got rich from mining. Ten pieces of iron ore for a piece of bread, buy it or leave!¡±


    ¡°Hahaha, brothers, I figured it out! Selling the formula for fog points, 100 points each!¡±


    ¡°100 points? Are you robbing us?¡±


    ¡­


    Unaware of the chat channel buzz, Colin was examining the chariot before him. It looked like a colossal beast crouched on the ground, resembling an oversized jeep or a mobile fortress, wrapped in black thorns.


    With steel rivets, exhaust pipes, fuel stoves, headlights, and other equipment exposed, the chariot had a rugged style. The front was conical, covered in spikes. The rear had a metal turret aimed forward. Adding a few skull decorations would give it a death metal, wasteland punk look.

 Chapter 51: The First Expedition Begins!

    [Level One War Chariot] [Function: Repels gray mist within a three-meter radius of the vehicle, suitable for carrying thirty people, cannons use ¡°black powder¡± as propellant, effective range of 500 meters.]


    [Note: Immunity to mental damage below the lord level, reduces mental contamination by twenty percent at the lord level.]


    ¡°Whew, not bad,¡± Colin muttered to himself after a brief inspection. He was about to get in and take it for a spin when he felt something unusual behind him. Turning around, he saw a group of survivors looking at him with strange and complex expressions.


    Clatter¡­ A bowl dropped from the hands of Li Chou, who was lying on a stretcher eating, breaking the eerie silence.


    Colin realized why¡ªthey must have heard the system announce his name.


    ¡°You¡¯re Colin?!¡± Huang Weijian asked in disbelief, staring at the handsome man before him.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look like me?¡± Colin smiled. ¡°Or are you interested in the thousand fog points reward on my head?¡±


    ¡°No, no!¡± They shook their heads in unison, knowing that Colin held immense resources, but more importantly, he controlled their lives. Anyone with ill intentions was sure to die.


    ¡°We just didn¡¯t expect¡­ that you would be the one to capture us¡­¡± A lord who had been feeling relieved added, ¡°but since it¡¯s you, I trust you won¡¯t force us into anything we don¡¯t want to do. If you want, I personally am willing to follow you. I owe you my life.¡±


    Their knowledge of Colin was limited to the system¡¯s announcement about his revelation of the lantern-lighting method, which had saved countless lives. Many of them had survived because of his discovery. S?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Previously, nobody would have thought that lighting a lantern required blood instead of fire, especially those with a strong belief in conventional science. After Colin¡¯s revelation, those who had seen the bloody text from the system announcement had no resentment towards the ¡°selfish¡± people who hadn¡¯t shared the method. Colin¡¯s name had even started to take on a near-mythical status in the chat channels, seen as sacred by many.


    ¡°Had I known it was you, I wouldn¡¯t have resisted so much!¡± Li Chou complained, realizing that Colin¡¯s mysterious item was far superior to his own, despite the restrictions.


    Seeing everyone else¡¯s sympathetic looks towards Li Chou, Colin couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°I thought everyone wanted to kill me, so I hid my name. It¡¯s just a small deed, no big deal.¡±


    As Colin prepared to get into the ¡°wasteland vehicle,¡± someone called out to him. A clean-looking man, who seemed quite sincere, stepped forward.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Colin asked curiously, opening the heavy door of the vehicle and seeing the rough interior.


    ¡°I feel there¡¯s a flaw in your management. I have some suggestions¡­¡± the man said earnestly.


    ¡°Oh? Do you know what you¡¯re implying?¡± Colin asked, intrigued yet wary.


    Surprisingly, Colin felt the man¡¯s sincerity. Despite his initial suspicion, Colin sensed a genuine intent to help. Others also stepped forward, expressing their willingness to follow him. They introduced themselves, offered their skills, and even some lighthearted comments about warming his bed or accusing others of betrayal added to the lively atmosphere.


    In this jovial environment, preparations for their plan proceeded swiftly. Under Colin¡¯s command, the armored vehicle made rapid progress, arriving at one survivor settlement after another. Every stop was accompanied by a roar and the addition of new followers.


    Soon, ten vehicles emitted crimson lights, their rumbling engines shaking the ground. Colin¡¯s first expedition had begun. Nine massive armored vehicles, each carrying thirty people, formed a wedge formation, crushing any gray fog creatures in their path.


    With thirty people per vehicle, the convoy resembled a military unit¡ªone vehicle per squad, nine vehicles per battalion¡ªdirectly under Colin¡¯s command. Their target was the lord-level mutants at the foot of Crow Mountain. Colin had also stationed another vehicle, along with five squads of ¡°lamp bearers¡± and several lords, in the mining area to secure resources.


    As the vehicle rumbled forward, its thick steel walls provided a strong sense of security. Colin, seated in the co-pilot seat, watched through the thick glass windshield. ¡°This time, it should be stable,¡± he thought, considering the monster they were about to face, a creature that had evolved far beyond the average abomination.


    Now, discussions on the world channel about these creatures are unanimous about how unbeatable they are. Some lords formed a hundred-man expedition team to try to defeat a lord-level abomination in some ruins, but only a handful of people managed to escape. According to the survivors, even some top-ranked survivors perished in the attempt.

 Chapter 52: Establishing a Base in the Fog

    The headlights of the level one war chariot could pierce through thirty meters of gray fog. While the distance wasn¡¯t vast, it was still somewhat acceptable. However, it could only illuminate and not disperse the fog. Just as Colin and his nine war chariots were about to return to the territory, a faint light appeared in the fog, illuminated by the crimson headlights.In the light, five thin figures could be seen. Faced with the massive war chariots emitting a red glow like gigantic beasts, the four slender figures couldn¡¯t help but tremble. Yet, even so, the figures holding the lanterns stood resolutely in front of the territory. Leading them was Number One, the captain of Colin¡¯s first independent team, entrusted with exploration before Colin set out.


    Number One squinted his eyes against the headlights¡¯ glare, holding up a wheel and standing firm without retreating an inch. Behind him was the territory; they had no way out. Even if it was futile, they were determined to resist.


    But then, the nine war chariots slowly stopped, about ten meters away from them. This puzzled Number One, but he did not relax his guard, gripping the wheel tightly and letting his anger flare up, causing the wheel to glow slightly. In these few hours, he had mastered the use of the wheel. It was a small trick: he only needed to imagine his brother Number Two being beaten up to feel a bit of anger. He also had another method to get instantly enraged, but he rarely used it.


    Suddenly, the heavy steel door of one of the war wagons opened with a creak, and a familiar figure jumped out. When Number One saw who it was, his expression of vigilance turned into one of joy, and he quickly ran over with his team:


    ¡°My lord!¡±


    He spoke while casting a wary glance at Sanna, who was following behind Colin, then quickly looked back at Colin.


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Colin said, standing firm and smiling at them. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°We were¡­¡± Number One began to explain.


    ¡°Next time, remember to get out of the way; your life is more important than the building,¡± Colin interrupted. He knew what they were trying to do. ¡°Also, if something like this happens, I¡¯d rather see the ruins with someone explaining what happened to avoid confusion, instead of seeing confused faces staring at a few smashed bodies. Got it?¡±


    Colin wanted them to think for themselves instead of blindly following orders.


    ¡°¡­Yes!¡± Number One responded, moved.


    ¡°I trust your loyalty,¡± Colin said, patting his shoulder and then noticing their somewhat battered and injured bodies. His tone grew heavier. ¡°Where¡¯s the other person?¡±


    Colin had assigned five people to this team before leaving, but now there are only four.


    ¡°He got a bit hurt¡­¡± Number One said. ¡°But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just minor injuries¡ªa few broken ribs and a missing hand.¡±


    Is it you or I who misunderstand what minor injuries mean? Colin thought to himself. ¡°Get him bandaged up and give him more food to recover faster.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    ¡°This is a crafting table. Get familiar with it. Have Number Two teach you how to use it and assign the personnel to you.¡± Colin handed him a crafting table. He hadn¡¯t distributed one to every team and still had a few extras.


    Then, Colin snapped his fingers. With a crisp sound, the rear doors of the war chariots opened with a bang, and the sound of footsteps on steel echoed like raindrops. In Number One¡¯s astonished gaze, lanterns were lit in an orderly fashion by the ¡°Lamp Bearers,¡± and figures quickly emerged from the rear doors, gathering in the empty space behind. At the same time, the dozen or so lords who had come with Colin also got out of the wagons. Everything was orderly¡ªnot as professional as a military unit, but at least not chaotic.


    Number One was a bit dazed. The Lord had only been out for a few hours¡­


    ¡°I have to admit, this Rogue is quite capable of managing. He only had an hour of training time and managed to achieve this level¡­¡± Colin thought to himself. After a brief conversation with Number Two, he turned his attention to his ¡°Level Two Territory.¡± For him, this territory was now too small and needed upgrading. He planned to turn this base into a stronghold to advance towards the forest at the foot of Raven Mountain.


    Meanwhile, Number Two walked over to Number One, teasing his older brother with a grin, ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t Number One, how come you look so beaten up after just a few hours?¡±


    Number Two had now become a level two servant, taller and seemingly more robust than his elder brother.


    Number One silently raised the wheel, ¡°Say that again.¡±


    With this weapon, his attributes were stronger than those of a level two servant, and he believed the lord would help him advance.


    ¡°Uh, just kidding,¡± Number Two chuckled. After helping Number One learn how to use the crafting table and distributing the prepared personnel, he introduced Number One to the captains. S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Captains, this is the first ¡®Lamp Bearer¡¯ captain under the lord. You can call him Number One, your kind older brother¡­¡±


    Servants had no names and couldn¡¯t be given names, so they used nicknames. Strangely, they never confused each other.


    On the other side, after having the injured servant brought out, Colin prepared to upgrade to a level three territory.


    ¡¾Level Three Territory: The lord¡¯s territory will expand from 10¡Á10 to 50¡Á50, including a 20¡Á20 sturdy three-story building, with additional features like a pool, fields, barracks, etc.¡¿


    ¡¾Materials Needed: Sturdy Stone Blocks 0/5000, Glass 67/200, Wood 0/1000, Level Three Clay 0/1000, Refined Iron 354/500, Thorn of Suffering 86/300, Fog Points 649/150.¡¿


    ¡°Fields?¡± Colin¡¯s eyes lit up. Among the many functions, this was the first one he noticed. But unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have crop seeds.


    Then, Colin examined the required materials, a long list. However, these materials were easy to gather. Sturdy stone blocks and level three clay could be synthesized twice, which is not too troublesome. Upgrading the territory was mainly about finding cheap, abundant materials. If more people knew the synthesis formulas, many would have already upgraded to level three territories.


    ¡°Level three territory is much larger than level two, roughly over three thousand square meters. It can house many people¡­¡± Colin calculated in his mind. He then began collecting the necessary materials for the trading market. Compared to the commotion when acquiring the war chariots, stone was plentiful and easy to find, so his purchases didn¡¯t attract much attention. But a few individuals, either through keen intuition or sharp senses, noticed something unusual.

 Chapter 53: It’s Coming!

    ¡°I feel the presence of a big shot in the trading market. Is the big shot making another move?¡± ¡°Your feeling is wrong. The big shot just upgraded his war chariot. How could he be here again?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, It¡¯s only been two hours. If Colin the big shot is making another big move, I¡¯ll eat my war chariot on the spot.¡±


    However, as they chatted, a notification suddenly appeared in everyone¡¯s mind:


    ¡¾Congratulations to the survivor ¡°Colin¡± for becoming the first lord to build a level three territory.¡¿


    ¡¾Reward of ¡°999 Hardened Black Bread¡± will be distributed.¡¿


    ¡¾The reward has been distributed.¡¿


    ¡¾Let¡¯s all strive forward together, survivors.¡¿


    ¡°Holy cow, here it is again. Is this what a big shot is? By the way, where¡¯s the guy who said he¡¯d eat his war chariot? Are you dead? Make a sound.¡±


    ¡°I know the level three blueprint formula for territory. Private message me if you need it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe the scammer above! I just got scammed by him!¡±


    ¡°Has the level three territory come out so soon? Luckily, I just finished upgrading to level two and can¡¯t afford the next step¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are all the food rewards black bread? Can¡¯t the designer come up with something new?¡±


    ¡°To get rich, start mining! Brothers, hurry up and mine!¡±


    ¡°Damn, the price of stones has gone up again! These damn merchants, if they keep pushing me, I¡¯ll go mine myself!¡±


    ¡°Praise Colin the big shot!¡±


    Colin did not join the ¡°celebration¡± in the chat channel. At this moment, he was already in the courtyard of the territory, discussing the next steps with some lords and the ¡°Lamp Bearers¡± as they walked.


    Outside the territory, nine war chariots lined up, with hundreds of people standing firmly behind them like a wall.


    ¡°¡­Based on the behavior of that mutant creature, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to deal with¡­¡±


    ¡°But to be safe, let¡¯s prepare a few plans¡­ We have about five hours until dark, which is sufficient time. We¡¯ll spend an hour on a temporary drill¡­¡±


    ¡°This operation must go smoothly. I have a feeling something is being hidden, and we won¡¯t know until we kill it¡­¡±


    After a long discussion, the drill began quickly. An hour later, twenty-three teams, including Number One, stood in front of Colin, their chests puffed out, waiting for orders.


    A few meters away from Colin, Rogue and other lords watched in a daze. If these were their servants, or if some of them were their servants, they would not show such enthusiasm and loyalty. The five servants who blocked the chariot earlier were particularly touching.


    The control over servants was indeed absolute, and they would not betray, but without instructions, they would not take initiative like Colin¡¯s servants, who were ¡°active.¡± They were more loyal to the system than to their lords. Colin¡¯s servants, however, were absolutely loyal to him, not the system. They believed that, even without the system, these servants would remain loyal.


    Rogue thought back to the four figures in the light. He was almost certain that without prior instructions, his servants would have been scared and retreated. They couldn¡¯t do what Colin did. Rogue had tried to befriend his servants, but they didn¡¯t buy into his ¡°ideals.¡± Only now did he realize his feet were off the ground, and what the servants needed was a meal to fill their stomachs, not ¡°ideals.¡± Recognizing these small details, Rogue had to admit Colin¡¯s faster expansion was justified.


    Of course, some people believed Colin had an unfair advantage, thinking he knew and could do everything. They planned to ask, ¡°Brother, are you selling that advantage?¡± once they got to know him better. But a prominent figure, Li Chou, explained that Colin¡¯s success was due to a mysterious item, not cheating, and clarified the resource rankings¡¯ principles. This made everyone sigh in relief, acknowledging Colin¡¯s top ranking was well-deserved¡ªColin wasn¡¯t cheating.


    Ignoring the murmurs behind him, Colin scanned the well-formed team and issued orders. ¡°Get in order and board the chariots. The operation starts now!¡±


    With his command, twenty-one ¡°Lamp Bearer¡± combat teams quickly boarded the nine war chariots. Colin and the others followed, also getting on. The large level three territory was left with most of the lords, two ¡°Lamp Bearer¡± teams, and two hundred newly acquired servants.


    Soon, Colin, in the passenger seat, saw the sparse forest again. It was gloomy, desolate, and dead silent, with only bare, blackened branches remaining.


    S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin. I¡¯ll lead the team,¡± Colin commanded. The rear doors of the wagons opened, and lanterns were lit again. Whether inside or outside the wagons, every servant silently followed their captain¡¯s lead.


    The initial plan was simple. Five elite teams would enter the forest with Colin to place explosives and lure the mutant creature. Detonate it and finish it. Ideally, the creature would be destroyed without direct contact, not even eye contact.


    The first batch of explosives, a ton in weight, was set up. But as Colin placed the second set, everyone felt a sudden pressure, as if something was crushing their bodies and making it hard to breathe. A distant, heavy, bone-chilling footstep echoed. Though faint by the time it reached them, it was undeniable.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± Colin¡¯s familiar sense of horror surged. The creature was approaching much faster than expected. He immediately decided: ¡°Abandon the third set of explosives. Retreat now!¡±


    Upon hearing its footsteps, they had less than three minutes before it arrived. Colin knew there wasn¡¯t enough time to place more explosives!

 Chapter 54: The Lord-level Mutant

    The five teams quickly contracted, each team having a servant retreating while using the tip of an axe to carve deep grooves into the ground. Two other servants carried large barrels, walking backward as they poured gunpowder into the grooves. Behind them, others carried planks to clear a path and prevent accidental falls. Each explosive setup had multiple fuses to prevent any mishaps. Despite the tension, everyone maintained their rhythm without chaos.[You believe that igniting it in twenty-seven seconds will be the best choice, ensuring it is heavily injured at the center of the explosion!]


    [Attention! Before it is severely injured, do not let anyone look directly at it. Among everyone present, only you and Sanna can barely withstand its mental interference!]


    ¡°Injured?!¡± Colin¡¯s pupils contracted. This meant that over a ton¡ªnearly two tons of explosives¡ªwouldn¡¯t be enough to kill it completely? Did the so-called significant damage at one hundred pounds only manage to blow off its toenails? What kind of attributes does a lord-level mutant have?


    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t get arrogant with just a ton of explosives and rush in. I almost got fooled by that warning. The information given really needs to be taken seriously!¡± Colin cursed inwardly, then quickly retreated, unable to split his focus. He had to concentrate on the gray fog ahead, watching the mutant¡¯s direction and the countdown on the prompt. Thirty seconds, ten seconds, one second!


    ¡°Light it up!¡± Colin shouted, calmly using the lantern to pour out blood and ignite the fuse on his assigned line. ¡°Run! Don¡¯t look back!¡±


    As soon as he spoke, the servants dropped their barrels and started retreating quickly. They also loudly repeated Colin¡¯s command: Don¡¯t look back! The gunpowder quickly traced the ground. As the lord-level mutant approached, Colin could feel his brain becoming distinctly uncomfortable¡ªa mild pain as if being kneaded. Not long after, as they reached the forest¡¯s edge, Colin waved to halt the teams and gave another command: S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Get into the pits! Cover it with planks! Don¡¯t talk, don¡¯t look up, and don¡¯t open your eyes!¡±


    Upon hearing this, everyone in the five teams laid down in the prepared pits, covered themselves with planks, covered their ears, and opened their mouths, following standard procedures to avoid the blast.


    To prevent mishaps, Colin and the others didn¡¯t leave the forest but hid in temporary trenches to avoid the mutants giving up its pursuit. Other teams dug the trenches while Colin¡¯s team was placing the barrels. They were about half a meter to a meter deep, primarily to shield against the terrifying shockwaves from over a thousand kilograms of explosives.


    The digging teams had retreated near the war chariots when Colin first called out, leaving this area for them. No one would be idle in this operation! At this moment, the people in the trenches heard the sizzling of the gunpowder quickly fading in the dead forest. Their hearts were in their throats, feeling unavoidable fear and various emotions and thoughts due to the lord-level mutant¡¯s terrifying mental interference. Even from hundreds of meters away, its power still had some effect, though subtle and hard to notice. Only Colin, experienced with dealing with various mutants, could discern the abnormality.


    This time, Colin could confirm that the church appeared to be blocking the power of the lord-level aberration. There was no effect when they were separated by a wall for less than ten meters in a straight line. This was enough to prove the church¡¯s peculiarity. But now was not the time to think about that.


    Colin, the only one with open eyes, stared at the mist, watching for hints in his mind to avoid any other surprises. He ¡°skillfully¡± bit down on the inside of his cheek, using the pain to suppress stray thoughts and keep the hints in his mind orderly.


    But suddenly, a sharp pain shot from his eyeball, ¡°piercing¡± into his brain and ¡°stirring¡± his brain, bringing indescribable pain.


    ¡°It can attack from this far?!¡±


    Colin was horrified to find that, in a special way, he ¡°saw¡± a deformed, swollen, tumor-covered giant foot extending from the mist! Above the foot, disappearing into the shadowy fog, was the horrifying, rapidly approaching figure of a giant. It seemed to move in a bizarre manner¡ªnot like a normal person walking!


    At that moment, Colin realized the spiritual pollution was coming from the giant foot, covered in numerous tumors of varying sizes, each with an eyeball locking onto him! They tried to establish visual contact and then emit terrifying pollution to evoke extreme emotions in him, targeting the one daring to look at them from hundreds of meters away! But clearly, the distance made this ¡°punishment¡± not lethal.


    In Colin¡¯s view, the giant¡¯s body emerged from the fog, standing five meters tall, ignoring all traps laid here, directly trampling forward. At that moment, Colin suddenly closed his eyes, which felt like they had sand in them, and rolled into the trench, pulling the plank over and lying flat. The next second, flames shot skyward, engulfing the ¡°giant¡¯s¡± figure instantly. Simultaneously, everyone, whether in the trenches or on standby near the chariots, felt a destructive shock wave hit them instantly.


    A distinct ¡°boundary¡± appeared in the flames, a semi-transparent visual distortion caused by the explosion¡¯s enormous pressure compressing the air. It was only visible for a fleeting moment. However, its impact lingered, unlike its brief appearance. A tremendous rumbling followed closely, arriving almost simultaneously for everyone.


    In a brief second, everyone felt their internal organs trembling, their chests compressed, creating a suffocating feeling akin to being heavily struck. It felt like they suddenly couldn¡¯t breathe, and all thoughts were scattered by the shock, leaving a momentary blankness. At that moment, the only thing that existed in their world was the explosion!


    When Colin and the others arrived, they saw nothing but endless mist and overwhelming dust. Gravel, stones, branches, and even flying fragments of burning tree trunks fell like rain. The power of nearly two tons of explosives was indeed terrifying!


    ¡°Luckily, it was two tons of gunpowder. If it were two tons of TNT, we wouldn¡¯t even need cremation and would be buried on the spot.¡±


    The rumbling lingered in the air. Amid such tremors, Colin felt as if the world had been destroyed. He pushed up the plank from the trench, stood up, and surveyed the post-explosion world, quickly gathering his scattered thoughts. However, a sudden realization hit him hard¡­ The kill notification hadn¡¯t appeared!

 Chapter 55: Within the Range of Truth!

    After the shockwave passed, the world returned to a ¡°calm¡± state. However, Colin could sense a terrifying presence reviving amidst the sulfurous, acrid smoke. It wasn¡¯t dead yet!¡°Lord Colin, something seems off¡­¡± Sanna, also watching the mist, was the first to recover due to her superior constitution. Her presence had also minimized the damage to those around Colin.


    ¡°It¡¯s not dead,¡± Colin said, then quickly looked at Number One, who had recently been promoted to the second rank. ¡°Number One, have the entire team withdraw as planned. Execute the next step!¡±


    Number One hesitated briefly before shouting, ¡°Yes!¡± Under his booming voice, all teams rapidly withdrew from the area. They regrouped at intervals, with each group placing lanterns to guide the way. Soon, only Colin and Sanna remained, ready to ensure the plan¡¯s success.


    Just half a minute into the retreat, Colin and Sanna felt a heavy pressure on their shoulders, as if a giant hand gripped their hearts. They turned to see a massive figure emerge from the fog and smoke, less than fifty meters away!


    The figure, standing over five meters tall and illuminated by the lanterns in front, was a grotesque, mutated humanoid. It wore a black cloth over its head and a black metal mask. Its body, mostly naked except for a cracked golden ceremonial robe, wielded a stone pillar-like candelabrum with three branches.


    Its body was horrifyingly covered in tumors and exposed, writhing red flesh. The psychic interference it emitted was palpable. It moved in a squatting position, which made its movement seem eerie to Colin. Even when squatting, it required one to look up slightly due to its height. The oppressive aura made breathing difficult.


    The earlier explosion had shattered all the eyeballs on its body, leaving it bleeding profusely, with half its body reduced to bones and internal organs and fragments of stone embedded in its flesh. Its right hand was missing, yet the golden ceremonial robe and candelabrum in its left hand remained mostly intact, only slightly blackened by the explosion. Its right-hand stump showed signs of regeneration.


    It wasn¡¯t dead¡­ A wave of uncontrollable despair surged within Colin, flooding his mind with distracting thoughts. He activated ¡°Hunting Time¡± without hesitation, instantly becoming as cold and calculating as a bloodthirsty hunter.


    [You realize this is the terrifying being that pushed you to the brink, referred to as ¡°It¡± by the ghostly little girl, a lord-level mutant: the Mourning Watcher.]


    [You observe that it has suffered severe injuries from your previous plan; its psychic influence greatly weakened, yet it is regenerating.]


    [Understanding its ¡°weakness¡± is futile because¡­]


    [It is now within the range of truth! Caliber is justice! Cannons are the answer!]


    ¡°Fire!¡± Colin¡¯s communication came through the scroll, prompting Number One and others to shout furiously.


    Nine war chariots aimed their cannons at the monster in the forest, less than 500 meters away!


    Boom, boom, boom, boom¡ª


    Deafening blasts echoed as the cannons fired in unison, launching shells that hit the Mourning Watcher directly. Blood, bones, and flesh splattered everywhere, yet the monster didn¡¯t fall. It merely paused before continuing its silent advance.


    ¡°Damn it, isn¡¯t force supposed to be mutual? Why isn¡¯t this monster flying back? Ignoring Newton¡¯s First Law?!¡± A survivor cursed, feeling his eyes sting with pain. He slapped himself hard to stay alert.


    ¡°Fire! Fire! Fire!¡± Another command was given, and more shells were fired, hitting the lord-level aberrant again.


    The ground around the war chariots had been moistened with river water to prevent dust. Only the smoke from the cannons filled the air. The monster¡¯s oppressive aura was so intense that even with eyes closed, one could still sense its direction, using its power as a ¡°coordinate¡± and ¡°weakness.¡±


    Amidst the booming cannons, steel shells pierced the monster¡¯s body, exploding and scattering flesh. It was only ten meters away now!


    Colin and Sanna stood side by side, showing no fear. Amidst the cannon fire, the creature¡¯s leg, almost reduced to bones, stepped forward, landing less than three meters from them. The Mourning Watcher¡¯s blood-drenched, grotesque body followed, holding up the enormous candelabrum in its left hand, ready to strike.


    But at that moment¡­


    Boom, boom, boom, boom¡ª


    More cannon fire shook the ground, hitting the monster with greater accuracy, causing it to pause.


    ¡°Hanging on by a thread, huh?!¡± Colin threw several barrels of fresh explosives a few meters ahead. Sanna quickly tore open a few barrels, spreading the gunpowder over the others. Colin then pulled out a rusty triangular shield with his right hand and splashed blood from the lantern with his left.


    The burning, foul blood splattered everywhere. Then¡­


    ¡°In the presence of the ¡®Shield of the Just Knight,¡¯ I request a fair duel to the death with this lady!¡± Instantly, the environment around Colin and Sanna seemed to stretch away¡­ S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­ ¡­


    ¡­ ¡­


    Note 1: Neglecting education leads to inadvertently revealing oneself as illiterate in moments like this.

 Chapter 56: Killing the Lord-level Mutant “Mourning Watcher�

    The ground trembled slightly, but that was all. When Colin swore a duel using the ¡°Shield of the Just Knight,¡± no external force could interfere with this sacred duel! Colin devised this plan based on the characteristics of this mysterious item. If it failed, he would send another group to ¡°self-destruct¡± as the monster was too foolish to realize the strategy. However, the ¡°Shield of the Just Knight¡± should ideally be used only once a day, with at least an hour between uses, and a maximum of three times; otherwise, it could drive the user insane before an hour passed.


    Everything in the dueling arena was isolated, and the surroundings were obscured by a mysterious presence. Despite this, Colin and Sanna could still see some changes outside through the invisible barrier. Amidst the crimson heat and black mist, like flowing lava, Colin could feel the terrifying heat even without direct contact. The broken figure of the monster was completely engulfed by the terrifying explosion.


    After activating the three oaths, Colin and Sanna watched the outside, observing the tall, shadowy figure in the flames. It seemed to stand in the massive blaze, neither blown away nor fallen, nor did it leave. Its condition was unknown.


    [You feel its aura weakening rapidly. You know its recovery has reached its limit.]


    [At this moment, although it hasn¡¯t completely died, you realize you have defeated it.]


    ¡°It should have something valuable on it; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t stand still after such an explosion,¡± Colin speculated. To be safe, he notified the war chariot units to continue firing, planning to bombard it for another two minutes to ensure its demise.


    Soon, the cannon fire ceased, and when the sound of ¡°Duel Begins¡± echoed in their minds, Shana unhesitatingly said, ¡°I surrender.¡± The next second, the distance closed, and they were back to their original positions.


    Ignoring the extra ¡°control,¡± Colin immediately felt the heat scorching his skin. The explosions had transformed the environment, with the ground melting in some places. The hot air, filled with black smoke, had reduced the oxygen content due to the intense combustion, causing a suffocating feeling.


    Sanna stepped forward quickly, a gentle, cool green wind surrounding them, dispelling the acrid smoke and providing relief. She also reapplied various protective spells on Colin. Although the area had little effect on her due to her enhanced physique, she ensured Colin¡¯s safety.


    Three meters away stood a huge creature, its flesh completely charred and losing vitality. Most of its deformed flesh was gone, with only its golden ceremonial robe, wrapped head, and black metal mask intact. The massive candelabrum had been blown far away.


    When Colin and Sanna appeared, Colin felt the monster seemingly glance at him, possibly the reason it clung to life. With a crash, the skeletal frame, unable to support its massive body, collapsed like an avalanche.


    The lord-level mutant ¡°Mourning Watcher¡± was finally dead. Its enormous head, nearly as tall as Colin, rolled to a stop a meter away, facing sideways.


    Instantly, a notification appeared: [Congratulations to survivor ¡°Colin¡± for becoming the world¡¯s first to kill a lord-level mutant!]


    [Rewards will be distributed: 9999 hard black bread, 1000 Fog Points, 3 Recovery Cards, 1 Treasure Map Fragment, a Level 2 Inventory Expansion Card, and a day¡¯s worth of Life Blessing!]


    [Rewards have been issued.]


    [May all lords strive together.]


    Immediately, Colin heard exclamations from nearby lords outside the forest. Simultaneously, deafening cheers erupted from Colin¡¯s territory, including the saltpeter mines and other areas.


    Victory! The world¡¯s first kill! Everyone involved felt the blessing of ¡°Life Blessing,¡± their bodies nearly doubling in strength. Despite not understanding how the system recognized them as a team, the benefits were evident, though only lasting a day. All the other rewards belonged solely to Colin.


    The global chat channel went wild: ¡°Oh my God, aren¡¯t lord-level mutants invincible? Our top player gathered over a hundred people to fight one in a canyon and nearly got wiped out¡­¡±


    ¡°Killing a lord mutant? Must be cheating, right? Wait, it¡¯s Colin? No surprise there!¡±


    ¡°I knew it! Explosives! It had to be explosives! Sulfur is in high demand! Colin must be behind it!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, only massive amounts of explosives could kill a lord-level mutant! Plus Colin¡¯s war chariots made the difference; otherwise, lord-level mutants are monsters, even with mysterious items.¡±


    ¡°What? Explosives? Beware the multi-turret cultist. More is better! Big is beautiful! Infinite cannons, infinite glory! Colin, where are you? I¡¯ll cross mountains to join you!¡±


    ¡°I just heard explosions! I¡¯m in the same zone as Colin!¡±


    ¡°Then go join him! Stop bragging here! Colin¡¯s a tough guy and trustworthy! You¡¯ll be well-fed and safe! I¡¯m so jealous!¡±


    ¡°By the way, I got a triggered mission to explore some ruins. Is it doable?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Haven¡¯t you watched ¡®Daily Survival Tips¡¯? Triggered missions usually have a lord-level mutants nearby. Going there is suicide!¡±


    ¡°Are lord-level mutants that tough? I just killed an elite mutant with an axe, lost a few minions, but it wasn¡¯t that hard. Lords sound tough, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Not that hard? Haha, wait till you face one. You¡¯ll understand.¡±


    S?a?ch* Th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Idiot, they¡¯re trolling. By the way, are these rewards for the first kill? Mostly common resources, nothing really enhancing.¡±


    ¡°Get used to it, the system¡¯s stingy. Only triggered missions have good stuff. I suspect the system withholds rewards, skimming off the top¡­¡±


    ¡°You think so too? My foul tainted blood rewards seemed short, given the monster¡¯s size.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense! Black bread isn¡¯t good? An elite mutant nearly killed me, but a piece of black bread saved me. I¡¯m making black bread armor!¡±

 Chapter 57: Acquiring Skill Qualifications

    Is this all the system¡¯s rewards? Indeed, this is all¡­Colin wasn¡¯t surprised by the meager rewards since he had learned that the system¡¯s rewards were often stingy. He didn¡¯t have high expectations. Just as he was about to collect the spoils, a system prompt sounded in his mind.


    [Detection of ¡°Suffering Hunter¡± title upgrade conditions met. Upgrading automatically.]


    As soon as the message ended, a sharp pain appeared on the back of Colin¡¯s right hand, and a blood-red tattoo slowly surfaced. He squinted and used the hint to gain relevant information. Before anyone noticed the mark, he discreetly covered his right hand with his left.


    [Name: Suffering Hunter]


    [Type: Level 2 Title]


    [Usage: Mark (can be hidden): A simple sketch of a bonfire.]


    [Attributes: You will receive a 50% increase in all personal attributes (minimum 0.5, increase less than 0.1 will not be calculated).]


    [Special Effect 1: ¡°Hunting Time¡±: When you actively use this skill, your strength, agility, and endurance will be increased by 2.5 times, entering a hunter state (lasts ten minutes, can be extended up to thirty minutes, but will result in temporary fatigue; cooldown 1 to 3 hours).]


    [Note 1: That¡¯s it, nothing more, no more strength left¡­]


    [Special Effect 2: ¡°Mutant Mentor¡±: Due to your outstanding kill of a ¡°lord-level mutant,¡± you have advanced from ¡°Scholar¡± to ¡°Mentor.¡± In future battles against mutants, you will trigger the exclusive ¡°Weakness Perception¡± effect!]


    [Note 2: Too much strange knowledge¡­]


    After quickly scanning the information, Colin was stunned by a new message.


    [You have killed the lord-level mutant ¡°Mourning Watcher¡± and gained the chance to extract one of its skills.]


    Colin¡¯s face lit up. A lord-level mutant¡¯s skill! It couldn¡¯t be something as trivial as a jumping rope, right?


    ¡°Extract¡­¡±


    With a thought, Colin initiated the extraction.


    [Congratulations, you have acquired the skill ¡°Mental Pierce,¡± which has been integrated into your title.]


    [Special Effect 3: ¡°Mental Pierce¡±: By expending a certain amount of mental energy, you can launch a ¡°Mental Pierce¡± at an enemy through your gaze. This skill is 100% fatal to mutants, usable three times a day.]


    [Note 3: Gaze that kills! Gaze that kills! Gaze that kills!]


    [Notice: This title has growth potential. The next upgrade condition: Kill ten lord-level mutants.]


    Ten¡­ best not to think about that for now.


    ¡°Not bad, but what if my right hand gets injured? Also, won¡¯t the skill activation mark be noticeable, making it easy to kill me?¡±


    After a quick evaluation, Colin hid the mark. Everything happened within ten seconds, and since there was no one else around except Sanna, no one noticed his anomaly.


    At this moment, he looked at the items dropped by the ¡°Mourning Watcher,¡± his eyes gleaming slightly.


    ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained ¡®Rare Tainted Blood¡¯ 32ml.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained ¡®Twisted Soul.''¡± S~?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained ¡®Broken Three-Branch Candelabrum.''¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained ¡®Meditation Headscarf.''¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained ¡®Silent Mask.''¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained ¡®Golden Ritual Robe.''¡± ¡°


    Congratulations, you have obtained ¡®Charred Putrid Flesh¡¯ *6.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, you have obtained ¡®Mature Brain¡¯ *1.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s eyes brightened at the sight of the rare blood, as he was more interested in it than the other items.


    [¡°Rare Tainted Blood¡±: Fresh red tainted blood that seems to wriggle and flow even when collected.]


    [Hint: You estimate that every 100ml burns for six hours, with a lighting radius of fifteen meters. It requires 300ml of regular blood to produce 100ml of this rare blood.]


    ¡°Fifteen meters radius¡­ let¡¯s see, 3.14 times¡­ over 700 square meters!¡±


    Colin¡¯s eyes lit up, planning for expansion, but then he frowned.


    ¡°Why only six hours? One hundred ml of regular blood burns for three hours, so shouldn¡¯t three hundred ml burn for nine hours?¡±


    Where did the missing three hours go? Did the system consume it? Or was it diluted?


    Colin didn¡¯t mind the quantity of blood since he could always synthesize more rare blood using [1ml of rare tainted blood + 300ml of ordinary tainted blood = 101ml of rare tainted blood].


    ¡°Never mind¡­¡±


    Colin paused his thoughts on large-scale expansion. While 100ml of ordinary blood might not seem like much, outfitting every team with it would be costly. He decided to equip only a few elite teams, as even someone as wealthy as Colin couldn¡¯t afford it¡ªat least not yet.


    ¡°Now, this¡­¡±


    Colin glanced past the ¡°Twisted Soul¡± to the three items behind it.


    [¡°Broken Three-Branch Candelabrum¡±: A six-meter-tall giant metal candelabrum, weighing several tons, crafted with superior workmanship and resistant to easy damage.] [


    Note: You can¡¯t swing it.]


    [Hint: A candelabrum adorned with thorns, possibly from the underground region.]


    The note was too blunt. Colin set the candelabrum aside, knowing it was too heavy to move easily.


    [¡°Silent Mask¡±: A black metal mask made entirely of ¡°Thorns of Suffering.¡± Using it can render an area completely silent and strip a life form of all external senses.]


    [Note: Shut up!]


    [Hint: You realize that if it weren¡¯t already insane and unable to use this item, you¡¯d be in big trouble.]


    [¡°Golden Ritual Robe¡±: Wearing it grants ¡°Rock-Solid¡± passive and doubles your recovery, constitution, strength, and endurance.]


    [Effect: When the wearer stands on the ground, they cannot be knocked back and enter a super-armor state.]


    [Hint: A robe woven of gold, its material is ordinary, and you are puzzled by its undamaged state. You speculate about the source of its mysterious nature¡­]


    [You realize that all its mystery comes from a blurry image on it, drawn simply to depict a pair of female legs.]


    [Despite the simple lines, you find yourself forming a mental image of perfect female legs, fair and delicate, beautiful and sacred but entwined with black thorns, bleeding onto the ground¡­ suggesting a mysterious meaning.]


    [You realize that it¡¯s not simple¡­]


    ¡°So many words for so much nonsense¡­¡±


    Colin shook his head, clearing the LSP (lecherous scholar perspective) images from his mind.

 Chapter 58: Global Quest: Civilization Investigator

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if the artist who drew this is simple or not, but I feel worse and worse. It seems like I¡¯ve gained a lot, yet it also feels like I haven¡¯t gained much at all.¡±Colin realized that regardless of their mystical properties, these items were all incredibly heavy, some weighing hundreds or even thousands of pounds, especially the candelabrum, which weighed tons. None of the items seemed usable for him; they were all too large and unwieldy. Even the lightest item, the ritual robe, weighed over two hundred pounds.


    However, when he saw the last piece of equipment, Colin could hardly hold back his tears of joy. Finally, there was something he could use!


    [¡°Meditation Headscarf¡±: Wraps around the body to keep the brain sufficiently alert, resisting 80% of mental influence from lord-level mutants.]


    [Note: Don¡¯t disturb my thoughts!]


    [Hint: You think it can be worn as clothing, doubling your thought processing speed and ignoring mental influences below the lord-level mutant. However, wearing it for more than three hours causes emotional loss, and over five hours, the effect is irreversible. The timer resets after a 24-hour no-contact interval.]


    ¡°Touching¡­¡±


    Colin took a deep breath. The headscarf¡¯s effects were decent and didn¡¯t have severe negative consequences. He had been observing for about ten minutes, and the armored vehicles had all moved into the woods and arrived at his location. No one disturbed Colin while he assessed his loot, guarding him in tacit agreement. Some survivors curiously asked what he had obtained, and Colin didn¡¯t hide anything, sharing the joy of his loot with everyone. Unfortunately, as a big shot, he couldn¡¯t play the ¡°newbie just got this item, is it any good?¡± game.


    ¡°There¡¯s one last item. This should be the last of what this lord-level aberrant had on it¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s eyes landed on the ¡°Twisted Soul,¡± which was clearly more intense than the ones he had encountered before. After all, it came from a lord-level mutant! However, Colin didn¡¯t crush it immediately. He had noticed that as the soul¡¯s concentration increased, he felt increasingly drawn into a dreamlike state every time he crushed one.


    Luckily, he always woke up on time. Without knowing what might happen if he didn¡¯t wake up in time, Colin decided to be more cautious this time. He planned to thoroughly examine it with his prompt ability before deciding whether to crush it.


    Just then, the system¡¯s voice interrupted Colin¡¯s actions.


    [Global survivor progress check in progress¡­]


    [Current total number of level three territories: approximately 0.0001%.]


    [Current total number of level two territories: approximately 24%.]


    [Current total number of level one territories: approximately 75%.]


    [Current total number of level one chariot lords: approximately 0.0000001%.]


    [Current total number of floating islands: approximately 0%.]


    [Conditions for hunting lord-level mutants met¡­]


    [Total kills¡­]


    [Resource evaluation¡­]


    [Survivor progress has met the requirements¡­]


    [Issuing Global Quest: ¡°Civilization Investigator¡±: Collect the hidden history and past events. Progress must meet the requirements to receive rewards. Duplicate information will be credited to the first and most accurate survivor, unless that survivor is completely dead.]


    [This mission has been added to the ¡°Parchment Scroll¡ªQuest List.¡± Please open it to view details.]


    [Issuing Global Quest: ¡°Gray Fog Explorer¡±: Expand the gray fog vision. Each certain extent of exploration will grant a reward.]


    [This mission has been added to the ¡°Parchment Scroll¡ªQuest List.¡± Please open it to view details.]


    ¡°A new mission?¡±


    Colin looked up sharply at the other lords and saw that they too had expressions of surprise. Clearly, all the surviving participants had received this information. Nearby, a few survivors whom Colin had confiscated parchment scrolls from urged Li Hang:


    ¡°Hurry, Li Hang, get the scroll and see what the mission is.¡±


    The group gathered around, staring at the scroll with the excitement of old generations watching black-and-white TV. Seeing this, Colin temporarily set aside the soul-crushing and handed out a few scrolls to them, while he also opened the mission list.


    [¡°Civilization Investigator¡±]


    [Quest Description: First mission settlement at 5% overall progress.]


    [Quest Requirements: Collect the history beneath the fog, explore the origins of the disaster. The more you understand, the greater your chance of survival, including but not limited to humanities, geography, customs, history¡­]


    [Current Overall Progress: Not meeting recording standards.]


    [Current Personal Progress: Approximately 0.0002%.] S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    [Global Quest Rewards: One ¡°Civilization Investigator¡± attribute title, nine pieces of hardened black bread, one inventory expansion card, one all-attribute enhancement potion (permanent).]


    [Personal Mission Rewards: Rewards will be issued based on circumstances.]


    ¡°It¡¯s here, it¡¯s here. The system is giving out its favorite nuclear-powered bread machine for the mission again.¡±


    Colin joked. No, nuclear-powered bread machine doesn¡¯t quite capture its high civilization or superior existence status and dignity. It should be called a quantum engine bread machine.


    Focusing his mind, Colin pondered this mission.


    [Hint: You think this mission is tailored for you. You have an undeniable advantage.]


    Undeniable advantage¡­ hint?


    Colin murmured softly, dismissing the hint from his mind. So far, the hints have been reliable, provided he could extract and discern useful information from them. Otherwise, they could be unreliable or even dangerous. Especially recently, the hint ¡°One hundred pounds of explosives will cause noticeable damage¡± made Colin wary.


    To fight the lord-level mutant, he used nearly four tons of explosives, almost a hundred steel shells, mobilized nine chariots, over four hundred people, and finally used mysterious items. Had he trusted the hint, bringing only a hundred pounds of black powder, he¡¯d likely be six feet under by now.


    Overall, Colin¡¯s cooperation with this ¡°golden finger¡± had been smooth. If it had any hidden problems, it was likely planning to fatten him up before killing him. Right now, he wasn¡¯t fat, so everything could still be utilized.


    Meanwhile, a group of survivors exclaimed in unison after seeing the mission rewards, looking incredulous. This game was actually about handing out items that could increase combat strength! This was as rare as the sun rising at midnight. Besides the axe, almost no one had gotten anything from the system that could increase combat power.


    Sanna, Number One, Number Two, and the others stood aside, not quite understanding the survivors¡¯ excitement. Human joy and sorrow are not connected; they only felt that these people were noisy. Too noisy for their lord!


    Colin didn¡¯t mind. He knew this mission couldn¡¯t be completed in the short term. Reining in his scattered thoughts, he casually opened the other global quest.

 Chapter 59: You Will All Die Here

    [¡°Fog Explorer¡±] [Quest Description: National exploration of the mist region reaches 10% to settle the mission.]


    [Quest Requirements: Use the lantern in your hand to explore untraveled paths. Exploring difficult and important areas will earn higher evaluations.]


    [Current Global Exploration Progress: Approximately 2%.]


    [Current Personal Exploration Progress: ¡­]


    [Global Quest Rewards: Explorer Armband *1, hardened black bread *9, fog points *30, all-attribute enhancement potion *1 (permanent).]


    [Personal Mission Rewards: Rewards will be issued based on circumstances.]


    [Hint: You vaguely feel that this mission will have some unknown impact, the nature of which is indiscernible¡­]


    [However, it is clear that this mission can enhance the combat levels of all players.]


    ¡°Riddler, go away.¡±


    Colin read it several times, finding that the hint provided almost no useful information, and dismissed it.


    ¡°This ¡®Civilization Investigator¡¯ mission¡­ I was already curious about what happened in this world. With it, I can be more proactive¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­However, this mission does have a huge advantage for me. I can obtain information through the hint that others find hard to get¡­¡±


    ¡°As for ¡®Fog Explorer¡¯¡­ it aligns perfectly with what I plan to do next¡­ No, both missions align well. After all, the underground areas I plan to explore are not only extremely dangerous but also hold many historical secrets¡­¡±


    Thinking about this, Colin¡¯s expression turned a bit strange. Was it an illusion, or did it really feel like these missions were tailor-made for him?


    At this moment, Colin suddenly sensed something and looked up to meet several hopeful gazes. The survivors present were all looking at him with shining eyes.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, Colin didn¡¯t even need a hint to understand their intentions.


    ¡°Rest assured, regarding these two missions, aside from collecting the black bread and fog points, I won¡¯t take any of your other items.¡±


    Colin assured them.


    While he could take these items and equip his absolutely loyal subordinates, it was unnecessary. S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Great!¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Colin!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re such a good person!¡±


    They visibly relaxed, smiles spreading across their faces, without a shred of doubt. The name ¡°Colin¡± represented trust, without question. Moreover, after their interactions, they had come to understand Colin somewhat, knowing he wasn¡¯t a deceitful person.


    But watching them, Colin felt a bit¡­ strange. Like he had eaten their food, left the dishes for them to clean, and intended to come back to eat again¡­


    ¡°By the way, Li Hang, spread this news to everyone else.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Then, Colin once again took out the ¡°Twisted Soul¡± of the lord-level mutant and placed it in his right palm. Like other souls, the pale blue flame burned quietly without any heat. However, its color and the distorted human figure within were clearer. Accepting this mission required an inspiration value of more than 15.


    [You think there is no life-threatening danger in accepting this mission.]


    [You think your inspiration value is greater than 15¡­]


    After asking Sanna to keep an eye on him, Colin cautiously took out the ¡°Meditation Headscarf¡± and wrapped it around himself. Instantly, his brain began operating at an extremely fast pace, isolating all unnecessary external ¡°noise.¡±


    Boom.


    His right hand clenched into a fist, and the blue flame erupted in his palm. Colin¡¯s previously serious expression turned into one of bewilderment.


    ¡°¡­boom¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­boom!¡±


    ¡°¡­boom¡­¡±


    In a deeper, dreamlike state than before, everything was silent, with only the occasional heavy footsteps breaking the stillness. In a dimly lit, enclosed space, a tall figure clad in golden ritual robes, wearing a black headscarf and a silent mask, wandered.


    Unlike when Colin had seen him before, he now walks upright like a normal human. He wore a fitted white outfit, no longer bare. Even as a normal person, he stood over five meters tall, with a hunched back and an extremely muscular physique, like a legendary giant.


    Only the sound of his heavy footsteps and occasional dull thuds, possibly from killing some creature in the darkness, echoed. He seemed to be guarding something silently.


    During this ¡°long¡± guardianship, Colin witnessed the giant¡¯s height slowly increase, his body becoming bloated and harder to look at. He grew so tall that he had to crouch in the dark space. His clothes were corroded by the pus from his deformed body, leaving him as ¡°bare¡± as Colin had first seen him.


    It was an extremely painful and long process, but he remained silent, fulfilling his duty and blocking something from coming through. This determination reminded Colin of the priest he had encountered before, evoking a sense of pity.


    Finally, with a thud, his will completely dissipated, and he fully succumbed to becoming a terrifying mutant, falling before the ¡°gate¡± he was guarding¡­


    The vision was about to end.


    However, Colin¡¯s body suddenly trembled, an intense sense of dread washing over him.


    Something went wrong!


    Instantly, mysterious forces from the dream-like state surged, overwhelming him. What terrified Colin more was that the scene before him was rapidly changing, dragging him into a dreadful abyss!


    ¡°No, this is¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s dream consciousness suddenly realized that he seemed to have returned to the ¡°battlefield¡± from not long ago! He was in the same spot, with a female figure beside him, but everything was infinitely blurry.


    The only ¡°clear¡± thing in this world was the three-meter-tall, charred, and twisted ¡°Mourning Watcher¡± standing before him! It was looking down at him!


    At this moment¡­


    Colin suddenly remembered the watcher¡¯s slight bow of the head before it died. Now, he looked up, meeting the gaze of the terrifying entity, unable to move.


    This was exactly his posture back then.


    History seemed to be repeating itself in another form.


    What to do?


    As Colin quickly thought of how to deal with this situation, he heard a strange voice. It seemed to come from a terrifying entity that had never spoken before.


    It said only one sentence¡­


    ¡°Outsiders, you will all die here.¡±

 Chapter 60: The Suspicious Corpse

    Plop¡­The head of the ¡°Mourning Watcher¡± fell off and rolled forward, repeating history. Only then did the vision before Colin finally end, with all scenes and objects rapidly losing color, dissolving into white mist and disappearing. As he returned to reality, clear sounds reached his ears, as if he had resurfaced from the deep sea.


    ¡°Huff, huff, huff¡­¡±


    A terrifying sense of dread surged through Colin. He bent over slightly, clutching his chest and taking several deep breaths. At this moment, a gentle white light lit up, dispelling the gloom that had formed in his heart.


    Seeing Colin recover, Sanna softly asked, ¡°What happened?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t particularly interested in the events themselves, but she wanted to help Colin release the pressure in his heart effectively.


    ¡°Nothing, just a minor incident, but it¡¯s fine now.¡±


    Colin chose to conceal the truth almost without thinking, smiling to ease their worries. What he had seen in the dream was useless to say out loud. As he spoke, Colin removed the ¡°Meditation Headscarf¡± from his body, having realized the cause of the anomaly.


    It was this headscarf¡­


    [You vaguely sense that the follow-up anomaly of the ¡°Twisted Soul¡± stemmed from the lingering mental influence on this item, but it has now dissipated and indeed poses no harm.]


    Seeing the hint, Colin felt as if he had been tricked. Only now did he understand the concept of ¡°mental remnants.¡± Without this concept before, he naturally wouldn¡¯t have thought to use the hint in this regard. This realization made him aware that mysterious items aren¡¯t always safe to use immediately; it¡¯s best to disinfect them if possible.


    ¡°The monster¡¯s lingering mental influence anticipated that I would use this headscarf¡­ It seems to have some understanding of me, or rather, our group¡­¡±


    ¡°What exactly did its words mean? A warning? Warning us ¡®outsiders¡¯ who have invaded this land?¡±


    Reflecting on the recent events, Colin thought of many things in an instant, but¡­ gained little insight. Key information was still too scarce¡­


    Without rushing to check on the task, Colin glanced at the large remains on the ground. After a moment of silence, he took out a dozen barrels of explosives¡­


    Before anything else, let¡¯s disinfect.


    Without mysterious methods, physical means would suffice¡­


    After handing the task to them, Colin opened the car door, got in, and instructed them to continue advancing inward, clearing a path towards the church. Finally, Colin took this time to open the quest list.


    [Triggered Quest: Guardian of the High Court]


    [Quest Requirement: Explore the ¡°Church Tunnel¡ªHigh Court Ruins¡± and confirm the internal situation of the High Court.]


    [Quest Time: Unlimited.]


    [Quest Description: The former guardian has fallen and no longer considers himself worthy of watching over this place. But he wishes to know the situation behind the gate. Please fulfill his wish as soon as possible.]


    [Quest Rewards: Hardened Black Bread *99, Recovery Card *3, Treasure Map Fragment *1, Random Artifact Blueprint *1.]


    [Hint: You sense that if you explore the underground tunnel and search for the source of the bright stone, you can complete this task in passing, as the source is likely within the High Court Ruins.]


    ¡°How¡­ convenient.¡±


    After reading, Colin felt a bit at a loss for words. It seemed like many things were steering him towards that area. However, Colin had already decided to go there. But before that, they needed to rest for a night, to be fully prepared for exploring the underground tunnel tomorrow and to look for the underground collapse mentioned by another group.


    To compare which path to take.


    If memory serves, the dangers in the tunnels and the dangers in the fog do not overlap. The tunnels are free from the gay fog, shielded by some mysterious force. So even at night, there¡¯s no worry about the fog affecting that area. However, it¡¯s a multi-layered dangerous area, filled with many threats. The danger level is likely no less than that of nighttime exploration.


    So far, neither the chat channels nor any discussions have provided useful information about the night. Venturing out of the cabin at night leads to two possibilities: nothing happens, or one disappears. No one knows what lurks in the darkness.


    ¡°Moreover, according to the information gathered, triggered quests almost always involve lord-level mutants. It might not always be the case, but there¡¯s no evidence to the contrary yet. So it¡¯s safe to assume there¡¯s at least one lord-level mutant in the underground area¡­¡± S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Of course, since this quest originates from a lord-level mutant meeting the condition of involving such an entity, it¡¯s not as dangerous as Colin thought. But nothing can be left to chance.


    Besides, as he revisited this area, a nearly forgotten matter resurfaced in Colin¡¯s mind.


    That female corpse¡­


    He had encountered that corpse shortly after leaving the cabin, before taking on the quest to go to the church. Back then, in his ignorance, he thought she was a survivor like himself, an unlucky soul who had died shortly after stepping out. But with a better understanding of the fog world now, he realized the corpse held numerous mysteries.


    No, it¡¯s not just mysteries¡­


    It¡¯s riddled with suspicions. With the knowledge he now possessed, many of his previous assumptions were overturned.


    For example¡­


    The most obvious point: the one who behead her¡­


    It couldn¡¯t have been the ¡°Mourning Watcher.¡±


    From what Colin knew of the watcher, it would more likely smash someone with a multi-ton candlestick and not leave a neat, intact body sitting there.


    So¡­ Who tore off her head?


    Colin was sure it wasn¡¯t another survivor¡­


    Ripping off her head without damaging the body¡­ it wasn¡¯t a matter of sheer strength.


    If someone could do that, he wouldn¡¯t be the top-ranked survivor.


    However, it¡¯s certain that the creature did approach the corpse¡­


    The footprints were indeed its own; no one could fake that.


    But it was clear that there was a misconception: the woman¡¯s death and the arrival of the Mourning Watcher weren¡¯t the same event.


    It likely just arrived there.


    Before that¡­ She was probably already dead¡­


    For reasons Colin couldn¡¯t yet imagine.

 Chapter 61: She Died… Too Cleanly

    Another hypothesis supports one point: the attack method of the Mourning Watcher. After interacting with it, Colin confirmed that it first uses the eyes on its body to launch a ¡°mental pierce,¡± then, as the prey loses its ability to resist, it comes over and crushes them with a candlestick. If the woman had been hit by a ¡°mental pierce,¡± she would not have been sitting so ¡°upright¡±; she would have been clutching her head, wailing and screaming. But she showed no signs of struggle¡­It¡¯s important to note that mutants have a strong desire to kill humans. They wouldn¡¯t leave a complete corpse just because the victim stopped resisting. So, it can be determined that she died before the lord-level mutant made its move, killed by something else. Having lost its target, the Mourning Watcher merely approached to inspect the body, then lost interest in attacking. These creatures always show an unusual¡­ tolerance for corpses. Then, it left, leading Colin to mistakenly think it was the killer.


    However, Colin¡¯s realization and subsequent conjectures weren¡¯t just due to these observations but were sparked by another item¡ªthe ¡°treasure map fragment.¡±


    ¡°Why did she have a treasure map fragment?¡±


    Based on his current knowledge¡­


    Treasure map fragments only appear in triggered quests, and triggered quests..


    Very few people in this world have completed them.


    Some ¡°simple¡± triggered quests have been completed by people, but they died afterward, leaving warnings to others like ¡°Don¡¯t do triggered tasks.¡± Only a handful of survivors, less than ten, completed tasks and, like Colin, managed to escape the hunts of lord-level mutants, thus staying alive.


    Assuming she was one of the former, who completed a quest and then died, and that her quest was just to go somewhere¡­


    Then why did she have two treasure map fragments on her?


    A single triggered quest only yields one ¡°treasure map fragment.¡± How could she have two?


    Yesterday, from the time Colin woke up to the time he found her body, it was less than an hour. Most survivors wake up around the same time. In one hour¡­ s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    How could she have two ¡°treasure map fragments¡±?


    Even if she was one of the lucky ones who completed the first quest and then died after completing the second quest¡­


    Where did she find the time to do these quests?


    This isn¡¯t a matter of ability¡­ It¡¯s a matter of possibility.


    From any angle, it¡¯s impossible¡­


    ¡°Tell them to let me know if they see a female corpse leaning against a tree.¡±


    Colin gave a few instructions as he sat in the co-driver seat of the chariot, retracing the road he had taken on the first day. He planned to check the corpse again, to see if he missed anything. Due to time constraints, he didn¡¯t bury her body yesterday. If nothing unexpected happened¡­


    The corpse should still be there.


    This corpse had clearly been to the underground area, carrying ¡°light stones¡± related to that region and hiding numerous secrets. Unlocking even one of these secrets would increase his chances of surviving the underground exploration.


    Colin¡¯s mind raced as he thought, glancing at the task list on the scroll in front of him. One line of blood-red text stood out prominently.


    Remaining Sanction Time: Six days and four hours.


    Roughly six days later, at nightfall, in the last hour or so.


    The hint for observing it still hadn¡¯t changed.


    [You feel that with your current strength and progress, you¡¯re doomed.]


    This realization added to Colin¡¯s pressure. Despite having acquired several mysterious items, upgraded titles, and significantly improved his strength compared to yesterday¡­


    The hint remained unchanged.


    In other words, in that thing¡¯s eyes, his growth was insignificant¡­


    Colin felt a tightness in his chest. He considered whether to advance his plan by a day, scout the area, and start exploring the tunnel today¡­


    At that moment, a voice snapped him out of his chaotic thoughts:


    ¡°Lord, the body has been found¡­¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Colin breathed a sigh of relief. Through the window, he saw the female corpse still lying under the tree. The distant battlefield had not affected this area. His greatest fear was the body mysteriously disappearing, turning the survival game into a ghost story¡­


    Immediately, Colin got out of the vehicle and, with Sanna and the others surrounding him, quickly walked towards the corpse. The body looked even paler than yesterday, with blood fully thickened, turning a dark red. Due to the cool temperature, it didn¡¯t emit the foul smell of decaying protein. Overall, the body hadn¡¯t changed much, though the deathly aura was unsettling to the living.


    Colin¡¯s eyes quickly moved to her legs¡­


    There were bite marks, leaving several fist-sized blood holes.


    [You observe that some of the tooth marks resemble those of rodents. It seems that mice came here last night.]


    [The number of mice wasn¡¯t large, probably around a dozen. Otherwise, they would have devoured the entire body.]


    ¡°Mice¡­¡±


    Colin muttered. He hadn¡¯t seen any live animals, including mice, until now. At this moment, a survivor, brought by Number One, approached.


    Though there was no forensic expert, having someone with medical knowledge could still be useful in such moments.


    ¡°Boss¡­ I¡¯m just an intern in proctology. Isn¡¯t this a bit inappropriate¡­¡±


    The survivor stammered. It wasn¡¯t that he feared the corpse¡ªcadavers were common in medical school. But he doubted his expertise would be of any use¡­ He couldn¡¯t exactly perform a rectal exam or treat hemorrhoids on a corpse.


    Despite his reservations, the proctology intern obediently began examining the body for Colin. It was his first time encountering such a ¡°fresh¡± cadaver, and he was a bit excited.


    ¡°She seems to have been bitten by mice, yes, likely bitten yesterday¡­ Time of death appears to be around seventeen to eighteen hours ago, about twenty years old, weighing around one hundred pounds, height about five foot seven, no signs of poisoning, neck laceration seems like it was torn off¡­ like pulling a mushroom, no obvious internal injuries, and judging by her posture, she seems to have died peacefully¡­¡±


    Listening to his analysis, Colin asked in surprise, ¡°Does proctology cover this much?¡±


    ¡°Just amateur detection¡­¡± the survivor replied, his eyes not leaving the body.


    But as he continued to examine, he frowned, ¡°Something¡¯s not right, boss. Did you move her posture¡­?¡±


    ¡°No. What did you find?¡± Colin asked curiously.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s a bit strange¡­ saying this might sound bad¡­ but, she died¡­ too cleanly.¡±

 Chapter 62: Information That Causes Heart Attack

    ¡°Clean?¡±Colin seemed to recall some knowledge. After death, the muscles, including the sphincter muscles, lose control, leading to incontinence¡­ Though embarrassing, it¡¯s a natural bodily reaction¡­ However, this body seemed not to have experienced such events¡­


    Yet, Colin wasn¡¯t an expert and didn¡¯t know much about this. He looked at the ¡°expert,¡± waiting for his explanation.


    ¡°It looks like you know a bit, boss¡­¡±


    The proctology intern gained some confidence. In a certain sense, he was a professional dealing with excrement and gas daily, and he had often lent a ¡°helping hand¡± to patients with severe constipation, once acting as a ¡°dung digger¡±¡­


    He felt a bit sad thinking about it¡­ He gathered his thoughts and carefully chose his words:


    ¡°Her death resembles decapitation. Generally, for someone this young, sudden death doesn¡¯t result in immediate bodily cessation but involves a loss of bodily control. This includes sphincter relaxation and intestinal peristalsis, leading to the expulsion of any remaining digestive matter¡­¡±


    Colin couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself, impressed by the professional¡¯s tactful language and clear attempts to respect the ¡°patient.¡±


    Then he heard the intern continue:


    ¡°But it¡¯s not absolute. Excessive blood loss or organ failure can lead to cleaner deaths¡­ She didn¡¯t seem to have organ failure, but blood loss is highly likely, considering the many abrasions on her body, though none were fatal¡­ If she had no residual digestive matter, a clean death is possible¡­ A proper autopsy would be needed to be certain, but we can¡¯t do that here, and I know you wouldn¡¯t ask me to¡­ So, based on the current information, from my perspective, the main issue lies here¡­¡±


    The intern pointed to the woman¡¯s feet:


    ¡°There are no signs of struggle at her feet, indicating she didn¡¯t experience convulsions after death¡­ Have you seen chickens beheaded? Not as dramatic, but similar¡­ Humans, especially someone her age, would likely experience convulsions, but she didn¡¯t, which defies logic¡­ Moreover, some of her wounds smell¡­ ¡®original,¡¯ like fresh blood, with no signs of decay. This suggests there hasn¡¯t been any bacterial decomposition since yesterday, yet bacteria do exist here. Even the human body contains bacteria, and the current temperature is conducive to bacterial growth¡­ Her abdomen also shows no signs of bloating¡­ Putting it all together, I suspect her body might be ¡®cleaner¡¯ than mine¡­¡±


    ¡°What does that mean?¡± Colin asked, puzzled.


    ¡°It means she didn¡¯t just die; everything in her, every cell, every bacterium, died simultaneously¡­ Theoretically, this type of death is impossible¡­ However, given our situation, anything is possible.¡±


    Though he said that, the proctology intern¡¯s expression was somewhat strange. This judgment impacted him more profoundly than even the concept of transmigration. It felt as if something fundamental had been overturned.


    Like someone saying 4873918 * 64875 = 316107699626¡ªsince it¡¯s unknown, no one questions it until they verify it. But if someone says 1 + 1 = 3, it is immediately challenged because everyone knows the correct answer is two.


    The intern viewed the corpse in this light. Transmigration was unknown, but this body wasn¡¯t¡­ An impossible corpse appeared, creating an incredible scene that shook his worldview.


    The intern¡¯s breathing became rapid, and his mind was a mess. Colin, noticing this, patted him on the shoulder to bring him back to reality.


    ¡°Thanks, take a rest.¡± Colin spoke to him, deciding not to delve further into this information. He realized that the more he investigated this corpse, the more uneasy and bizarre it felt.


    The information was not useful but rather unsettling. Additionally, the constant useless hints made Colin realize something¡­


    It seemed to avoid certain topics? What could it be avoiding? Only the gray fog. Only the system. Only that dark and chaotic space.


    It became clear that this clue had to be dropped. Any of these three elements were beyond Colin¡¯s capability to confront.


    If he insisted on investigating, he might be the next one to die in such a strange manner.


    Although he didn¡¯t gain useful information, Colin didn¡¯t mind much. Not every effort yields results, and learning to let go is a form of growth.


    ¡°Alright, call me if you need anything. By the way, my previous deductions were mostly guesses since I¡¯m not a forensic expert and have no data or papers to refer to. I can¡¯t be certain everything is correct¡­ I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re investigating, but take it easy.¡±


    The proctology intern said as he saw Colin nod, then returned to Chariot Four to continue his role as the ¡°emergency¡± doctor. Who knew how a ¡°dung digger¡± ended up in this cross-disciplinary job¡­ but sometimes the world is just that magical.


    Colin withdrew his gaze, shaking off his thoughts, and decided to cremate the body and lay her to rest.


    ¡°¡­ I wanted to say I avenged you, but since your cause of death wasn¡¯t what I thought, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    Colin mentally said, planning to assign a team to handle the cremation and burial, then move on to the church.


    However, just as he was about to leave after one final observation with a hint, he saw a new piece of information:


    [You prepare to cremate her to ensure she doesn¡¯t reanimate or get eaten by mice, but just as you are about to act, you discover something new.]


    [After multiple inspections, you find some new calluses on the soles of her feet, seemingly formed recently¡­]


    Suddenly, this information hit Colin¡¯s mind like a thunderbolt, and a horrifying possibility clicked into place!


    In the next second, Colin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, followed by intense palpitations, transforming into a painful but indistinct feeling of heartache.


    Cold sweat drenched his body.


    Colin felt as if he could die suddenly at any moment!


    S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 63: The Terrifying Countdown

    ¡°Lord, something¡¯s wrong! The lords on the chariot¡­ Lord, are you alright!¡±Number One suddenly flung open the door of Chariot Four and jumped down, intending to report the anomaly happening inside, but he noticed that his lord was also pale-faced and quickly ran over in shock.


    Shana, beside him, was a bit at a loss, supporting Colin with an expression of unusual gravity¡ªshe realized all her methods were no longer working!


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­¡±


    Colin tried to wave off his worry, his face pale, wanting to speak but finding he couldn¡¯t even get these three words out.


    But now wasn¡¯t the time to worry about that. He closed his eyes, took deep breaths, and focused his mind entirely¡­


    There seemed to be something boiling within his mind¡­


    Colin, or rather, everyone on Earth, including Colin, was experiencing the same thing!


    A terrifying sense of impending death and heart palpitations simultaneously enveloped everyone.


    Only a few who were engaged in combat felt the sensation less intensely, and it didn¡¯t significantly affect them.


    At that moment, Colin felt something writhing, coalescing, and splitting within his mind¡­


    A continuous cycle¡­


    After an indeterminate amount of time, blood-red, seemingly fresh words appeared in everyone¡¯s minds.


    ¡°Be¡­ Careful¡­¡±


    The writhing red letters seemed to want to give everyone some kind of warning¡­


    Whether the color was truly red was uncertain, but when presented in the mind and processed by the brain, it appeared deep red.


    With each word, Colin felt an increase in pressure, as if enveloped by something terrifying, his teeth chattering¡­


    However, the letters became blurry after just three words.


    It seemed something was forcibly preventing their formation!


    After a brief stalemate, the subsequent blood-colored letters finally emerged one after another, like bamboo shoots breaking through the earth¡ª


    ¡°Be careful of the night!!!¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­149:07:34¡­¡­¡±


    Following closely, a writhing countdown of the same deep red appeared.


    There were no annotations, but everyone understood that it was related to the previous warning.


    The countdown had only ticked three seconds, leaving everyone no time to think before the characters began to twist¡­


    First, they twisted, then swelled and cracked¡­


    In this process, the red rapidly faded, becoming pale, then ordinary, then dark, and finally disappeared entirely¡­


    With its disappearance, everything returned to calm.


    From start to finish, it took less than thirty seconds, but Colin found himself drenched in cold sweat, his legs weak and barely able to stand, as if on the verge of collapse.


    If not for Sanna and Number One supporting him, he wondered if he might fall to the ground in a daze.


    ¡°What was that? 149:07:34 is almost certainly a countdown, which converts to¡­¡±


    Regaining his composure, Colin immediately took out his black headscarf, wrapped it around himself to enhance his sanity, calm his terror, and boost his mental processing¡­


    About six days and five hours¡­


    Colin¡¯s face turned grim¡­


    Damn, this comes right after the night of my punishment?


    I don¡¯t even know if I¡¯ll survive the punishment, and now there¡¯s an even greater terror, the ¡°Be careful of the night¡±?


    Colin¡¯s expression was blank. He didn¡¯t know what to think and glanced at the female corpse again.


    [A female corpse¡¯s feet were gnawed by rodents, but this is not unusual¡­]


    ¡°As expected, it reverted.¡± S?a??h the ??v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Colin squinted, noting that the hints took advantage of some unknown influence to send out some deeply terrifying information.


    A coincidence¡­


    After taking a deep breath, he gave up on this line of thought. He only needed a basic understanding.


    Then Colin quickly walked over to Chariot Four.


    Looking inside through the open door, he saw the survivors either slumped or gasping for breath, none of them standing, looking like they had been pulled from water, with half of their souls¡­


    ¡°Damn, I thought I was done for.¡±


    ¡°The boss is here. Boss, do you know what just happened?¡±


    ¡°Hurry, let¡¯s go. Boss, this place has bad vibes. There are terrible things lurking at night!¡±


    ¡­


    Clearly, they also received the blood-red ¡°Be careful of the night¡± warning.


    ¡°It should only happen in six days, no need to panic now¡­¡±


    Colin reassured them, returned to Chariot One, sat in the co-driver¡¯s seat, and looked at the world channel on the sheepskin scroll. It was ablaze with discussions about the recent event.


    Clearly, the event had affected all survivors!


    He vaguely understood why the warning appeared in everyone¡¯s minds rather than in an individual¡¯s mind¡­


    No single person could bear such terror alone.


    It had to be distributed across billions worldwide to be barely manageable.


    Colin glanced at his headscarf¡­


    Was this the meaning behind ¡°you will all die here¡±?


    Is this their revenge? Who issued the blood-red warning? The system or some individual? Why did the countdown appear now?


    A flood of questions surged, but Colin sadly realized most were too deep to contemplate.


    Only a few answers could be vaguely perceived, like why it appeared now¡­


    Probably because he had just killed a lord-level mutant¡­


    Others might not understand the blood-red significance, but he knew too well¡­


    It was the color of the lord-level mutant¡¯s blood!


    A chaotic storm of thoughts swept through Colin¡¯s mind. After a long time, he confirmed some things.


    ¡°What is certain is that an hour after my punishment begins, another likely worldwide disaster will occur. Even more despairingly, if I don¡¯t resolve the punishment within an hour, the two events might overlap¡­¡±


    Despite the ¡°Meditation Scarf¡± effect, Colin felt overwhelmed.


    At this moment, he felt soft fingers pressing on his temples, gently massaging and emitting a white light, soothing his abnormal emotions.


    Could this press my head until it bursts¡­ Realizing who the hands belonged to, Colin couldn¡¯t help but feel touched, though he didn¡¯t show it. After hesitating, he said:


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    Sanna¡¯s usually calm and gentle face smiled, not speaking, but tilting her head slightly in acknowledgment.


    Before long, Colin confirmed some things and adjusted his actions and plans accordingly.

 Chapter 64: Colin’s Countermeasures

    The chariot stopped at the church gates. However, Colin had no immediate plans to disembark.¡°If we assume the warning is genuine and not deceptive, then in six days there will be a major action targeting us ¡®outsiders,¡¯ with the goal of killing us¡­¡±


    Wrapped in the ¡°Meditation Scarf,¡± Colin¡¯s mind worked at lightning speed, sorting out everything in his head. Simultaneously, he used the prompts to verify if his hypothesis was correct.


    ¡¾Based on what you know, you believe the situation is roughly as you imagined.¡¿


    Roughly¡­meaning there are hidden details?


    Colin pondered briefly, then decisively shook his head, discarding these useless and dangerous ¡°side¡± details.


    ¡°Its primary objective is clear, but its underlying motives are still unclear. However, that¡¯s not important for now.


    ¡°Since its primary goal is to kill us, what I need to do is straightforward: I need to counteract it. It wants to kill, so I must save¡­


    ¡°The only thing I can do now is to enhance the overall strength of the survivors as much as possible, to increase humanity¡¯s chances of survival when facing this disaster¡­


    ¡°Hmm, another point is that given the ¡®game¡¯s¡¯ nature, every countdown should start from a whole number¡­¡±


    The blood-red countdown seemed to have already been ticking for a while, indicating it wasn¡¯t a recent occurrence but had existed for some time. It was just hidden until he defeated the lord-level mutant, triggering certain conditions, or due to some deeply buried reasons temporarily beyond comprehension, it was finally exposed¡­ S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Then it was forcibly obscured again¡­


    If Colin hadn¡¯t grown rapidly and defeated the lord mutant, everything proceeding slowly¡­


    Everyone would have been caught off guard! Possibly, they might have faced direct annihilation!


    Furthermore, the system hiding crucial information isn¡¯t new; survivors have guessed as much to some extent. For instance, the lack of a ¡°personal panel,¡± ¡°health bar,¡± ¡°complete mission descriptions,¡± and other typical game features.


    Especially mission descriptions, without the prompts, Colin always felt the mission content was only half explained. Now it seems it wasn¡¯t absent but suspected to be hidden¡­


    This has led to survivors being unable to assess their and the monsters¡¯ combat power accurately, resulting in significant casualties.


    However, Colin didn¡¯t dare delve too deeply into this, so he couldn¡¯t understand why it was happening. Besides, this wasn¡¯t something he should focus on now.


    Given the knowledge of the opponent¡¯s goal, there¡¯s a saying: the enemy¡¯s opposition is our support¡­


    Following this thought process, Colin quickly considered how to strengthen humanity collectively and enhance overall power.


    After about ten minutes of contemplation, an idea began to form in Colin¡¯s mind¡ªan idea that could serve multiple purposes.


    That is to openly distribute ¡°Ordinary Tainted Blood¡± and sparingly release ¡°Rare Tainted Blood.¡±


    Firstly, those with surplus and ability will expand upon receiving ordinary blood. This can effectively preserve human resources and stabilize the initial number of servants, ensuring their prices do not exceed the system¡¯s set prices in the short term.


    Secondly, this will drive up servant prices, providing a lifeline for desperate survivors. The more resources they gain from exchanging servants, the better their chances of recovery.


    Thirdly, the new tasks, ¡°Civilization Investigator¡± and ¡°Fog Explorer,¡± will be completed more quickly, especially the rewards ¡°Civilization Investigator¡± title and ¡°Fog Explorer¡± armband.


    Colin was confident that once achieved, there would be a small leap in overall capabilities.


    Therefore, publicizing the advanced blood method became a priority for Colin.


    Secondly, he decided to disclose the synthesis formulas for Level 3 Territories and Level 1 War Chariots. Colin had already seen someone else publish these, so he wasn¡¯t worried about sanctions¡ªthe impact seemed minimal¡­


    Despite previous releases, many were still unaware of the synthesis formulas.


    With the world channel often having billions online, without a freeze-frame setting, simply watching the scrolling feed, people wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything clearly.


    These two measures were Colin¡¯s immediate countermeasures. Their effectiveness was uncertain, but he had to do something.


    Selling black powder, for example, wouldn¡¯t change the big picture. Besides, black powder was already on sale¡­


    After all, Colin had to support hundreds of people, and the expenses were substantial.


    Colin then gathered the survivors to discuss and refine the details, opening the world channel to join the new trending topic, ¡°What will happen in six days?¡±


    It was filled with wails of despair.


    ¡°What do we do? This game is out to kill us! It¡¯s only the second day, and such dangerous things are happening.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over, I have a feeling everyone will die¡­¡±


    ¡°This game is too hard. We¡¯re just mining and doing daily tasks. How can we survive in six days?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I don¡¯t even dare walk a kilometer outside, afraid of getting lost¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, go out and kill some monsters. If you had a ¡®Thousand-Jin Battle Axe: holder¡¯s attacks double, each attack has a chance to inflict ¡®Severe Wound¡¯ on enemies with less than 5 strength and endurance,¡¯ you would not be complaining.¡±


    ¡°Free release of Level 3 Territory materials, although¡­I¡¯ve never upgraded, so I can¡¯t guarantee it¡¯s accurate.¡±


    ¡°Brothers, I put ordinary blood on the trading channel, go get it and improve yourselves¡­¡±


    ¡°Is anyone in the same district as Big Boss Colin? Go ask him for help¡­¡±


    The chat channel had both optimism and pessimism. To Colin¡¯s surprise, some had already started taking action.


    ¡°It seems some people thought the same as us.¡±


    Colin remarked while switching through the chat content, skimming through it in less than ten seconds.


    A survivor echoed, ¡°Indeed, but unfortunately, there are too few of them. We¡¯ve only seen one or two so far¡­¡±


    Someone in the temporary discussion room added, ¡°This is what happens when you lack a voice.¡±


    Indeed, some were selling blood, even at extremely low prices.


    But such people were rare¡­


    Not everyone was willing to share their gains. Privately, more people were trying to hoard resources before others grew.


    As for those fortunate enough to receive help¡­


    Most¡­weren¡¯t necessarily willing to join in doing ¡°good deeds.¡±

 Chapter 65: Merciful Like the Sun, Without a Trace of Selfishness

    At their current rate of spreading the information, it¡¯s estimated that by six days, at most, only a few million people will be informed¡­ But this number is far too small to make a difference.Thinking of this, Colin began to prepare to release information. He had a red name, which meant his name couldn¡¯t be hidden when posting information, and his messages would appear in every survivor¡¯s information bar, uniquely marked to ¡°warn¡± all survivors. Combined with his large following, his words could instantly create a ¡°topic¡± on the world channel, potentially sweeping away the prevailing negativity and changing the current atmosphere.


    Of course, the cost of having a red name meant he couldn¡¯t purchase the world channel speaker, so he could truly only post one message per day, each requiring carefully edited content. But compared to the vast benefits these ¡°restrictions¡± brought, if not for the looming sanction, Colin might have suspected this was the system giving him a special advantage. S~?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon, the frequency of pessimistic messages in the chat channel noticeably decreased because a message appeared before everyone¡¯s eyes.


    The red-text message was from¡­ Colin!


    ¡°To address the disaster in six days, I will provide a small amount of help as best I can.


    ¡°First, the blood upgrade formula: ¡¾1 ml of Ordinary Tainted Blood + 300 ml of Foul Tainted Blood = 101 ml of Ordinary Tainted Blood, burns for three hours, illuminating an area of approximately 300 square meters, recommended for groups of 14-17.¡¿


    ¡°I will sell ¡®Ordinary Tainted Blood¡¯ in large quantities and long-term at a ratio of 1 Ordinary: 5 Foul.


    ¡°Additionally, ¡¾1 ml of Rare Tainted Blood + 300 ml of Ordinary Tainted Blood = 101 ml of Rare Tainted Blood, burns for six hours, illuminating an area of approximately 700 square meters, recommended for groups of 14-32.¡¿


    ¡°The price for ¡®100 ml of Rare Tainted Blood¡¯ is (1,000 ml of Ordinary Tainted Blood + 10 Fog Points). Choose according to your needs and capabilities.


    ¡°Second, I am freely releasing blueprints for war chariots, floating islands, underground fortresses, and Level 3 territories.


    ¡°The formula for Level 1 war chariots is as follows¡­


    ¡°The formula for floating islands is as follows¡­


    ¡°The formula for underground fortresses is as follows¡­


    ¡°The formula for Level 3 territories is as follows¡­


    ¡°Third, I encourage everyone to form alliances, combining strength, but be cautious of those with ill intentions.


    ¡°If anyone is in the same area as me, feel free to come find me. Personally, I have ten war chariots, thermal weapons, multiple temporary Level 2 territories, and one Level 3 territory. Whether seeking shelter, forming an alliance, or joining me, it¡¯s all fine¡­


    ¡°Lastly, if anyone is willing, please help popularize ¡®Ordinary Tainted Blood¡¯ for everyone¡¯s growth and help spread this message.¡±


    With this message, the flashing of the world channel noticeably slowed, indicating a large number of people were reading it.


    Not long after people finished reading, the chat channel exploded.


    ¡°So, ordinary tainted blood can illuminate such a large area? Why didn¡¯t the system indicate that? I thought it just shined a bit brighter¡­¡±


    ¡°The big boss is really here to save the world! He¡¯s truly watching over us suffering compatriots, worthy of being a leader¡­¡±


    ¡°Ten chariots¡­ the big boss is terrifying!¡±


    ¡°Brothers, it¡¯s time to get stronger! Charge! Don¡¯t disappoint the big boss!¡±


    ¡°Damn, isn¡¯t it 1 ml of ordinary blood for 5 ml of foul blood? It¡¯s impossible to buy any!¡±


    ¡°F***! Why is it always me!!! Who is it! Who the hell priced ordinary blood at a hundred black bread! Don¡¯t let me find you, I swear I¡¯ll use my plunger on your a**!¡±


    ¡°WTF, pricing 1 ml of ordinary blood at five hundred steel plates, is this guy stupid?!¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy? I just upgraded to ordinary blood with great difficulty, gaining an advantage, and now you¡¯re ruining it? Serves you right to be sanctioned!¡±


    ¡°Speculation, just for money. If they were really kind, they¡¯d give 1 ml for free. How much could they give? And that rare blood, ha, not even hiding their intentions.¡±


    ¡°Here we go, classic twenty billion dollars, fourteen billion people, each person a billion, and there¡¯s still six billion left.¡±


    ¡°The big boss sells rare tainted blood expensively to make you fools realize your place. Didn¡¯t you see that 300 ordinary tainted blood for rare tainted blood only burns for six hours?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind these idiots, they¡¯re brainless. Praise merciful Colin (1/1)!¡±


    Soon after Colin¡¯s educational message, the price of ordinary tainted blood skyrocketed. It was impossible to buy at a 1:5 ratio. Short-term supply far exceeded demand, causing prices to soar.


    As a sincere person, Colin wouldn¡¯t break his promise for a little profit. He ensured someone continually sold ¡°Ordinary Tainted Blood¡± at a 1:5 ratio on his behalf. Each gift represented a gesture of mercy. However, to reflect freedom, Colin wouldn¡¯t force his subordinates to do the same. They could list it on the market at 1:100 or 1:200, and it wouldn¡¯t concern Colin.


    At this moment, Colin had almost all survivors participating in what could be described as a frenzied feast! In the face of enormous profits, everyone crazily set blood prices and immediately put them up for sale. As long as they knew what they were selling, the process could be completed in less than a second with mental control.


    The frenzied trading lasted nearly an hour before it finally settled down. By now, due to various factors, the price of blood stabilized at 1:4. Even rare tainted blood fell below Colin¡¯s initial price, with an exchange ratio of 1:5 without any additional items.


    Undoubtedly, the price drop indicated a crucial fact: in just about an hour, at least one-tenth or more of the world¡¯s tens of billions of people had been provided with ordinary blood. This was in just one hour, and Ordinary Tainted Blood had spread at a speed even Colin couldn¡¯t have imagined¡­


    The thirty-odd milliliters of ¡°Rare Tainted Blood¡± from the ¡°Mourning Watcher¡± would cultivate thousands of powerful lords¡­


    Afterward, Colin and his group tallied their harvests, grinning ear to ear. In one hour, they had collectively earned over 500,000 ml of foul tainted blood¡­ countless important materials like iron ore, and before that, Colin had already bought up a large number of servants, avoiding being affected by the upcoming servant price increase.


    Colin slumped into a chair, his previously gloomy mood cured by the generous ¡°fans¡±¡­


    Forcibly cured by the enormous gains¡­


    His mood couldn¡¯t be ruined.


    Damn, harvesting these ¡°crops¡± is even faster than robbing.


    Looking at the messages of gratitude in the chat channel, Colin quietly said: I just did a small, insignificant thing¡­


    To continue harvesting in the future, Colin thought it necessary to make saving the world his top priority¡­


    Just then, Number Two approached the vehicle with some people, whispering in Colin¡¯s ear, ¡°Lord, we¡¯ve found that mine.¡±

 Chapter 66: The Little Girl’s Remains

    ¡°Uh¡­ Number Nine, what happened?¡± Colin looked at the person beside Number Two. If he remembered correctly, it was Number Nine, the ¡°Lamp Holder¡± of the Ninth Squad.Currently, only the squad leaders had ¡°names.¡± After dealing with the mutants, three war chariots had been dispatched to search for nearby mines, and it seemed they had found something. But judging by the expression on Number Nine¡¯s face, it seemed unexpected.


    ¡°My Lord, the mine is about three kilometers from here. About a hundred meters inside, there was a collapse, blocking the way.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t see those survivors, but while passing through other parts of the forest, we found five groups of corpses, likely survivors¡­¡±


    ¡°Lamp Holder¡± Number Nine lowered his head slightly while reporting, not daring to look Colin directly in the eye, even though Colin had always been kind and never harsh to them. Being someone Colin had saved from death, he was sincerely loyal and didn¡¯t want to take advantage of Colin¡¯s kindness.


    ¡°Blocked¡­¡± Colin pondered for a moment and then asked, ¡°Were those who died crushed to death? Can you tell how many people entered the cave? Are their lanterns still intact?¡±


    Number Nine thought for a moment, then replied humbly with organized words: ¡°Yes, my Lord, they were all crushed to death. Three of the bodies seem to have been searched; they had nothing on them. The items from the other two bodies are on my war chariot¡­


    ¡°The bodies were in bad shape, likely dead for a few hours. We saw the marks of weapons wielded by a lord-level aberration, so there should be no mistake.


    ¡°As for inside the cave, the survivor named Li Hang estimated there were about ten people¡­¡±


    So it was the group from this morning, killed by a lord-level mutant¡­ Colin continued to ask, ¡°Were there any signs of a struggle in the mine?¡±


    ¡°No, my Lord.¡±


    So at least there was no conflict during their assembly. But this group seems to have gone silent. Who knows what happened to them, or perhaps they were killed instantly¡­ Colin nodded to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll check the supplies here and then go over there¡­¡±


    ¡°No problem, at your command, my Lord.¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t always have to call me ¡®my Lord.¡¯ It might make our communication more convenient and¡­ relaxed?¡±


    ¡°Understood, my Lord¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Forget it¡­ Colin smirked, looking at Number Nine¡¯s nervous and tense posture, and decided to drop the correction. Every servant had their own unique personality, but without exception, they were all loyal to Colin.


    Soon, the results of this small assistance mission were in:


    Foul Tainted Blood: 534,987 ml


    Ordinary Tainted Blood: 70,679 ml


    Fog Points: 2,466


    New Servants: 634


    Steel Plates: 1,136


    A vast amount of resources, which made Colin sigh at how profitable it was to be a good person¡­ Of course, this income wasn¡¯t his; he had been assisting everyone at a 1:5 price, staying true to his original intentions¡­


    These items were exchanged by the dozen or so survivors under his command, all of whom were moved by Colin¡¯s noble character and had donated their materials for him to manage.


    Undoubtedly, Colin had led everyone to a period of blood resource abundance, so there was no immediate concern. Most of what Colin exchanged was for materials, not food. He had enough bread to crush a person without needing to steal from others.


    After a quick calculation, Colin looked at the survivors present: ¡°Get some glass; we can build two more war chariots. Who¡¯s willing to donate their territory?¡± S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing this, their eyes lit up, and they eagerly volunteered to contribute to the group. Everyone knew that although their territories were surrendered, they retained no authority over them. However, Colin couldn¡¯t operate so many chariots alone, so the management of the war chariots usually went to the corresponding survivors, essentially giving them a ¡°free¡± chariot!


    Generally, servants controlled the chariots, but when parked, the survivors had the opportunity to drive them. These chariots were powerful and certainly enjoyable to drive!


    Not long after handing the materials to two enthusiastic volunteers and arranging a chariot to transport them, Colin descended from the chariot and looked at the Suffering Church. Under the illumination of six crimson headlights, it was clearly visible. The gray-white walls, blurred thorn patterns, and the lime on the ground all spoke of its antiquity.


    At this moment, the church door remained slightly ajar, leaving a gap for one person to pass through. Footprints from a hasty escape the previous day were still visible on the ground. The pile of rotting flesh in front of the door had just been cleared by Number One.


    However, a strong stench of rotting protein still permeated the area where the ground was soaked with putrid meat juices, making one feel nauseous and uncomfortable. It was the smell of corpses¡ªunbearable even if one could physically tolerate it.


    ¡°Dig some soil to cover that area, then push the door fully open.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    With everyone¡¯s efforts, the soil was quickly filled, significantly reducing the stench. The church door was then swiftly opened, and the crimson headlights shone into the church simultaneously.


    [You attempt to investigate the anomalies of the church, seeking the reason it can block lord-level mutants, but find nothing unusual in its existence. You vaguely sense that the aura emanating from the underground passage might be what restrains them.]


    After some contemplation, Colin took a lantern filled with rare tainted blood and led several squads into the church, walking quickly towards the back of the hall on a dust-covered carpet. The automatic door-closing incident didn¡¯t happen again since the ¡°little girl¡± who had done all this was already dead.


    From the door to the back of the church, it was about fifty meters, with many overturned and scattered benches on either side. Colin moved quickly, knowing there was no danger here. But just as he arrived, he suddenly noticed an unfamiliar skeleton under the twisted statue.


    It was a scattered skeleton, with bones lying in disarray, but the white dress remained conspicuous. At this moment, Colin¡¯s breath hitched, his scalp tingled, pupils contracted, and his left arm¡¯s muscles slightly twitched with a faint pain. However, he quickly returned to normal.


    ¡°Is there any danger?¡± Sanna stepped forward, standing protectively in front of Colin. Her body glowed with a holy white light, ready for battle. However, her blue eyes scanned the area, but she couldn¡¯t see any enemies.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just an enemy from yesterday, but I¡¯ve already dealt with her.¡± Colin spoke while contemplating the situation.

 Chapter 67: Initial Exploration of the Underground Passage

    ¡¾You realize that this is the skeleton of a girl about ten years old. It is severely weathered, indicating that it has been here for a long time.¡¿¡¾At this moment, seeing the familiar white dress, you realize that this is the skeleton of the ¡®evil spirit¡¯ you encountered yesterday.¡¿


    ¡¾It seems to have fallen from the upper part of the church. Your candlelight couldn¡¯t reach the ceiling then, which is why you couldn¡¯t find her skeleton. She had hidden herself¡­¡¿


    ¡¾However, with her death, the skeleton fell from above.¡¿


    Seeing this prompt, Colin let out a sigh of relief. He suddenly remembered the last skill of the little girl.


    A terrifying skill that could make all the ¡®Wailers¡¯ stand up again.


    To avoid any unexpected incidents, Colin turned his head and said, ¡°Number One, have the other teams come in and gather all the bones on the ground¡­ then cremate and bury them outside the church, and set up a tombstone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±


    ¡°By the way, cremate her body separately¡­ Um, make it more solemn, pour 100 ml of ¡®ordinary tainted blood¡¯, no, pour 100 ml of ¡®rare tainted blood¡¯, make sure it¡¯s burned clean, then put the ashes in a wooden box, not a single grain should be lost, and nail it shut and give it to me, understand?¡±


    Colin gave careful instructions.


    He vaguely remembered that the ¡®All-knowing¡¯ hint had once appeared uncertain about whether the ¡®evil spirit¡¯ girl was truly an ¡®evil spirit.¡¯


    Though he didn¡¯t know the reason, he decided to burn the remains just to be safe.


    Ten minutes later, in the blazing fire ignited by the foul tainted blood, the bones of over a hundred ¡®Wailers¡¯ turned to powder and were buried in the ground outside the church.


    The girl¡¯s bones were burned separately with rare blood. The dazzling firelight made the night as bright as day, and the ash cloud dispersed thirty meters away.


    After a long while, the nailed-down ash box was placed into Colin¡¯s ¡®inventory,¡¯ an alternative space, and personally ¡®sealed.¡¯


    After all this, Colin finally breathed a sigh of relief¡ªhis shoulder pain was gone.


    Then he led everyone to the front of the twisted statue to inspect the one-square-meter underground passage entrance.


    This time, under the bright light of the lantern, the details inside were clearly revealed.


    Two meters below the nearly vertical drop was a rough stone staircase that sloped downward, widening to about five meters compared to the entrance.


    It extended towards the back of the church, deep and dark, seemingly leading straight to the underground.


    At the same time, Colin, whose strength had greatly improved, decisively activated the hint again.


    ¡¾You discover that this entrance does not lead to a typical basement but to an area with many dangerous overlapping regions, unaffected by the gray fog.¡¿


    ¡¾Judging by the direction it extends, you think it leads to Crow Mountain, where there are undoubtedly treasures unknown to people.¡¿


    ¡¾That treasure might be the reason the priest could become the Thirteenth Saint¡­¡¿


    ¡¾After a brief assessment, you believe that, with your current strength, you are capable of exploring it.¡¿


    ¡°The hint has changed, it¡¯s no longer a dead end.¡±


    Colin felt slightly relieved and was about to withdraw his gaze and send someone down to investigate. But then¡­ a new hint appeared.


    ¡¾Some faint, overflowing aura makes you realize that every member of the exploration team should have a base attribute no lower than two, otherwise, they will be affected by unknown mental influences.¡¿


    ¡°A base attribute no lower than two?¡±


    Colin was stunned. He himself should be fine, and so should Sanna, but this meant the servant soldiers entering must be level three?


    This implied that his original plan of using a large number of people to advance steadily, setting up base camps one step at a time, directly to the ruins of High Court, had to be abandoned.


    To explore this area, he would have to form an elite team. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After all¡­


    With the requirement of a base attribute greater than two, Colin didn¡¯t have enough money to upgrade everyone involved, nor did he have time to train them slowly.


    Letting the servants level up by themselves was basically impossible.


    ¡°A level three servant soldier costs about 180 points. I have around 3000 Mist Points now, but¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s eye twitched at the thought, feeling a pang of pain as he realized that his hard-earned money would be mostly gone.


    But the problem now is the opposite of yesterday. Yesterday, entering meant certain death; today, not entering meant certain death.


    Whether he liked it or not, this exploration had to be undertaken, and he had to personally lead the team¡­


    And the number of people would probably be less than twenty.


    ¡°Huh, no wonder it said entering yesterday meant death. We didn¡¯t even meet the minimum qualifications then¡­¡±


    Colin took a deep breath, having made up his mind.


    With about an hour left before dark, he planned to conduct a preliminary exploration here first, then head to the mine.


    With the mobility of the armored vehicle, he could scout these places.


    Gathering information and making arrangements, the exploration would begin as soon as tomorrow arrived.


    ¡°Although the hint said this area is unaffected by the gray fog and actions can be taken at night, it¡¯s been a busy day. Time is tight, but the more critical it is, the more we need to stay steady and not act rashly¡­¡±


    Colin dismissed the thought of starting the action today.


    ¡°Number One, find three reliable people to go down and take a look.¡±


    Colin instructed Number One, who stood nearby.


    Number One quickly selected three level-one servant soldiers who stood directly in front of Colin.


    These three looked familiar. Colin remembered them from when they blocked the car¡­


    Well, their posture is good; it seems like they¡¯ve been well-trained by Number One¡­ Colin made a mental note.


    Then, to Number One¡¯s shock, his three ¡®little brothers¡¯ were promoted to level three¡­


    Next, to Colin¡¯s dismay, the level three servant soldiers¡¯ physiques changed, muscles slightly bulging, growing to 1.7 meters tall, looking more robust¡­


    ¡°Praise the Lord!¡±


    Finally, amid the envious gazes of the other servant soldiers, the three excitedly shouted, their loud voices clearly a result of Number One¡¯s training.


    ¡°Good,¡±


    Colin nodded, handing over the lantern.


    ¡°You just need to check what¡¯s down there. If you sense any danger, retreat immediately, understood?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡±


    One of them took the lantern and jumped into the hole with the other two.


    With physical strength twice that of ordinary people, the fall height had almost no impact.


    ¡°Take care of the Lord¡¯s lantern, you little brats!¡±


    Number One barked orders.


    ¡°Yes, Captain!¡±


    The three quickly disappeared into the tunnel. As the light dimmed, the passage returned to silence.


    After about ten minutes, sounds finally emerged from the tunnel.

 Chapter 68: Underground Crisis

    In an instant, Colin and the others near the entrance to the tunnel became vigilant.They only relaxed slightly when they saw the light shining from below and heard the relatively normal footsteps.


    Soon, with the approaching chaotic footsteps, the three servant soldiers came running out. They were trying to maintain a calm expression, but their faces were slightly pale, indicating they had encountered something.


    However, seeing the bright lights above the entrance, they took a breath of relief.


    The prepared rope was quickly lowered, and once the three were pulled up, Colin took the lantern from them and looked at their pale faces. ¡°What did you encounter? What¡¯s down there?¡±


    ¡°My lord, there¡¯s a staircase that extends downward for about five or six minutes. When we reached the bottom, the gray fog disappeared¡­¡±


    The lead slave soldier said it with lingering fear.


    At the bottom of the stairs was a vast hall without gray fog, filled with numerous tree roots.


    They initially attempted to enter, but as soon as they stepped in, they felt an overwhelming predatory presence.


    Recalling Colin¡¯s words, they quickly retreated to avoid danger and accidents.


    ¡°A hall entangled with tree roots, possibly containing an unknown life form¡­¡±


    Colin pondered and asked, ¡°Did it feel stronger than a Lord-level mutant?¡±


    He wasn¡¯t worried about their ability to judge because this team was one of the five front-line teams involved in the subjugation battle, having faced such creatures up close before.


    ¡°No, it was much weaker¡­¡± The loyal servant shook his head.


    Though dangerous, it lacked the terrifying pressure of a Lord-level mutant. S?a??h the N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°That¡¯s good, it should be a stronger elite mutant¡­¡±


    Colin felt somewhat relieved. A Lord-level mutant would mean an extremely difficult battle.


    From the world channel discussions, it was clear that each Lord-level mutant had unique, terrifying attributes.


    Without more information, attacking such a creature would be a suicide mission.


    Especially since they were underground, they couldn¡¯t use tons of explosives recklessly¡­


    Thinking about this, Colin sadly realized that at this stage, their only effective means against a Lord-level mutant was large amounts of black powder.


    Even if some had powerful mystical items, their attributes were too weak.


    Even if a mystical item could temporarily block a Lord-level mutant¡¯s attack, they would likely die from their own weakness during the collision.


    A single careless glance could result in a gruesome death.


    Like the famous ¡®Abyss Gorge Subjugation Battle¡¯ mentioned in the chat channel.


    Over a hundred lords, with several hundred servant soldiers and seven mystical items, attacked a Lord-level mutant in a gorge. In the end, fewer than ten lords survived.


    If not for one powerful mystical item, they might have been wiped out.


    The survivors recounted the battle, which was extensively discussed in the chat channel (in retrospect).


    It was universally agreed that the mutant¡¯s attributes were terrifying.


    For example, the ¡®Mourning Watcher¡¯ Colin encountered, even in a severely wounded state, could easily lift a six-ton candelabrum.


    A severely wounded state reduced its base attributes by 70%¡­


    This meant that in its full state, assuming one point of strength equaled 50 kilograms, its strength attribute alone could reach a despairing 100 to 200 points¡­


    The highest strength attribute around Colin was Sanna¡¯s, at only 7 points, not even close¡­


    Without large amounts of black powder, there was no chance of victory.


    And Colin¡¯s successful kill was full of luck and hard to replicate. If this Lord-level mutant had the same ¡®invisibility¡¯ ability as the one in the ¡®Gorge Subjugation Battle¡¯¡­


    The outcome would be uncertain.


    They needed time to grow and to fully utilize their mystical items, but they lacked time.


    The countdown was too pressing; there were only six days left, not enough for gradual growth.


    They didn¡¯t know what they would face, but instinctively guessed it would be as formidable as a Lord-level mutant.


    Perhaps from the start, this mysterious and contradictory ¡®game system¡¯ never intended for them to survive¡­


    Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Colin said, ¡°We¡¯ll pause the exploration here.¡±


    Next, Colin swiftly led the team away, heading towards the mine area in their war chariots.


    Minutes later, they arrived at a large collapsed pit, about 200 to 300 square meters and two meters deep.


    Nearby were two war chariots, with headlights illuminating the pit.


    Several lanterns swayed below, indicating someone was exploring.


    When Colin arrived, Li Hang and the others emerged from a makeshift ramp built from stones.


    ¡°Boss, no luck¡­¡±


    Li Hang shook his head regretfully, handing over a few ¡®Sunshine Mushrooms¡¯ growing on ¡®Condense Light Stones¡¯ to Colin.


    ¡°Alright, let me take a look.¡±


    Colin nodded, greeting them briefly, before descending into the pit with a lantern.


    ¡¾A partially natural collapsed pit. From the river-eroded walls and floor, you deduce this was a subterranean river.¡¿


    ¡¾The river is now dry, and the structure weakened, leading to its collapse.¡¿


    Could the ¡®Mourning Watcher¡¯ have caused this with its weight?


    Remembering its terrifying weight, Colin thought it was possible¡­


    But he didn¡¯t dwell on it, focusing on the obvious traces on the ground.


    ¡¾The ground is covered with many chaotic footprints. You deduce that at least ten survivors passed through here¡­¡¿


    ¡¾The river path extends towards the back of Crow Mountain. About 100 meters ahead is a recently collapsed barrier.¡¿


    ¡¾From there, you feel a familiar aura similar to that in the nearby church¡­¡¿


    ¡¾Perhaps both paths lead to a similar destination.¡¿


    ¡°Damn, a similar destination. If they keep going, they¡¯ll enter that dangerous area directly?¡±

 Chapter 69: Nurtured in Silence

    ¡°It seems likely they collapsed the cave to escape from the Lord-level mutant or for some other unknown reason¡­¡±¡°And then, they plunged into that dangerous area, falling into a desperate situation. Indeed, there hasn¡¯t been any news from them on the regional channel¡­¡±


    Colin thought to himself.


    Most of these people didn¡¯t have mystical items, probably only carrying some weapons like swords, perhaps with some ¡°special effects¡±.


    With such combat power, trying to explore there was a joke. Even without encountering monsters, the pervasive, unknown mental influences would be enough to overwhelm them.


    Moreover, they arrived this morning, when their enhancements were still insignificant. So Colin concluded that this group was most likely doomed¡­


    Of course, it¡¯s possible that one person survived¡ªthe initiator.


    Colin had suspected him of lying at the time but couldn¡¯t guess the reason. Seeing the collapse marks now, he felt those lured into this situation were probably out of luck.


    Walking beside him, Li Hang also connected the dots and couldn¡¯t help but sigh, ¡°It was a close call. I was tempted then but didn¡¯t act. Otherwise, I¡¯d be stuck there¡­¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you still end up stuck?¡± another survivor unceremoniously interjected.


    ¡°Ahem, but black powder¡ªcan a few mushrooms and black powder compare? Anyone knows how powerful this stuff is at this stage¡­¡±


    ¡°Besides, following Colin isn¡¯t ¡®stuck¡¯. It¡¯s called ¡®unexpected acquaintance¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s your excuse for being a lackey?¡±


    Colin ignored their muttering. After observing a bit more, he turned his head and asked:


    ¡°Does anyone here know about explosives? Like¡­ how to blast this into an open-pit mine?¡±


    Colin had discovered hints of many Condensed Light Stones behind the riverbed. If they could blast through, there could be significant gains.


    He didn¡¯t plan to go deep or enter the dangerous area from here.


    He was interested in the Condensed Light stone deposits and the Sunshine Mushrooms.


    After all, Condensed Light Stone could merge with weapons like battle axes, adding light attribute damage¡­


    This was one of the options against the ¡°Evil Spirit¡±.


    Fortunately, Colin didn¡¯t choose that option then. Considering the ¡°hundred pounds of crucial weight,¡± the result would likely have been his gravestone just starting to sprout grass now.


    Another reason he remembered was the hint that the power within Condensed Light Stone Stones, if refined, might grant him extraordinary abilities.


    That¡¯s why Colin always remembered them.


    ¡°Mr. Colin, I know a bit about that. I can handle it¡­¡±


    The survivor who had been arguing with Li Hang spoke up. He was interested in mining areas, which is why he followed Li Hang to explore.


    Hearing Colin¡¯s question, he stood up immediately.


    However, his expression bore a slight resemblance to that of a previous proctologist survivor¡­


    But his thoughts differed slightly. He recalled a fortune teller his parents hired when he was young, who said he was a man true to his roots¡­


    He was playing with stones then, later using an excavator to dig stones, and after transmigrating¡­


    Still playing with ¡°stones¡±¡­


    True to his roots, indeed.


    After a brief conversation, Colin assigned him to handle the task and arranged for explosives to be provided.


    At this moment, Number One stepped forward, indicating he had something to say.


    Seeing Colin¡¯s nod, he respectfully said, ¡°Lord, it¡¯s over half an hour until nightfall¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he proudly showed off the watch bestowed by the Lord on his team members, particularly the three third-level servants.


    ¡°Alright, today¡¯s work is about done. Let¡¯s head back; everyone must be hungry. We¡¯ll eat, have a meeting, and then rest.¡±


    Colin was also tired. He was aware of the time but wasn¡¯t worried because they had the war chariots.


    But since there was nothing urgent, they should indeed return to rest.


    Soon, everyone was back in the vehicle, and after a ten-minute drive, they returned to Colin¡¯s third-level territory.


    Although they could rest in the vehicle, it was certainly not as comfortable as sleeping in a bed.


    Just as they arrived home, Colin saw a large group of people in the third-level territory, and for a moment, he was confused¡ªwhy so many people?


    Did I take the wrong path?


    No¡­


    No mistake¡­


    After a brief daze, Colin remembered he had recently added over 600 servants, but being on the front lines, others had handled the population transfer.


    He was distracted by other issues and forgot about it, so the sight when he returned was unexpected.


    Huang Weiyang and others guarding the place quickly came over, transferring the ¡°control¡± of the slaves to him.


    Despite the increased numbers, the limited lanterns meant Colin couldn¡¯t take this large group out of the territory.


    These people could only serve as the force guarding the territory and as fresh blood for the Lantern Bearer squad, constantly training in the camp, waiting to replace any fallen members.


    Looking at these people, Colin was about to say something when suddenly, including himself, everyone felt a deep unease, as if a heavy pressure had descended.


    The sky quickly darkened.


    The world¡¯s eerie day-night reversal occurred again!


    Beyond the thick fog, all was dark, and visibility was severely limited. Just a glance brought inner turmoil.


    At this moment, a voice broke the silence.


    Colin sternly said, ¡°Don¡¯t look at the gray fog. Don¡¯t make me teach you this again. Now, prepare the pots and eat! Then orderly return to the barracks and chariots to rest.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± Number One responded loudly, somewhat ashamed.


    With Colin¡¯s order, large pots were set up, and the hungry people ¡°enjoyed¡± the scarce peace in the limited safe time.


    After eating, meeting, and refining the plan, three hours had passed.


    After arranging a neighboring house for Sanna, Colin returned to his room, laid down, and fell asleep in less than ten seconds.


    This day¡­ So much happened.


    But the busy day was all for one purpose, to survive.


    However, no one noticed¡­ s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In some areas, during that silent night, people in certain territories quietly disappeared.


    The terror might not wait for the countdown¡¯s end.


    It was already brewing.


    ¡­


    The next ¡°morning,¡± Colin was awakened by noise.

 Chapter 70: Night Vision

    A knocking on the door woke Colin, who quickly washed up and walked through the hall. As he moved, he activated his status hint.¡¾Though being disturbed made you uncomfortable, having slept for nearly eight hours, you¡¯re not overly bothered.¡¿


    ¡°Bothered my foot, I feel like ripping off their heads right now,¡± Colin grumbled, feeling slightly better after the complaint. He noted he had almost an hour before dawn. Why were these people so fussy¡­


    As Colin¡¯s mind raced, he grasped the doorknob, took a deep breath, and opened the door to see what was happening outside.


    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±


    Standing outside were Li Hang, Li Chou, Number One, Number Two, and several other survivors¡ªsix people in total. Aside from his subordinates, Li Hang and Li Chou looked pale, as if frightened by something. However, upon seeing Colin, they visibly relaxed, making Colin realize the situation wasn¡¯t too dire.


    Almost simultaneously, the door across the hall creaked open. Sanna, looking slightly disheveled, appeared. Her blue eyes swept the area with a hint of vigilance before she relaxed, seeing no immediate threat. After all, it wasn¡¯t dawn yet. Sudden footsteps and knocking could signal an unexpected event.


    ¡°Come in, we have plenty of room in here.¡±


    Colin stepped aside, allowing them in. The group entered without a word.


    Colin¡¯s room was a suite on the third floor, over 100 square meters, taking up a third of the floor¡¯s area. It was quite spacious, almost uncomfortably so. Besides Colin and Sanna having separate rooms, Number One and Two, along with their teams, stayed in smaller quarters. The second floor housed other top-performing Lantern Bearers and their squads to ensure no threats reached the core. The first floor was allocated to survivors, while other servants slept in the war chariots or the barracks within the third-level territory.


    To be honest, if it weren¡¯t for knowing Sanna was right across and many others were downstairs, Colin would have felt quite uneasy living alone here.


    ¡°Sanna, you might want to tidy up a bit. Your hair¡¯s a bit messy,¡± Colin remarked, noticing a tuft of her light golden hair sticking up.


    ¡°Okay, Lord Colin. Sorry for my appearance¡­¡± She quickly shut the door.


    Shortly, everyone sat in a circle in the hall.


    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing. About an hour ago, we felt something outside the window staring at us through the curtains¡­¡± Li Chou said with lingering fear.


    ¡°You stared at the fog?¡± Colin asked curiously. He remembered a guy who stared at the gray fog and got stared back at by it. Rumor had it that he still hadn¡¯t been left alone, always ¡°surviving¡± with a group of ¡°people¡± around him.


    ¡°No, we wouldn¡¯t dare¡­¡± Li Chou shook his head. He knew about those peculiar cases. ¡°Can you investigate what¡¯s going on, big shot?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Colin flatly refused. Investigate the gray fog? That¡¯s asking for death. For Colin, anything related to the gray fog, the system, or the dark space, he avoided unless absolutely necessary.


    Seeing their hopeful expressions, Colin reconsidered and continued, ¡°The gray fog is dangerous. Investigating it is suicide. I suspect that corpse¡¯s fate was related to the gray fog¡­¡±


    Hearing this, Li Chou and the others shivered, recalling the female corpse. Li Hang, although busy with the mine yesterday and unaware of the situation, had heard the proctologist survivor recount it as a ghost story, making him uneasy as well.


    ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry about those things. If it can¡¯t get in, ignore it. The more attention you give it, the more trouble it causes.¡±


    Colin spoke with the tone of someone who had been through it all. He knew the more you understood these things, the more likely they¡¯d ¡°select¡± you. He had speculated that at this stage, both sides were in a ¡°you don¡¯t see me, I don¡¯t see you¡± state. Breaking out of this state would mean death for them.


    This made Colin realize that as the countdown approached, abnormalities were gradually happening. Preparations were necessary.


    ¡°If we don¡¯t have enough resources to upgrade the territory today, cover the windows with some stone blocks. Oh, and Li Chou, you¡¯ll come with me to explore underground, so no worries there¡­¡±


    A level-four territory covered over ten thousand square meters, with various functional buildings like a manor. However, it required vast resources: besides massive amounts of basic materials, it needed 2000 steel plates, 2000 thorns, and 1500 fog points. Even Colin couldn¡¯t afford that easily. Even if he could, he¡¯d prioritize the war chariots, as they could extend their combat capability beyond the territory.


    Currently, with nine war chariot spaces, multiple level-two temporary bases, and a three-thousand-square-meter level-three territory, over a thousand people could be accommodated.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Li Chou nodded, having no objections.


    After discussion, Colin decided that Number One¡¯s team would handle the mission, comprising eighteen fully upgraded level-three members. Number One¡¯s familiarity with the wooden wheel made him crucial for the tunnel exploration. They¡¯d bring three lanterns for emergencies. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Besides Colin, Sanna, and the scroll ¡°reserve lord¡± Li Chou, twenty-one people in total would go. Other survivors would follow separate plans.


    From dawn, four chariots would station near the saltpeter mine for extraction. The mine would also have survivors to handle communications, transportation, and mineral transfer. Two chariots and several lords would work on developing the underground river in the collapsed forest cave. Another two chariots would guard the church, ensuring no backdoor threats for Colin. The remaining four vehicles would stay mobile in the fog, training ¡°new recruits¡± and enhancing their combat skills while hunting mutants to supplement resources and exploring the surrounding map for emergency support. Lords Rogue and Li Hang would manage this, while Huang Weiyang would focus on researching and developing mass-produced firearms within the territory.


    Without blueprints, the crafting table couldn¡¯t directly create firearms. Even Colin didn¡¯t know how to obtain the needed blueprints, so they had to figure it out themselves.

 Chapter 71: The Source of the Ominous Aura

    Not long after this small episode ended, the darkness of the night began to fade gradually. The fog once again illuminated with a faint glow. Colin took out the scroll and checked it: today, the number of survivors in the area channel was 451, with fewer than a hundred deaths, a significant improvement from the first day. It was foreseeable that today, a group of lords would seek refuge with him, presenting another opportunity for expansion.¡°¡­For other survivors seeking shelter and refuge, if they are unwilling to hand over three cores and submit their belongings before using the ¡®Shield of the Just Knight¡¯ to establish a relationship with Mr. Colin, they cannot be brought into this territory¡­¡±


    ¡°They can be placed in other temporary outposts, given basic life protection. Even if they hand over the cores, they must be strictly monitored.¡± s?a??h th? ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°We still don¡¯t know in what form the disaster will come, so the ¡®betrayal¡¯ of survivors must also be considered as a point of defense¡­¡±


    This was a plan Rogue proposed to Colin during yesterday¡¯s discussion, to ensure that no unsafe factors infiltrate Colin¡¯s backyard, providing support without any worries. When dealing with unfamiliar lords, Rogue believed that everything should be based on ¡°loyalty.¡± They could be good people, but not overly kind. With impending disaster, they had no extra energy to deal with unnecessary ¡°relationships.¡± Everything must be controlled. If those people want to join Colin and share their gains but are unwilling to show ¡°loyalty,¡± then they would help them become loyal.


    ¡­


    As preparations concluded, everything started running according to plan. Colin and his team boarded the war chariot, heading to the church with the escort of six war vehicles. The journey to the church took less than ten minutes, and they quickly entered without hesitation.


    ¡¾You observe that the tunnel leading to multiple dangerous areas remains unchanged from yesterday.¡¿


    It seemed that the so-called gaze had nothing to do with this¡­


    Colin, holding the lamp filled with rare blood, looked at the five-meter-wide tunnel below and made a quick judgment before giving the order. Soon, four servants with shields jumped into the entrance. These wooden shields were made from modified church pews, measuring one meter wide and one and a half meters high, providing decent defense. After grabbing the shields, they held them up front, facing the direction of the tunnel.


    Then five more slaves jumped into the tunnel, holding axes, following behind. Finally, Unit 1, carrying the large wheel with his assistant, also jumped into the tunnel. The assistant held the lamp as they moved forward about ten meters. Only then did Colin nod and say, ¡°It¡¯s our turn to go down.¡±


    The exploration team still had eleven people left, including Colin. Four shield bearers went down first, followed by a few servants, and then Colin, Sanna, and Li Chou. The exploration team was divided into two parts, with Unit 1 leading the front and another team trailing ten meters behind. This arrangement not only considered the narrow underground passage to avoid trampling but also ensured more reaction time if the front team encountered a sudden attack. Otherwise, in such a place, chaos could lead to dire consequences.


    At the church tunnel entrance, two Lantern Bearer teams were stationed, along with two war chariots and another rotating patrol team around the church entrance. Colin¡¯s personnel and resources were mobilized across the fog, the underground of the church, the central territory, the underground river, and the mining area, functioning like a massive, orderly machine.


    At this moment, in the tunnel, Colin held the lamp, with the hard marble ceiling less than a meter above his head. Sanna and Li Chou surrounded him. The downward-sloping tunnel was paved with bluish-black stone steps, uneven and reminiscent of country stone roads. Colin discovered, through his hint, that the tunnel existed long before the church. This revelation surprised him, as he initially thought the tunnel was constructed by the priest, but now this assumption has been debunked.


    After about five or six minutes of walking, Colin narrowed his eyes at the sight of an exit ahead, feeling a bit surprised. Outside the exit was a spacious hall, devoid of light, but under the lamp¡¯s illumination, it was clear there was no fog. The floor, walls, and other areas of the hall were covered with dry, thick roots.


    ¡¾You find these roots have long since withered and died, lacking vitality, but they all seem to have grown from a specific direction.¡¿


    Although the hint did not indicate danger, Colin remained cautious, feeling a predator-like gaze on him. He raised his hand, signaling Number One, who immediately entered the hall with his team, carrying the large wheel. Colin watched intently, ready to use his ¡°Mental Pierce¡± to assist if necessary, but no danger arose. After a brief hesitation, Colin and his team entered the mist-free hall.


    Without the fog, the lamp light instantly illuminated most of the underground space, allowing Colin to see clearly. The underground space, the size of a football field, was filled with twisted roots, covering almost every surface. After a quick survey, Colin¡¯s gaze locked onto a direction where he felt the source of all the weirdness emanated. It was also where all the roots converged.


    After a brief hesitation, Colin decided to investigate the source. Surprisingly, nothing unexpected happened along the way. But now wasn¡¯t the time to dwell on that. Colin had already seen what was exuding that unsettling aura.


    At the end of the tangled roots stood a three-meter-tall statue. It was lifelike and impactful but didn¡¯t depict a ¡°suffering figure¡± bound and tormented. Instead, it portrayed a young woman in a veil, kneeling, body leaning back, hands hanging down, with a black, thorn-covered sword piercing her chest. Colin could feel the dreadful aura in the hall emanating entirely from this black sword. Without hesitation, he focused on the black, thorny sword and activated his hint.

 Chapter 72: White Fog

    ¡¾A statue associated with ¡°suffering,¡± with a black sword wrapped in thorny spikes piercing its chest. You do not understand what it signifies, but you realize that this is a highly sinister and mysterious object.¡¿ ¡¾The ¡°aura of suffering¡± it emits continuously affects this underground space, turning it into a dead zone, and the impact will cause ongoing mental damage.¡¿


    ¡¾Anyone with physical strength, endurance, or intelligence below 10 who stays within the range of the ¡°aura of suffering¡± for an hour will die immediately.¡¿


    ¡¾You estimate that you have already been here for nine minutes. In six minutes, you will start to experience mental weakening.¡¿


    ¡°¡­So terrifying?¡± Colin was astonished as he looked at the black sword piercing the female statue¡¯s chest, feeling a bit tempted. The black sword was roughly 1.9 meters long and four fingers wide, with every part, including the hilt, wrapped in ¡°thorns of suffering.¡± It looked like gripping it would pierce the hand, but considering it was a mysterious item, it likely had significant negative effects and wouldn¡¯t be used often. When the time came to use it, worrying about pierced hands would be the least concern.


    However, Colin couldn¡¯t carry this thing, but giving it to Sanna might make it usable for her¡ªthough the idea seemed increasingly skewed. He wondered about its effects, thinking that pairing this great sword with the ¡°Shield of Just Knight¡± would indeed be fair.


    But then, as his desire to possess it arose, a new prompt appeared:


    ¡¾Whoever holds it will bear immense sin and destiny. Its effect is powerful, but you believe it is not suitable for you or anyone around you.¡¿


    ¡¾Moreover, removing it might trigger unimaginable changes.¡¿ S?a??h the N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Seeing the words ¡°sin¡± and ¡°destiny,¡± Colin¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he withdrew his gaze from the sword. He never took such cursed spoils. Taking a deep breath of the musty air of the underground hall, Colin turned his attention to the passage behind the statue, where all the dead roots extended from.


    ¡¾Less than a hundred meters down the passage, you see an exit shrouded in white fog, indicating anomalies but being a necessary path.¡¿


    ¡°Let¡¯s go, we can¡¯t stay here too long¡­¡± Colin said as he stepped forward. Li Chou, fully armored, glanced at the sword and couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Boss, can we really leave this thing? Shouldn¡¯t we at least touch it to check its properties?¡±


    Survivors need to touch a mysterious item to learn its attributes. ¡°Don¡¯t touch these things, it could cause unexpected incidents.¡± Colin observed Li Chou while speaking. Through his hint, he noticed Li Chou was already showing signs of mental strain. Despite wearing armor, his attributes weren¡¯t above 2.0, likely around 1.8, making him more sensitive to intangible effects.


    This also meant Colin could use Li Chou¡¯s reactions to detect more subtle influences in advance and prepare accordingly¡ªthough this method seemed rather inconsiderate. However, as long as Colin kept quiet, no one would know. Besides, with a priest around, any problem could be solved with a punch; physical means could counter mental effects.


    Now, it was clear that the black sword was indeed toxic. It was time to move forward. Colin quickly led the group over the root-covered passageway, stopping at the entrance. Thick white fog lay outside, with roots extending from the mist into the space. Even Colin¡¯s lantern couldn¡¯t dispel the cold, eerie fog, leaving its contents unknown. The fog felt less creepy than the gray fog but still unsettling. Colin considered the fog mist:


    ¡¾You notice the lantern can¡¯t dispel the white fog. Upon observing, you find it seems harmless but may teleport you to different areas, if not as a whole.¡¿


    ¡­A revised teleportation array? Colin thought and made a decision.


    ¡°Number One, Li Chou, light the remaining lanterns. Everyone hold one wrist with someone holding yours, and hold someone else¡¯s wrist with your other hand¡­¡±


    Since the white fog¡¯s teleportation criterion was based on being a whole, holding hands would ensure safe teleportation to one area. No one objected to Colin¡¯s judgment, not even Li Chou, who just saw it as another effect of Colin¡¯s ¡°mysterious item.¡± The survivors speculated that Colin possessed some sort of analytical item without significant side effects, as he used it often without any apparent issues.


    Soon, twenty-one people formed a long line, with a servant at the end, Sanna leading, Colin holding her left wrist, and Li Chou and others following. The entire team stood in a line with half-meter intervals. As the strongest combatant, Sanna needed her right hand free to handle any changes. As the first wave of ¡°mental weakening¡± approached, they walked into the dense white fog.


    As Colin, biting the lamp handle, stepped into the white fog, everything in his sight seemed to vanish. Only endless white fog filled his view. He couldn¡¯t see anything but a vast whiteness, hear anything, or see the lamp¡¯s light¡ªeverything was dead silent. If Colin hadn¡¯t felt Sanna¡¯s wrist in his right hand and Li Chou¡¯s grip on his left wrist, he would have thought he was alone in this place, despite the short half-meter distance between them.


    They continued walking, each gripping tightly. As the last servant¡¯s figure vanished into the white fog, their figures seemed to disappear in an instant. However, after a brief moment of deathly silence in the now darkened space, a metallic ¡°clang¡± sounded as if something metal had been pulled out.


    ¡­


    Amidst the endless white fog, after an unknown time, Colin felt a sense of confusion. Although they kept walking, it felt like treading in place, the ground underfoot transitioning from hard to a cotton-like softness, now feeling like they were walking on nothing. It seemed like another dimension. But soon, Colin felt the ground¡¯s firmness returning, and the white fog began to thin out. Before long, a dark world appeared before them.

 Chapter 73: Not A Single One Missing

    This was a silent, dark forest. There was no trace of gray fog here, and the ground was dotted with glowing white fungi. They seemed to be a type of mushroom.¡°Sunshine Mushrooms¡­¡± Colin immediately recognized them through the lingering white fog. These faintly glowing white mushrooms made the area less dark, giving it an eerie yet serene beauty. However, when Colin and his companions entered this area, illuminated by the lantern light, their hearts sank.


    The trees here grew in a twisted, savage, and wild manner, resembling something out of a nightmare. Each tree was crooked and gnarled, giving off a horrifyingly eerie vibe. The trees seemed neither dead nor alive, but rather in a sickly, withered state.


    For a moment, Colin thought of the famous painting ¡°The Scream.¡± Suddenly recalling something, he looked back and saw that behind them lay a vast expanse of twisted trees. The white fog had vanished, cutting off their retreat.


    ¡¾You realize that to get through this area, you must find the white fog again. You don¡¯t know where it will appear, but perhaps reaching the forest¡¯s edge will reveal it¡­¡¿


    ¡°It seems¡­ not too difficult?¡± Colin glanced around, feeling that the forest wasn¡¯t particularly large, with the outlines of mountains faintly visible in the darkness. Wait, mountain outlines? Colin quickly looked up and saw not a rocky ceiling but an infinitely high thin fog. This place seemed like another dimension, a so-called multi-layered danger zone. How many such areas existed?


    Colin recalled that the white fog¡¯s teleportation was random, causing his breath to hitch. Could they still reach the High Court ruins? Beside him, Li Chou looked up at the fog and couldn¡¯t help but speak, ¡°Did we cross into another area?¡±


    ¡°Lord Colin, what do we do now?¡± Sanna asked, looking at him.


    Colin composed himself, ¡°Don¡¯t rush. Let¡¯s observe first and count our numbers to make sure no one is missing¡­¡±


    ¡°One, two, three¡­ twenty-two,¡± Number One counted seriously, then reported, ¡°Lord, everyone is here!¡±


    ¡°Good¡­¡± Colin nodded, ¡°Now, return to your positions and turn off your lamps. Only mine will stay on.¡± With Colin¡¯s order, the team quickly reformed, protecting him in the center.


    They found themselves on what seemed to be an abandoned dirt road, with wilting trees lining both sides. The hint had given them a direction, but amid the uneasy atmosphere, Colin chose to observe rather than move immediately. Since they hadn¡¯t been attacked yet, it meant they hadn¡¯t triggered anything too dangerous.


    Colin¡¯s gaze fell on the strange trees: ¡¾This seems to be an almost withered olive tree. You discover¡­¡¿


    ¡¾As you stare at it, it also stares back at you.¡¿


    Staring back at me? Colin¡¯s pupils contracted, and his scalp tingled! Just as he was about to speak, a loud bang sounded. At the edge of the group, a servant was struck by a sudden attack from the darkness, sending him flying and crashing to the ground. His wooden shield shattered, but his decent physical attributes saved him from severe harm¡ªjust a minor fracture. He quickly discarded the shield and rolled back into the group.


    ¡°Enemy attack! Stay in defense!¡± Number One shouted, and the group immediately closed ranks. Then, more tendril-like objects attacked from hidden corners. Number One wielded a sturdy wheel and smashed one tendril with a crack¡ªit was a tree branch!


    In the next second, dozens of olive trees around Colin swayed as if blown by the wind. But there was no wind! These olive trees had come ¡°alive,¡± and more and more were joining them, forming a forest of writhing, grotesque trees¡ªhundreds, even thousands, impossible to fight off!


    Colin hadn¡¯t expected to encounter such trouble right away. ¡°Follow me!¡± he gritted his teeth and charged ahead, where the olive trees hadn¡¯t yet come to life. The others immediately followed, with Sanna blocking most of the attacks aimed at Colin. The few that got through were manageable for Colin himself. They couldn¡¯t afford to stop. S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The ¡°olive trees¡± didn¡¯t return to silence as Colin moved away; instead, they tried to uproot themselves and pursue. This was challenging since their roots were deep, but some smaller trees managed to free themselves and chase after them with surprising speed. The trees moved with their roots like legs, quickly closing the gap.


    When the fastest small olive tree was about to reach the last servant, a ¡°Holy Book¡± wrapped in iron chains suddenly flew out, smashing the tree and breaking its main branch in two. Sanna retrieved the Sun Bible with a tug.


    More and more olive trees came to life in a bizarre manner, attacking Colin¡¯s group. Their rustling leaves soon sounded like a woman¡¯s crying, eerie and horrifying. Behind Colin, countless large trees waved their branches, casting frantic, dancing shadows like a demonic frenzy.


    Finally, some gigantic ¡°crying olive trees¡± broke free from the soil and rushed at them with terrifying speed. These trees, dozens of meters tall, chased in a twisted and horrifying manner, shaking the ground with their steps and raising clouds of dust. Each tree¡¯s movement was bizarre, like brainless giants¡­


    ¡°Damn it, did I eat your mother? Do you have to be this ¡®free¡¯?¡± Colin cursed. The olive trees were filled with malice and overwhelming numbers. If these plant monsters caught them, the consequences would be dire!


    Seeing hundreds of ¡°olive tree¡± monsters accumulate in just under ten minutes, Colin stopped abruptly. Running would lead to certain death!


    ¡°Number One, Li Chou, throw out the blood!¡± Colin commanded. Gasping for breath, Li Chou quickly poured out the blood¡ªa rare 100 ml of Lord-level mutant blood!


    Colin felt a pang of pain. Almost simultaneously, Number One and Li Chou poured out the blood. Number One was about to cut his finger and drop a bit of blood to ignite the pool, but Li Chou beat him to it. He spat out blood from his gums onto the foul blood pool, which didn¡¯t seep into the soil. Instantly, a towering flame erupted, over ten meters high.

 Chapter 74: The Land of Withered Olives

    Boom¡­The roaring flames formed a massive fire wall, blocking the terrifying ¡°living olive trees¡± behind the blaze. Colin, standing about twenty meters back, continued setting up explosive barrels, forming a line of bombs. Glancing up, he noticed the peculiar way they ignited the fire and shot Li Chou a strange look.


    ¡°Heh, I learned it from the chat channel. Eating meat for days made me overheated¡­¡± Li Chou chuckled dryly, his facial hair singed slightly. Although he and Number One had quickly retreated the moment the flames erupted, some hair had been scorched, but fortunately, they were unharmed.


    Meanwhile, Colin had nearly finished stacking the barrels of explosives and signaled for everyone to retreat quickly. The fire wouldn¡¯t hold off these things for long, merely blocking the path. The ¡°living olive trees¡± could easily go around the flames, and many trees around the path were reviving. If these creatures were smart enough to take detours, they might get entangled.


    It wouldn¡¯t completely stop them but could slow them down a bit. Colin had noted that each olive tree took one to three minutes to revive and another two to three minutes to uproot. Escaping would depend on the damage caused by the explosives.


    Soon, Colin had piled up a large number of explosives on the road. Seeing the increasing number of ¡°living olive trees¡± behind the flames and those emerging from the sides, along with the continuously writhing, twisting ¡°living olive trees,¡± Colin took a deep breath and instructed someone to quickly ignite the fuse and retreat immediately.


    This was a repeat of the strategy they had used to kill the Lord-level mutant, creating obstacles to buy time to escape the forest edge. Otherwise, they couldn¡¯t outrun these bizarre, fast-moving creatures. Ten meters, twenty meters, forty meters, fifty meters¡­


    ¡¾¡­You realize now is the time to ignite the fire.¡¿


    Colin¡¯s expression changed¡­ too fast! And too close! He had only been running for less than five seconds before needing to ignite the fire. But he quickly understood why: a small ¡°bizarre form¡± had broken many branches and was rushing out from the side. The way they ran, sweeping the ground, would clear the fuse clean.


    With no other choice, Colin ignited the explosives. Sizzle, sizzle¡­ Thick white smoke rapidly spread across the ground. ¡°Run with all your might!¡± Colin shouted, leading the group in a frantic run. He had just placed half a ton of explosives, and they hadn¡¯t run a hundred meters yet.


    They could still run for a few more seconds! Fortunately, with a base attribute of 2.0, except for Li Chou who lagged slightly, everyone ran like Liu Xiang. After running for eight or nine seconds, Colin abruptly shouted to stop, and a few shield bearers positioned their shields at an angle towards the explosion.


    They had practiced this scenario the previous night, so they were familiar with it and quickly set up their shields. The others lay down, while Sanna cast ¡°Holy Light Shield¡± on most of them and used ¡°Wind of Revival¡± just before the explosion.


    The next second, just as everyone covered their ears, opened their mouths, and lay down to brace for the shockwave, a flash of fire erupted behind them, and a scorching red explosion spread out. The terrifying shockwave hit instantly.


    The shield bearers, kneeling and holding their shields, felt a sudden jolt in their arms, as if a huge wave had struck them, almost knocking them over. But the force dissipated quickly, and after a moment of mental blankness, they realized the danger had passed.


    The rumbling thunder echoed, and shortly after, fragments of olive trees of various sizes fell from the sky. The explosion had silenced dozens of ¡°living olive trees,¡± and many others were now on fire, emitting eerie, chilling screams.


    Simultaneously, Colin immediately got up after the explosion¡¯s shockwave subsided and pulled out more explosive barrels from his inventory. Blowing up just one wave wasn¡¯t enough¡­ Dozens of ¡°living olive trees¡± sounded like a lot, but it was too few considering their total number. There were likely hundreds of thousands of such trees in the forest.


    Fortunately, they took time to revive; otherwise, it would be despairing. It was clear that they would have to keep alternating between setting explosives and running until they escaped this bizarre and terrifying forest. Colin had plenty of explosive barrels¡ªover a hundred, each weighing over a hundred pounds¡ªwith a continuous supply from the rear, so he didn¡¯t worry about running out.


    After piling up another half-ton of explosives, Colin immediately repeated the previous routine and began to retreat quickly. While retreating, he used the hint to confirm the direction:


    ¡¾You believe that just thirteen minutes straight ahead will bring you to the forest edge¡­¡¿


    ¡¾Three kilometers directly to the right, there is a temporary safe spot.¡¿


    A temporary safe spot¡­ Who would choose such a location? Colin looked away, thinking of something else. But then, unexpectedly, the system¡¯s voice echoed in his mind.


    ¡¾Detected the killing of one hundred ¡°crying olives,¡± quest ¡°The Land of Withered Olives¡± is now issued.¡¿


    ¡¾Quest issued, please check.¡¿


    ¡­A questat this time? Wait¡­ Are there other ways to trigger quests besides the system quests? But killing a hundred living olive trees itself is already a difficult task. While running, Colin felt a bit helpless. He had no intention of doing the quest; he just wanted to escape quickly.


    So, he didn¡¯t even glance at the task. However, unexpectedly, after the third explosion, when he checked the hint to see how far they were from the edge, his face changed abruptly. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¾You believe that just thirteen minutes straight ahead will bring you to the forest edge¡­¡¿


    It was still thirteen minutes. ¡°We¡¯re caught in a ghost wall.¡± In that instant, Colin felt an indescribable helplessness. The ¡°living olive trees¡± behind them now numbered over a thousand, their movements causing the ground to shake like an earthquake. At this point, even a Lord-level mutant might not be able to help.


    ¡°A ghost wall?¡± Li Chou was distraught. Why didn¡¯t the monsters chasing them get caught in the ghost wall? They were clearly moving in a straight line! They hadn¡¯t retraced their steps; how could it be a ghost wall?


    On the other hand, Sanna, Number One, and the others were unfamiliar with the term ¡°ghost wall.¡± They had heard the words individually, but together, they didn¡¯t understand the meaning. However, with some system compensation, they understood the term within a second.


    Then, their faces changed. Were they going to be trapped here forever?

 Chapter 75: The Weeping Miracle

    Colin and his group had crossed the road and entered the dense olive tree forest. The road did not lead to the forest¡¯s edge, so they were now surrounded by olive trees less than half a meter away. These trees were twisting, writhing, and reviving. They had to keep moving to avoid being surrounded, or the outcome would be grim.Dealing with a few dozen or even a few hundred olive trees with modern weapons was manageable, but facing tens or hundreds of thousands was overwhelming. Moreover, these trees were not easily flammable. However, Colin had some choices: head to the temporary safe spot, which was now about two kilometers away, indicating it was reachable. Still, Colin suspected this ¡°safe spot¡± might be a trap.


    The other option was to check the newly issued task for potential solutions. If there was no hope, they would have to head to the temporary safe spot.


    ¡°What do we do, boss?¡± Li Chou panted heavily.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic, we¡¯re not at a dead end yet,¡± Colin replied dismissively. He quickly pulled out a scroll to check the task list.


    ¡¾¡±The Land of Withered Olives¡±¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Description: As frost approached, the olive trees began to wither. A compassionate girl, saddened by this sight, cried and prayed daily in a cave beside the olive forest. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Miraculously, unlike other plants that died in the cold, this summer-only olive forest thrived. It seemed the trees were nourished by the girl¡¯s tears.


    However, one winter day, the girl was found dead under an olive tree. The villagers buried her in the cave where she wept. The next day, all the olive trees began to wither.


    But as that day approached, the olive trees, which should have died with the young woman, instead cried and resented all outsiders, refusing to fall into slumber.¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Duration: Unlimited¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Requirements: Reach the source of the mutation, uncover the burial site of the deceased, and discover why the olive trees weep and refuse to die.¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Rewards: Hard Black Bread*99, Rope*3, Level 3 Backpack Expansion Card (108 slots)*1¡¿


    ¡°A new type of getting quest¡­ Miracles in this world are truly bizarre. A girl¡¯s tears can sustain tens of thousands of olive trees through unnatural means. If this were on Earth, it would revolutionize desert greening¡­ No, better not. I wouldn¡¯t want to see millions of trees refusing to die,¡± Colin thought. He quickly checked the scroll and activated the hint system.


    ¡¾Hint: You believe the girl¡¯s grave is about a kilometer to your right. You observe that there are no Lord-level mutants in that direction.¡¿


    As long as there were no Lord-level mutants, everything was manageable. Colin considered the task might have further steps; the initial part should be easy, with difficulties to follow. He had a natural advantage in deciphering such quest; with some luck, hints could directly provide answers.


    Once he decided on the direction, Colin and his group increased their pace towards the cave where the girl was buried. In the dense forest, they moved faster and more comfortably than on the road, as the revived olive trees struggled to pursue them through the thick foliage. They often brushed against the trees, feeling the strange, muscle-like texture beneath the cracked bark, which was psychologically taxing. These trees barely resembled olive trees anymore.


    As they neared the cave, the unsettling aura of the olive trees intensified. The trees appeared increasingly humanoid, many kneeling with outstretched branches like hands, exuding an air of extreme sorrow. Colin couldn¡¯t help but think of mourning scenes, except the mourners were trees, adding to the eerie atmosphere.


    Pushing through their fear, they finally reached the cave. But Colin¡¯s face fell. The cave entrance was completely blocked by a mass of olive trees.


    ¡¾You observe that this is a five to six-meter deep cave passage, now entirely sealed by olive trees.¡¿


    Even with a large amount of explosives, Colin couldn¡¯t blast through. ¡°Damn it!¡± he cursed, realizing he had underestimated the quest¡¯s complexity. System quests were never simple, even the ¡°easiest¡± explorations could be laden with traps, with hints providing incomplete information.


    He needed to think from another angle. Glancing at the sealed cave, he saw no time for extensive blasting. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of olive trees were closing in, only three minutes away. Even if they survived this wave, within ten minutes, the numbers would double to tens of thousands.


    ¡¾You ponder the quest description and realize it¡¯s incomplete, missing key information.¡¿


    ¡¾After brief contemplation, you believe the temporary safe spot might hold some answers¡­¡¿


    Seeing the task from another perspective, Colin realized it was a trap to mislead and potentially kill them. Without specific instructions, people would naturally head to the quest site, only to find themselves in a dead-end and surrounded by countless olive trees.

 Chapter 76: Encounter with the Lord-level Mutant Again

    ¡°Boss, use your unbeatable analysis skills to think of a solution!¡± Li Chou¡¯s expression was on the verge of collapse. After running for over ten minutes, coupled with the terrifying sound of a woman crying echoing in his ears, his mental state was inevitably affected. Especially now that their hope seems shattered.Compared to him, the servants and others with all attributes at or above 2 were noticeably better off. The difference in attributes was just a fraction, 0.2 or 0.3, but at this moment, it felt fatal to him. If this continued, he would likely be the first to die.


    ¡°Li Chou, take the potion first.¡±


    Each person carried an ¡°enhancement potion¡± made from ¡°Sunlight Mushroom*10 + Flesh Mushroom*1¡± as a backup. Each small bottle was about 50ml, with a minimum application physique of 2. The effect temporarily boosted basic attributes to 3 if they weren¡¯t already there, lasting fifteen minutes. The downside was that after fifteen minutes, attributes were halved for half an hour, and there was intermittent, unconscious ¡°praising the sun¡± depending on the individual¡¯s condition. It worked fairly well, though it was ineffective for Sanna, whose strength no longer required it; drinking it had no effect, positive or negative.


    After Colin spoke, he took a deep breath to relieve his tension and looked toward the temporary safe spot. There was no other choice now. Or rather, there was never any choice from the beginning. Who could have guessed that out of three answers, only one was a real option?


    ¡°Forget it, everyone, take the potion. We¡¯ll push through.¡± Colin quickly walked while taking a stone vial from his inventory, uncorking it, and drinking the pink ¡°enhancement potion.¡± It tasted bitter, with a distinct mushroom spore, meat, and rotting stench¡ªvery unpleasant. But after drinking it, Colin and the others felt a surge of strength in their muscles, and their mental state became refreshed. Although he didn¡¯t have a status panel, Colin could vaguely feel his attributes surpassing 3, thanks to the half-day of life blessings and title bonuses he still had.


    With the sound of stone bottles hitting the ground, the entire team¡¯s condition rapidly recovered. They went from walking quickly to jogging, then to a full sprint, with Colin leading like a wolf head through the olive forest. The temporary safe spot was about two kilometers to the left, and they would definitely have to go through a wave of trees to get there. With luck, they might only get hurt; without it, some might die on the way.


    ¡°There are many stones here, watch your steps.¡± Colin instructed, waving his right hand to clear branches and vines as he led the way. Sanna followed half a step behind, with Li Chou and the others carrying lamps further back. Colin wasn¡¯t showing off by leading; he had ¡°Mental Pierce,¡± which could instantly kill a living olive tree with a glance. Without this, even Sanna would need physical contact to deal with them, causing delays that could lead to the team being caught in the endless onslaught of living olive trees. S?a??h the N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    However, just as Colin finished speaking, a sudden sense of danger hit him. An almost stripped-bare living olive tree charged at him in a ferocious and crazed manner. But Colin acted as if he didn¡¯t see it, waiting until it was within ten meters. ¡°Look at me!¡± Colin¡¯s eyes locked onto it, his gaze turning pitch-black and deep. The distorted olive tree immediately stiffened, its cries stopping abruptly as it fell dead on the spot.


    For such weakly intelligent abnormal beings, even if they weren¡¯t mutants, ¡°Mental Pierce¡± was extremely effective. But this attack could only be used three times a day, a significant limitation. Colin didn¡¯t spare the fallen tree another glance, continuing on as if the matter was settled. A large number of living olive trees surged forward, but due to their twisted structures, many got stuck on each other. Only a few pursued Colin¡¯s group, quickly dealt with by Colin and the others.


    They were getting closer to the temporary safe spot, but then a breath of air from ahead made Colin¡¯s body tense, his cells alert. Almost immediately, he realized what was ahead: ¡°Lord-level mutant!¡± Everyone stopped abruptly, clearly sensing the aura and understanding the situation. Colin noticed that all the olive trees here had lost their vitality, dead and withered in the soil.


    ¡°Lord Colin, this¡­¡± Sanna was surprised by the situation. This almost meant they had walked into a dead end: countless living olive trees behind, an unreachable forest edge outside, and a lord-level mutant at the only safe spot.


    ¡°I was foolish, really. I knew triggering tasks would definitely lead to a lord-level aberration, but I didn¡¯t expect the system¡¯s tasks to be the same,¡± Colin thought, frustrated. He then activated the hint system.


    ¡¾You discover a fearsome aberration here, but upon brief contemplation, you notice something amiss¡ªyou¡¯re close to it but haven¡¯t been attacked¡­¡¿


    Reading the hint silently, Colin realized he was less than three hundred meters from the creature. If it were a ¡°Mourning Watcher,¡± they would have been affected from over a thousand meters away, and it could attack from five hundred meters.


    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong with its state¡­ Let¡¯s check it out.¡± Colin decided to proceed, and after a few steps, they emerged from the olive forest back onto a relatively wide dirt road.


    The breathing ahead made everyone feel much heavier, as if anemic, their heads light and feet heavy. About thirty meters ahead, they saw the lord-level mutant! Under a ten-meter-tall olive tree was a three-meter-tall humanoid creature, bound by black metal-like material growing from the tree, covering most of its body and piercing it with numerous swords and arrows like a corpse filled with weapons from a battlefield. Some olive branches grew from its exposed skin, and it had been asleep for a long time.


    Colin observed it and, after a brief hesitation, squinted:


    ¡¾An incomplete mutant, its body partially transforming into an olive tree, retaining some human features.¡¿


    ¡¾You realize it might have known the priest¡­¡¿


    Just as Colin finished reading the hint, a dreadful aura descended, making everyone¡¯s shoulders heavy. The creature opened its eyes.

 Chapter 77: The Hidden History

    A pair of bloodshot, crazed, and brutal eyes swept coldly over everyone present. Almost every mutant possessed the basic ability to drive people insane. However, this ability was displayed more vividly in lord-level mutants. Everyone felt a stabbing pain in their brains and their thoughts became chaotic as they looked at it. Emotions grew singular and extreme.Colin endured the severe headache and refrained from activating ¡°Hunting Time.¡± Instead, he took out a blood-stained wooden wheel. In the next second, intentionally guiding his thoughts, Colin felt intense anger. His right hand gripped the wheel tightly, his knuckles turning white. With a single thought, the blood-stained wooden wheel erupted with a clear, holy light. This light was similar to the holy light on Sanna, but its nature was entirely different¡ªdazzling, blinding, and impossible to look at directly.


    Under this light, all shadows were banished, and the area within ten meters around Colin became completely shadowless. It was incredible! Not only that, but even the mental influence of the lord-level mutant couldn¡¯t penetrate this area bathed in scorching white light.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Colin was somewhat shocked. He knew the residual power in the wheel was strong, but neither he nor Number One had ever used it, so he couldn¡¯t have known it was this powerful. It could even completely expel the interference of a lord-level mutant. However, as all mental influences were severed, the unnatural ¡°anger¡± within Colin quickly subsided, and the blinding light seemed to begin shrinking.


    Before this could happen, Colin¡¯s right-hand muscles tensed, and he hurled the glowing wooden wheel with all his strength at the man trapped in the olive tree. The wheel absorbed light as it flew, dissolving all the emitted terror and transforming into a flat, round incandescent light ball about five meters in diameter. In a second, with a thud, it struck the not fully transformed lord-level mutant. Blinding light erupted, swallowing most of the olive tree like a sun, making it impossible to look at it directly.


    Everyone turned away, closing their stinging eyes. At this moment, they all realized that this nearly lord-level mutant had been suppressed. Colin felt the power of the ¡°Light Saint¡± through the wheel and vaguely sensed that the priest might have been able to solo a lord-level mutant in his lifetime. Yet, he couldn¡¯t understand why the mutant seemed weaker after death. Colin remembered that he had chopped it down with a few blows.


    But there was no time to ponder this. The light did not immediately dissipate after the explosion but continued to shine on the area. The sound of flesh sizzling under the intense heat kept coming from beneath the tree. It was clear that while the power suppressed it, killing it was still difficult. This time, Colin activated ¡°Hunting Time,¡± allowing him to see through the intense light to the events unfolding within.


    Tears streamed from his eyes as he watched the mutant¡¯s body, oil oozing from the scorching, twisted flesh within the black metal shell, struggling but not dying. Colin hesitated whether to act now. Charging with Sanna and throwing a dozen barrels of explosives to complete today¡¯s ¡°self-destruct quest¡± might kill this seemingly incomplete mutant, perhaps even extracting its skill. But then, a wave of unease washed over him, followed by a voice full of pain echoing in his mind.


    ¡°This is¡­ the light of the teacher¡­ Please, help me break free¡­ Let me see her one last time. I don¡¯t want to become the ¡®Miracle of Suffering¡¯¡­ This is my last desire¡­ Your gift will not be in vain¡­ Please¡­¡±


    The voice carried immense pain beyond ordinary comprehension. It clearly came from under the olive tree. Teacher? Break free? Not wanting to become a miracle? His words made a lightbulb go off in Colin¡¯s mind, seemingly understanding the long-standing mystery of the ¡°Miracle of Suffering.¡± However, there was no time to think further, as another cold voice, the system¡¯s voice, suddenly emerged.


    ¡¾Quest condition detected. Quest ¡°Kimino¡¯s Wish¡± is about to be issued.¡¿


    ¡¾Quest issued. Please check.¡¿


    Immediately, Colin, puzzled, took out a scroll to check the quest list.


    ¡¾¡±Kimino¡¯s Wish¡±¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Description: Kimino, a devout and powerful follower of the ¡°Light Saint¡± Kaidish.¡¿


    ¡¾While on a mission, he learned of the sudden death of the girl he once loved and returned to the Olive Homeland in a frenzy to see her one last time.¡¿


    ¡¾His desertion enraged the church, and before he could see the girl¡¯s grave, he was executed for heresy on this bare olive tree.¡¿


    ¡¾Dozens of arrows pierced his body, and several swords stabbed into his vital points, but he did not die, clinging to some obsession.¡¿


    ¡¾As the Church of Suffering prepared to employ more extreme punishment, a ¡°miracle¡± occurred. His skin was covered by hard metal from the olive tree, and his body gradually transformed into its branches.¡¿


    ¡¾This was considered by the church as a miracle bestowed by the ¡°Mother of Suffering and Thorns¡± in his injured, dying state.¡¿


    ¡¾The executioners did not kill him further but awaited the miracle¡¯s evolution, planning to accept him once he became a true ¡°Miracle of Suffering.¡±¡¿


    ¡¾But Kimino¡¯s only wish was to visit the girl¡¯s grave once before he died, to see her one last time.¡¿


    ¡¾Quest T time: 4 minutes and 51 seconds.¡¿


    ¡¾Quest requirement: Submit ¡°1000ml of Golden Hot Oil¡± and release Kimino from the binds of suffering, fulfilling his wish to see the girl he longed for across the endless years.¡¿


    ¡¾Quest reward: Hardened Black bread*99, Bloodthirsty Stigma*1, Level 1 Custom Design Blueprint (Crafting Table)*1.¡¿


    s?a??h th? N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¾Hint: You realize that the design blueprint will allow you to synthesize items that are normally impossible to combine¡­¡¿


    The blueprint made Colin¡¯s heart race, but his next question was, ¡°What is ¡®Golden Hot Oil¡¯?¡±


    ¡¾Hint: You realize that ¡®Golden Hot Oil¡¯ should be ¡®rare tainted blood.¡¯¡¿


    ¡°How do those two terms even mean the same thing?¡± Colin muttered, and then the voice came again by his ear.


    ¡°While I can still hear you, please, hurry¡­¡± The tall man, over three meters, covered in arrows and rusty swords, pleaded like never before.

 Chapter 78: Guarding the Miracle with a Miracle

    The light dimmed. Colin realized that this time the light was about to extinguish soon, and it would be troublesome to approach afterward. Besides, the wooden wheel was still at the other¡¯s feet. He didn¡¯t know how the priest had used this weapon before, but his first strike was quite effective, regardless of the posture, special effects, or sound effects. However, it was rather awkward to run over and retrieve the weapon.¡°You all wait here, I¡¯ll go ahead and handle something,¡± Colin decided in less than a second, mainly because he believed that since this person was a follower of the priest, and given the task description, he shouldn¡¯t be playing tricks at this moment. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Sanna stepped forward and said.


    Colin nodded without much thought, as this was his plan anyway, though Sanna had suggested it first. With two people, as long as they didn¡¯t die on the spot, he could survive for a while with the ¡°Shield of the Just Knight.¡±


    Without further ado, Colin took the lead and quickly arrived there, stepping into the shadowless light. He first picked up the still glowing wooden wheel. Then, despite the stinging pain in his eyes, he looked at it, took out a pile of explosive barrels as a precaution, and retreated.


    Sanna stood about ten meters away, aiming the ¡°Shielf of the Just Knight¡± at him, ready to swear a duel and pull Colin out of danger at any moment. But nothing unexpected happened. Colin successfully retrieved the wooden wheel and then retreated ten meters. He then took out fresh red blood from his inventory and poured it directly on a root at his feet.


    This root, resembling cracked rock with many branches, extended all the way to Kimino¡¯s ankle. Clearly, this was his foot transformed into the olive tree¡¯s root. The fresh, wriggling blood was immediately absorbed upon contact with the root. Instantly, the root from Kimino began to wriggle and emit a red light.


    Suddenly, a strong aura of terror burst from Kimino, a horrifying pressure pouring out like a landslide, making Colin stagger and retreat without hesitation. The light from the wooden wheel in his hand faded faster. After absorbing the blood, Kimino¡¯s body swelled and became more hideous.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡± A painful, low shout came from his throat. His skin turned extremely rough and cracked, like an old tree. The speed of the ¡°Miracle of Suffering¡± accelerated. The black metal began to shatter and bend, increasingly unable to restrain the terrifying entity that was Kimino.


    Finally, as Colin and the others retreated about a hundred meters, Kimino broke free from his bonds. At this moment, Colin clenched his fists, holding his breath, eyes fixed on the now unbound and free-to-move terrifying entity. Fortunately, the anticipated danger did not occur. The creature, neither fully human nor fully tree, exuding a horrifying aura, and hard to define as still being Kimino, charged in one direction upon breaking free.


    He forcibly created a path through the dense olive trees. Colin and the others watched, feeling that his destination was the cave.


    ¡°Should we follow?¡± Li Chou asked.


    Colin was about to speak when a sound from afar changed his expression. The living olive trees, which had given up chasing them because of Kimino, began to stir again after his awakening and departure. The low sobbing resumed, echoing around them. Colin knew from the prompt that they would charge within a minute at most.


    ¡°Let¡¯s follow and see,¡± Colin said, not having time to retrieve the explosive barrels, and led the group down the path Kimino had created. The path wasn¡¯t very wide but was flat, having been forcibly cleared with great strength. It retained the aura of a lord-level mutant, so the living olive trees dared not approach for now.


    Halfway through, Colin heard a loud, mournful cry from the direction of the cave. The piercing sound caused brain pain and inner agitation. It was clearly from Kimino, whose wail was even more terrifying, overpowering the cries of the olive trees.


    ¡°Is he competing with the olive trees to see who can cry louder?¡± Colin couldn¡¯t help but rub his forehead and mutter.


    Rumble¡­


    At this moment, Colin felt the ground shaking, the tremors coming from the direction of the cave. Despite this anomaly, he continued forward, enduring the pain. Shortly after, with shaky steps, Colin reached the place and saw the olive trees inside the cave torn to pieces. The entrance had a path opened, and faint sobbing continued from within, gradually weakening as if it could cease at any moment. Additionally, there was the sound of branches growing inside.


    ¡¾You realize that now is not the time to enter; you need to wait.¡¿


    Seeing this prompt, Colin decisively chose to stay outside the cave. The living olive trees seemed to have returned to silence, though Colin felt they were still alive but no longer moving. Soon, Kimino¡¯s wailing ended completely, and the terrifying aura disappeared.


    This time, Colin didn¡¯t hesitate, lit the lantern again, and led the group into the cave surrounded by countless living olive trees. The cave corridor was littered with the remains of these trees, with condensed light stones embedded everywhere, making it not dark even without the lantern. As Colin and the others entered, they felt like a girl was crying in the wind brushing past their ears, sending chills down their spines.


    But fortunately, there was no more threat; everything had been dealt with by Kimino. As they entered the corridor, the sight inside the cave caused everyone to hold their breath. In the spacious cave hall, just ten meters ahead, stood a giant humanoid olive tree, seemingly crying with its head bowed.


    The humanoid part was less than ten meters tall, maintaining a roughly human shape, hands covering its face, with countless olive tree branches extending from its back, enlarging and supporting the entire cave. ¡°Is this¡­ Kimino?¡± Colin remembered the sound of plant growth he had heard earlier. As he looked, a hint appeared in his mind. For the first time, Colin couldn¡¯t help but read it aloud quietly.


    ¡°Ultimately, Kimino, the son of suffering, could not escape the fate of becoming a ¡®miracle.¡¯ Here, he transformed into a giant olive tree, crying with his face covered. In front of him, not far away, is the resting place of the girl he secretly loved during his life. Here, he became the girl¡¯s favorite olive tree, eternally guarding this place.¡±

 Chapter 79: Marks of the Capitalist

    The cave quieted down.¡°Whew¡­¡± Colin let out a deep breath, breaking the silence of the past few seconds. He glanced behind him.


    Sanna¡¯s face showed little emotion, but her eyes seemed to be flickering, occasionally wandering between the girl¡¯s grave and the olive tree. The servants¡­ seemed indifferent, with no empathy. What surprised Colin was that Li Chou¡¯s eyes were actually red?


    Li Chou rubbed his eyes. ¡°Sigh, getting old, can¡¯t handle stories like this anymore.¡± S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡­I only said a few words. What kind of drama did you imagine? Colin remembered that only he knew the full story.


    Colin shook his head and didn¡¯t rush to look at the girl¡¯s grave. Instead, he took out the scroll and submitted the completed quest. Then, Colin opened the historical task information on the scroll and handed it to them. ¡°Take a look, just as a witness.¡±


    Meanwhile, the system prompt ¡°Quest Completed¡± appeared in his mind.


    ¡°Congratulations, you have received ¡®Hardened Black Bread¡¯ *99.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, you have received ¡®Bloodthirsty Stigma¡¯ *1.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations, you have received ¡®Level 1 Custom Blueprint¡¯ *1.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°No task rating?¡± Colin murmured, feeling that the system was becoming stingier. His operation should have at least started at an S rating, right? But there was none.


    ¡¾Bloodthirsty Stigma¡¿


    ¡¾Type: Level 1 Stigma.¡¿


    ¡¾Item Description: In combat, each time you deal damage, you can steal 15% of the damage as life, with a maximum steal of 10% of your own life per minute.¡¿


    ¡¾The stigma can be imprinted using the ¡®Thorns of Suffering¡¯ for your servants, with a current limit of 30 copies, each with a 5% life steal, and a maximum steal of 1% of their own life per minute.¡¿


    ¡¾Note: 30% of the life stolen by the imprinted copies in combat will be transferred to the main imprint holder, without time constraints (this steal rate can be adjusted, with a maximum of 100%)¡­¡¿


    ¡¾Remark: Be humane! You can¡¯t extract blood from robots, and it doesn¡¯t work on stone men either, so don¡¯t try.¡¿


    ¡¾Hint: Every three of the same kind of stigma can be synthesized once. At a high enough level, robots might not be bloodless.¡¿


    ¡°Hiss, the mark of a capitalist¡­¡± Colin was surprised. How could a successor of society like him use something so capitalistic? A second later, Colin forgot his previous thought and touched his chin. Would the damage from guns and cannons count? If so, couldn¡¯t he achieve the maximum steal every time?


    Colin knew what this meant. He decided to try it out when he had the chance. But the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was off¡­ Through this, he suddenly remembered the few ml of tainted blood they got from each monster kill, at most just a dozen or so ml. It must be a misunderstanding, right? How could such an advanced civilization need to extract our water?


    Colin shook his head, then looked at the image in his inventory, which was like a drop of blood on the water surface.


    ¡°Do you want to bind ¡®Bloodthirsty Stigma¡¯ to yourself? This binding can be canceled.¡± ¡°


    Yes.¡±


    With that thought, Colin felt a slight pain on his right wrist, where a red thorn pattern circled around it. It looked like a red bracelet made of thorns, eerie and strange. Soon, as Colin moved his thoughts, it was hidden. This thing, like the recently upgraded Level 2 title, appeared as a ¡°tattoo¡± and could be hidden at will.


    ¡°To copy one ¡®Bloodthirsty Stigma,¡¯ it takes about ten ¡®Thorns of Suffering.¡¯ That¡¯s acceptable, not too expensive¡­ But how much should I extract? 95%? No, that¡¯s a bit too much¡­ 75%¡­ Forget it, 50% it is¡­¡± After a mental struggle, Colin set a reasonable rate.


    However, recalling something, Colin sighed, ¡°If only I had that mysterious item ranked 97th on the resource list. I remember its effect is to attract all mutants within three kilometers. As long as I don¡¯t run into a lord-level mutant¡¯s territory, I could heal anytime, anywhere¡­ Then, I could build a moving high wall with a war chariot and make the mutants pay for it.¡±


    Suddenly, an idea flashed in Colin¡¯s mind. ¡°Right, I could have them capture a batch of mutants and execute them when needed, gaining a lot of healing. Healing is based on the damage dealt, so there¡¯s no need to kill them outright. I could cut off a hand, then a leg. As long as I don¡¯t cut the head, one mutant could be used four or five times¡­ Hmm, there might be better ways to use it. I¡¯ll call a meeting to brainstorm later¡­¡±


    Then, Colin looked at the last item, which could potentially enhance his overall strength. ¡°Level 1 Custom Blueprint.¡±


    ¡¾You think you can use it to create simple firearms, but you lack the professional knowledge.¡¿


    ¡°This should be designed by them¡­¡± Colin decided to give it to Huang Weiyang, his ¡°chief scientist,¡± later. He then put away the inventory; only two or three minutes had passed.


    ¡°This Church of Suffering is truly heartless!¡± Li Chou cursed, handing the scroll back to Colin. Even Sanna despised the Church of Suffering.


    ¡­Indeed, heartless, but why does this sound familiar? Colin put away the scroll. He knew better than anyone that the priest follower Kimino was likely caught in the power struggle between the ¡°Saint of Light¡± and other saints. Engracia and Kimino were probably victims of this struggle. From the task content in the ¡°Withered Olive Land,¡± the death of this ¡°miracle¡± girl was likely not simple.


    But now wasn¡¯t the time to tell the story. Colin focused, looking at the black stone coffin not far away. His task in the ¡°Withered Olive Land¡± was not yet done.


    Surrounding the black stone coffin were six olive trees, arranged in size, the only ones in the cave. These six trees were far more twisted than those outside, with grotesque faces, arms, and legs growing from them. They surrounded the black coffin, either kneeling or standing, as if crying while hugging the coffin, with extreme pain on every face.


    ¡¾Hint: During the six years Engracia performed miracles, she personally planted one olive tree each year. These six trees were all planted by her.¡¿


    Meanwhile, Colin saw that the black stone coffin seemed to have a corner opened, with darkness inside, as if another space existed within.

 Chapter 80: Rest and Recuperation

    ¡°I remember this investigation task rewards 99 hardened black breads, three seemingly useless ropes, and one invetory expansion card¡­¡±Colin stood under the large tree that had once been Kimino, observing the area from about ten meters away. He wasn¡¯t planning to take any action for the moment. Who knew what other dangers might be lurking under the coffin if he acted rashly?


    Finally having a moment to breathe and a safe spot to rest, it was crucial to take a proper break.


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest here for an hour and a half before we proceed with the next step.¡±


    Half an hour to eat and another hour to relax both body and mind to ensure they were in the best state for the exploration ahead. Colin instructed a few of them to stay vigilant and lit the three lanterns they had brought. Two of them were hung on Kimino¡¯s branches to ensure sufficient illumination, making sure no shadows fell outside the light¡¯s range.


    Though they had walked outside the lantern¡¯s light several times in the Withered Olive Land without incident, that didn¡¯t mean it would always be safe. Walking within the lantern¡¯s light had become a habit for Colin, reinforced by the painful lesson from the little girl. That had been his most severe injury to date¡ªhis shoulder had a hole dug into it, muscles and tendons severed, his entire arm lost strength, blood gushing out, pain causing half his body to cramp¡­


    ¡­No, I can¡¯t think about her. Just thinking of her makes my shoulder hurt¡­ Colin shook his head and looked at some of the condensed light stones in the cave.


    Whether by coincidence or not, the Withered Olive Land was filled with ¡°condensed light stones,¡± and many ¡°sunshine mushrooms¡± grew on them. In fact, the entire underground area, from the tunnels onward, was dotted with these condensed light stones. While the hints only provided some useless information, Colin speculated that the condensed light stones might be one of the reasons for the spatial anomalies in the underground area.


    This also piqued Colin¡¯s curiosity about the source of the condensed light stones in the underground. However, he didn¡¯t dwell on it too much. After picking some ¡°sunshine mushrooms¡± and combining them with the ¡°flesh mushrooms¡± he carried to make a new batch of ¡°enhancement potions,¡± which he distributed among everyone, he set up a stone pot.


    Using the crafting table, he quickly made a half-meat, half-porridge dish, distributed it among everyone, and they began replenishing themselves on the spot. The savory and fragrant meat porridge relieved their suppressed and tense nerves, and their rapidly consumed stamina was quickly restored.


    The primary feature of the synthesized food was its ¡°standardization¡±¡ªas long as the material names were the same, the taste would be the same, even seasoning it perfectly. But while satisfying, Colin felt something was missing¡­ Eating meat all the time was getting a bit tiresome¡­


    ¡°I need to get some herbs¡­¡±


    Wild beasts and plants still existed in this world, judging by the available stock on the trading market. However, there were very few around Colin¡¯s location. Or rather, there were some, but very few. After casually buying some green plants from the trading market, Colin tossed them into the hot porridge, and after stirring and eating, he felt much better. Others also felt a noticeable improvement. S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Ignoring their praise, Colin drank his porridge while browsing the chat channel, his mind racing with thoughts.


    ¡°The Miracle of Suffering¡­¡±


    He now had a vague understanding of this. It appeared to be, as the name implied, some twisted ¡°miracle¡± obtained through extreme suffering, motivated by obsession.


    For example, the little girl who starved to death, praying and waiting for the priest until the end; the mourning watchers in the darkness; Engracia, who kept tens of thousands of olive trees alive through the winter; Kimino, who became a hundred-meter-tall olive tree guardian¡­


    They all had extreme obsessions before they died. Except for the priest, all had powers not much weaker than lord-level mutants following their deaths. Colin speculated that the ¡°Miracle of Suffering¡± might be one of the elements of becoming a lord-level mutant. Even the weakest, the little ghost girl, seemed much stronger when she went mad. When she fully unleashed her power, she might not be much weaker than a lord-level mutant¡­


    Thus, it could be concluded that lord-level mutants were most likely linked to ¡°miracles¡± caused by extreme obsessions. The strength of a mutant was related to their pre-death obsession. If this obsession was extreme enough to trigger a ¡°Miracle of Suffering,¡± then the recipient of the miracle would likely become a lord-level mutant after becoming a mutant.


    Furthermore, the ¡°Miracle of Suffering¡± seemed to be compulsory. When it descended, whether willing or not, one had to accept it. However, this seemed unique to the era of suffering and hadn¡¯t happened again since. The only exception seemed to be the priest¡­ No, actually, there was no exception. Colin suddenly remembered that the priest wasn¡¯t considered a saint because his ¡°light¡± wasn¡¯t seen as a ¡°miracle¡± of the ¡°Mother of Suffering and Thorns.¡± Now it seemed that the mutation disaster wasn¡¯t a sudden catastrophe but deeply connected to the Church of Suffering¡­


    If this hypothesis held, it might also explain why the priest, despite his strong will and power, didn¡¯t become a lord-level mutant¡ªhis power didn¡¯t come from the ¡°Miracle of Suffering.¡± This realization invigorated Colin because the priest¡¯s ¡°light¡± came from the condensed light stones¡¯ source. If Colin could also harness this power, could he face lord-level mutants head-on or even solo them?


    After a long breath, Colin stopped his daydreaming brain and closed his eyes for a short rest. An hour passed quickly, and just as Colin was about to close the scroll, a topic caught his attention.


    ¡°Tribute to Those Who Died Two Days Ago¡±¡­


    It wasn¡¯t a very popular topic. The content went like this:


    ¡°Today, we discovered a level 1 territory during our exploration. Seeing no activity inside, we assumed the lord was out¡­ But upon approaching, we found that the survivor had died in his wooden hut, slumped over his table.¡±


    ¡°We thought he starved to death, but someone knowledgeable said he probably died on the first day. We then assumed his servants revolted, but they hadn¡¯t, as he had no wounds. So, we guessed he died suddenly¡­¡±


    ¡°His lantern¡¯s blood had burned out inside the house¡­ His two servants starved to death in the hut, with bread still on the table. What a pity, servants are absolutely loyal¡­ unless their control is taken.¡±


    ¡°Oh, and he had his scroll open, seemingly trying to type ¡®only blood is needed to ignite¡­¡¯ but died before finishing.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to say what he was trying to do, right?¡±


    ¡°Tribute to this unnamed good person!¡±

 Chapter 81: New Quest

    ¡°Tribute to this unnamed good person!¡± ¡°Praise this friend, praise Colin!¡±


    ¡°Wait, I thought all injuries were healed upon entering the game. I had just had my hemorrhoids removed and was in terrible pain, but they were gone when I got here. Regardless, tribute to the unnamed good person¡­¡±


    ¡°I was disabled when I came in, but now I¡¯m a normal person¡­¡±


    ¡°Sudden death, who can say for sure¡­¡±


    ¡­ Reading this topic and the comments below, Colin¡¯s gaze turned lifeless. His eyes were fixed on the topic, and he felt a sense of numbness.


    Because¡­


    [You realize that when this unnamed good person was inputting the lantern method, his inspiration was above 3¡­]


    [So, he died.]


    The hair on his body stood on end. Colin felt a strong unease in his heart. He suddenly noticed a question he had been deliberately or subconsciously ignoring¡­


    How great was his inspiration?


    The last time he synthesized a ¡°twisted soul,¡± he knew his inspiration was above 15¡­ If he asked again, from any angle, he would get the ¡°you believe your inspiration is higher than the average person¡± hint¡­


    But what truly scared him wasn¡¯t the level of his inspiration. It was the fact that this person trying to convey the lantern method died without even clicking send¡­


    This meant¡­


    As long as your inspiration is above 3 and you input the corresponding information, regardless of whether you send it, you are forced into a will check?


    For those of them with inspiration above 3, failing the will check didn¡¯t just mean fear. It meant death upon triggering.


    On the first day, when the chat channel wasn¡¯t even active, a group of people had already died in their wooden huts.


    So, if, just if¡­


    Colin had considered sharing the lantern method on the first day and unconsciously typed a few words. He might have ¡°suddenly died¡± too?


    After all, his inspiration started above 15¡­ If he thought about sharing the lantern method and typed, he couldn¡¯t believe he wouldn¡¯t be forced into a will check.


    In his initial state, how could he have had the resolve to pass the will check?


    Colin hadn¡¯t realized that on the first day, when he got up from bed, he had already walked on the edge of a cliff. But ultimately, he hadn¡¯t fallen off the cliff.


    Thinking back now, not sending the message immediately might have been due to some subconscious self-preservation instinct¡­


    ¡°Lord Colin?¡±


    Sanna¡¯s voice broke Colin¡¯s somewhat chaotic thoughts. When he came to his senses, he noticed he was drenched in cold sweat.


    Everything had happened in less than ten seconds, as if he had just spaced out¡­


    Samma didn¡¯t seem too suspicious.


    ¡°Nothing, just saw a touching message¡­¡± Colin forced down his inner panic and unease, put away the scroll, and managed a slightly stiff smile, ¡°Let¡¯s keep moving. I just got distracted for a moment.¡±


    No matter what, the incident was over, and he was okay. Continuing to dwell on it would only scare himself. Sharing it would only frighten others¡­


    He wasn¡¯t keen on doing things that would lower morale.


    Inevitably, though, Colin¡¯s apprehension about the system increased again. Taking a deep breath, Colin went forward, took down the other lanterns, and led the team to Engracia¡¯s coffin.


    [These six olive trees aren¡¯t dead, but they seem unlikely to attack you. Perhaps this is a ¡°gift¡± from Kimino.]


    After ensuring there was no danger, Colin saw that the partially opened coffin lid revealed a downward-sloping space inside. Starting with Number One, they opened the coffin lid like when they first went underground and entered.


    The process was uneventful. However, upon descending, Colin realized the black stone coffin¡¯s surroundings were entirely made of wood, specifically tree roots.


    The olive tree¡¯s roots covered the entire space, as if it were another miracle. With the lantern¡¯s light, Colin and his team saw the remains of the girl Kimino loved¡­ A woman in a white dress with a gentle face and a serene demeanor.


    Her body lay on a couch woven from roots, in a deep sleep. However, Colin noticed her body had completely turned into wood¡ªa ¡°miracle.¡±


    This somewhat eerie root space was probably also due to her ¡°miracle¡±¡­


    ¡°It seems that during the disaster, her body died completely and turned into a ¡®miracle,¡¯ creating this space¡­¡± Otherwise, even if she had died, her body would have become a horrifying mutant, not a ¡°wooden sculpture.¡±


    As Colin¡¯s thoughts raced, he took out the scroll from his inventory again. He checked the task list and saw the task was still incomplete.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s wrong with you.¡± Colin was about to use the hint but suddenly heard a sound in his mind¡ªthe system¡¯s voice.


    [Inspiration check imminent¡­]


    What the hell? What did I do?


    Hearing the word ¡°check,¡± Colin¡¯s mind went blank, then instinctively felt horror and tried to stop it. But by then, it seemed to be over.


    [Your inspiration is above 5, check passed. You gain the following information.]


    [Engracia¡¯s body lies there, numb and cold, not a natural ¡®normal death,¡¯ suggesting something else at play.]


    [¡°Withered Olive Land¡± (completed).]


    ¡­Phew, scared me¡­ Colin breathed a sigh of relief but didn¡¯t complete the task immediately. He used the hint for another investigation.


    [You find her body extremely hollow, as if missing something. You guess it might be her ¡®soul.¡¯]


    ¡°Well, the hint is more reliable. But what does missing ¡®soul¡¯ mean?¡± Colin speculated if her soul was erased, causing her death. He didn¡¯t dwell on it and submitted the task. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Soon, the reward notification sounded again.


    *¡±Congratulations, you have obtained ¡®Hardened Black Bread¡¯ *99.¡±


    *¡±Congratulations, you have obtained ¡®ropes¡¯ *3.¡±


    *¡±Congratulations, you have obtained ¡®Level 3 Inventory Expansion Card (108 slots)¡¯ *1.¡±


    [¡°Ropes¡±: Handwoven by Engracia, the ropes are made from the clothes of ancient sacrificial figures. Carrying them grants immunity to a lord-level mutant¡¯s mental skill once.]


    ¡°Good stuff, but too few.¡± Colin put the knots in his inventory and discovered, as expected, this was a series of quest.


    After submission, a new questwas automatically received.


    [¡°Withered Olive Land II¡±]


    [Quest description: Engracia¡¯s death has hidden reasons, which might be why the ¡®Weeping Olive Tree¡¯ doesn¡¯t want to return to death.]


    [Quest duration: Unlimited.]


    [Questrequirements: Explore ¡®Temple of Suffering¡ªUnderground Third Level, Room 17,¡¯ to find potential secrets.]


    [Quest rewards: ¡®Growth Stigmata¡¯ *3, ¡®Guilt Stigmata¡¯ 1, Fog Points 2000¡­]


    [Hint: You feel this quest is harder than sending the witch home.]

 Chapter 82: Good Friends and Design Blueprints

    ¡°Based on the hint, her ¡®soul¡¯ should be imprisoned beneath the Temple of Suffering. Strange, everything else is called a church, but this one¡¯s a temple¡­¡±Colin didn¡¯t think much about it and was ready to let it collect dust.


    If there¡¯s any campaign plan next, it¡¯s likely to be against the ¡°Witch¡¯s Head¡± in Silver Moon Bay. S~?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He didn¡¯t dwell on it any further and prepared to lead his team out of this area to the next. But just as they were about to leave the cavern, crossing over Kimino, he suddenly remembered something important.


    The ¡°Bloodthirsty Stigma¡± hadn¡¯t been distributed yet¡­


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Colin decided to allocate this item first.


    In a sense, this was the only item in his possession with healing capabilities. Besides recovery cards, the system had not provided any items for treating wounds. The existing ones with healing effects were simple medications that some survivors had synthesized after trial and error with wild herbs.


    Their efficacy wasn¡¯t great, they were expensive, and they were sold out almost immediately. Even Colin hadn¡¯t managed to snag any.


    He had obtained the formula for the materials through hints, but unfortunately, those materials were not available nearby, so he had to give up.


    Another item effective for wounds was the Fog Points, but they could only provide purification or anti-swelling effects, akin to using alcohol for disinfecting and reducing swelling.


    Survivors rarely got infections unless they were poisoned, so the Fog Points seemed quite useless.


    Swelling could be treated by eating and resting for a night, and it would mostly recover¡­


    This seemed to be due to a ¡°modification,¡± making their bodies ¡°perfect¡± in a certain sense. It could be said that this was the world¡¯s only act of kindness towards the survivors.


    But this only applied to minor injuries. For larger wounds, like when Colin had his flesh torn out, even if he survived, most of his arm would be useless¡­


    Now, with the ¡°Bloodthirsty Stigma¡± copies, healing 5% or 1% per minute seemed small, but as long as the injury didn¡¯t involve losing limbs, most fatal injuries could be saved.


    Without further hesitation, Colin took out ten ¡°Thorns of Suffering¡± from his imventory, holding them in his right hand.


    Each of these black thorns was about half a meter long and as thick as a finger, covered in sharp spikes.


    They usually grew from the spines of those who had turned into mutants.


    At this moment, the red fog-like blood aura emitted from the thorns enveloped them. In the next second, something magical happened.


    The black thorns melted¡­


    They were like iron wires that were melting but didn¡¯t drip. Instead, they fused together in Colin¡¯s hand.


    Boiling, shaping, solidifying¡­


    Finally, a delicate black metal bracelet appeared.


    Its style was similar to the stigma on Colin¡¯s wrist, with uneven spikes on the outer ring and none on the inner ring.


    ¡°Just like titles, the basic title is an emblem, and after upgrading, it¡¯s a tattoo¡­ I wonder what form the next upgrade will take¡­¡±


    Colin muttered to himself as he placed the first ¡°Bloodthirsty Stigma Copy¡± on Sanna, then proceeded to make the next one.


    Making copies wasn¡¯t too troublesome and didn¡¯t take much time¡ªonly a minute or two.


    However, it did consume a lot of energy. Doing it once or twice was fine, but doing it frequently¡­


    Especially thirty times in a short period¡­


    It was quite exhausting.


    Thirty to forty minutes later, Colin, pale and unsteady, sat on a stone to rest. His body was fine, but his mind was extremely fatigued, making him very uncomfortable.


    He wanted to sleep, but when he closed his eyes, he felt alert¡­


    Yet when he opened his eyes, he was exhausted¡­


    ¡°If Kimino hadn¡¯t become my good friend, I¡¯d want to stab him twice right now to recover¡­¡±


    He glanced at Kimino, who had turned into a tree, and the thought crossed his mind, but it was just a thought.


    Despite their short interaction, Colin felt he and Kimino had formed a deep friendship, becoming good friends.


    Sanna was beside him, casting a revival wind to help dispel his soul¡¯s fatigue.


    Now, the entire exploration team was equipped with a ¡°Bloodthirsty Stigma Copy,¡± and Colin hadn¡¯t taken any share from these copies.


    He knew very well that, compared to him, surrounded in the middle, the slaves were the real frontline members who would take damage for him.


    Obtaining the stigma was to enhance their overall strength, and he wouldn¡¯t be selfish at this time.


    However, he did plan to give ten ¡°Bloodthirsty Stigma¡± to the outside world for research, and this portion could be skimmed.


    In his exhaustion, Colin took out a scroll and contacted Li Hang.


    ¡°What¡¯s up, boss? We¡¯re in a meeting¡­¡± Li Hang replied.


    ¡°A meeting?¡± Colin asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    At this moment, they were in a level-three territory, discussing the ¡°Level 1 Custom Blueprint¡± Colin had recently sent back¡ª


    Discussing what kind of weapon to create as their standard armament.


    Guns had been ruled out.


    The only guns available were outdated, simple-structured pistols¡­ or muskets.


    Anything more precise would fail due to insufficient computational power.


    Choosing such weapons wouldn¡¯t effectively kill mutants and were less effective than an axe.


    Besides, bullets were a hassle¡­


    New gunpowder had to be mixed, which could take a day, two, or more¡­


    However, with the help of a saltpeter mine, they were able to find the majority of the necessary materials.


    Supporting equipment, like heating furnaces, was also being built.


    Currently, Huang Weiyang was primarily focusing on developing production sequences.


    For instance, there is now a dedicated production sequence for black powder suitable for crafting tables, updated through several iterations, making it quicker and simpler than Colin¡¯s previous process.


    It was almost a 1-2-3-4 mix, then done¡­ taking less than ten minutes, producing tons of black powder based on available materials.


    Of course, this was because making black powder was too simple; more advanced gunpowder wouldn¡¯t be as easy.


    While most survivors were still using crafting tables to make oatmeal or similar items, only a few had discovered their true potential.


    However, the only one capable of harnessing its war potential at this stage was Colin. Others, even if they discovered it, unfortunately lacked the materials¡­


    But now, widely available to Colin¡¯s group, was only black powder.


    Using black powder for bullets could work for killing humans, but against mutants, it was too weak¡­


    Unless every shot was a headshot¡­


    But that was clearly unrealistic.


    Too many factors limit the effectiveness of firearms.


    Thus, firearms were ruled out.

 Chapter 83: The Art Style is Off

    So, Li Hang and the others were now primarily discussing designing larger caliber weapons. There were also viewpoints about why they had to use firearms, but those were quickly dismissed.The concept of the battle axe had become deeply ingrained.


    Of course, some suggested that after a week of no results, they should hold off and wait until they had more blueprints to create a complete set, using each blueprint for a different component.


    That would basically solve most problems.


    After all, the items they could currently make, whether cold or hot weapons, were quite mediocre.


    Far less effective than barrels of explosives weighing one pound, ten pounds, or even a hundred pounds.


    At this moment, after listening to Li Hang¡¯s brief report, Colin, while basking in the reviving wind, thought for a moment and replied:


    ¡°You can consider holding off for now. I¡¯ll see if there¡¯s a chance to get new blueprints next¡­


    ¡°However, it¡¯s best to make a few backup blueprints to accumulate war potential, so at critical moments, we can instantly leverage their value¡­¡±


    They could indeed hold off for now, but they couldn¡¯t do nothing.


    When danger comes, they must squeeze every ounce of their resources and value for the future, with no reservations.


    ¡°Got it. By the way, boss, what did you need us for?¡± Li Hang replied.


    ¡°¡®Bloodthirsty Stigma Copies,¡¯ you guys can run some tests on them¡­¡±


    ¡°Great stuff!¡±


    Seeing this message, Li Hang¡¯s eyes lit up. In the hall, which had been converted into a simple meeting room, a bunch of people gathered around, chattering excitedly as they looked at the scroll.


    Then, Colin shared his ideas, such as ¡°adopting¡± a batch of mutants and making efficient use of resources¡­


    As he spoke, everyone on Li Hang¡¯s end stared at the information on the ¡°screen¡± with strange expressions, silent for a while.


    They imagined the ¡°Bloodthirsty Stigma¡± as a relentless killing machine fueled by bloodlust¡­


    But Colin clearly had different views.


    These views differed slightly from theirs.


    Finally, someone couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°As expected of Colin, very pragmatic¡­¡±


    Meanwhile, Colin, while talking, suddenly imagined a scene, and his expression became odd¡ª S?a??h th? ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    In a battle, an injured servant carrying a bloody axe walked towards the building housing mutants.


    At the entrance, a long queue formed, with each person bearing various degrees of injuries, from minor to severe.


    The severely wounded were prioritized for treatment. ¡°Medical¡± personnel helped them wear the ¡°Bloodthirsty Stigma,¡± tied explosives to an mutant¡¯s arm, and lit the fuse¡­


    Then, from behind some protective measures, the severely injured patient lying on a bed shakily reached out to ignite the gunpowder¡­


    Soon after, there was a boom, and the wounds began to heal.


    ¡°¡­Hiss, why do I feel like the art style of my territory is starting to go off track?¡±


    Colin took a deep breath, then shook his head to dispel these distracting thoughts.


    On second thought¡­


    It¡¯s not entirely unfeasible.


    After all, Colin was a pragmatist. As long as it didn¡¯t cross his bottom line, he had no qualms.


    With nothing more to discuss, he closed the parchment.


    After resting for a while to regain his strength, Colin led his team out of the cave.


    By now, they had been in the underground church for four hours, with no major incidents.


    Upon exiting the cave, Colin couldn¡¯t help but pause, feeling an unspeakable dread as he looked at the eerie and hideous olive trees.


    Especially since he was standing where all the olive trees faced, hundreds of twisted, elongated tree faces stared at them, making the scene even more chilling.


    However, due to Kimino¡¯s influence, these strange living trees no longer harbored hostility towards them.


    Even so, the numerous hidden eyes still felt unsettling.


    After a while, Colin, carrying a lantern, led the team past the olive trees. With only the occasional sound of stepping on branches and leaves, they finally reached the forest¡¯s edge.


    ¡°We¡¯re here¡­¡±


    The forest edge was surrounded by a cold, eerie white fog. Compared to Colin¡¯s first encounter, it seemed thinner now, less dense.


    But it still held an air of mystery, making people uneasy.


    ¡¾You notice it seems much weaker. You guess this time it might not transport you too far away, but it could still scatter you into different areas.¡¿


    ¡°Continue from last time and move in an orderly queue.¡±


    Soon, the team formed a long line, hand in hand, and entered the fog under Sanna¡¯s lead.


    As the last person stepped into the fog, they experienced a brief moment of weightlessness, the dense white fog obscuring everything from view¡­


    Then came the same chaos, the same feeling of walking in place, feet off the ground¡­


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Colin and his team felt their feet touch solid ground again.


    Their vision gradually cleared from the blinding whiteness.


    As they fully emerged from the mist and took in their surroundings, Colin frowned.


    ¡°Another forest?¡±


    Colin realized this was yet another forest, but after using the hints, he found it seemed to be just an ordinary forest with no olive trees.


    The trees here were much like those outside, all withered and leafless.


    Compared to the previously haunted feeling of the olive trees, this place was deathly silent.


    But this silence was familiar to them, as the world under the mist was like this, giving them a slight sense of¡­ security.


    After all, this was what they were most accustomed to.


    The ground was still dotted with ¡°Condensed Light Stones,¡± so the area wasn¡¯t dark.


    However, something else caught everyone¡¯s attention.


    Colin looked up slightly and saw, in the distant horizon beyond the mountain silhouettes, a part of the dark sky illuminated by something.


    It seemed there was a massive light source under the mountains.


    ¡¾The pure, all-repelling light illuminates that place. You believe that¡¯s where the High Court is, and you¡¯re on the right path.¡¿


    ¡¾But it seems far away, requiring a long journey.¡¿


    ¡°Whew¡­¡±


    Colin breathed a sigh of relief. As long as the path was correct, the distance didn¡¯t matter.


    Then, Colin snapped his fingers, and everyone quickly returned to their positions, forming a defensive formation.


    After retracting his gaze from the distance, Colin focused entirely on the surrounding forest, his mind racing, using the hints to gather information¡­


    Eventually, Colin confirmed there was no immediate danger nearby, but moving forward was uncertain.


    ¡°Number One, count the people and see if anyone is missing.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    One, two, three¡­ twenty-five people¡­


    Number One counted carefully with his fingers and reported:


    ¡°Lord, everyone¡¯s accounted for!¡±

 Chapter 84: Something Feels Off

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s good¡­¡±Colin nodded. He felt something was slightly off, but couldn¡¯t pinpoint exactly what it was.


    The surroundings seemed fine.


    He glanced back, and as expected, the white fog had completely vanished.


    After taking a deep breath, Colin looked again at the light hidden behind the mountains, illuminating half of the sky.


    ¡¾There are many paths leading there, but besides the one you¡¯re on, the other paths are either too far or may have hidden obstacles that can¡¯t be traversed.¡¿


    ¡°Start moving.¡±


    Retracting his gaze, Colin held up his lantern and led the team forward, step by step.


    At this point, they were walking on relatively flat ground, scattered with condensed light stones of varying sizes.


    The surrounding area was dark and deep, with large, withered trees stretching out their bare branches, looking menacing and strange, but offering no cover.


    The ground was covered with layers of decayed leaves, accumulated over the years, feeling soft and making a rustling sound when stepped on.


    The path was long.


    Longer than Colin had expected. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    After nearly an hour, they were still in the forest, occasionally spotting ruined houses in the distance from some hills.


    However, this was only visible through the hints; the naked eye couldn¡¯t see that far.


    Despite seeing it, Colin had no intention of investigating further.


    What was certain now was that they were making progress and had not encountered a wall of ghostly trees as before.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope we encounter some mutants to fight.¡±


    An ominous silence enveloped the entire area. After nearly two hours of walking with no anomalies, Colin found himself hoping to encounter some mutants.


    It would be best to fight a few normal mutants to adjust the team¡¯s mood.


    Unfortunately, there was nothing here.


    After nearly another hour, the team remained vigilant, but conversation began to emerge from within the group to ease the monotony and unease.


    In this environment, they even started talking about mundane topics, past events, and minor hobbies.


    Of course, this was also Colin¡¯s suggestion; without chatting, the tension might become unbearable.


    Silence and peace.


    The sky remained dark and empty. After walking for over three hours, Colin and his team finally emerged from the forest.


    They entered a wide dirt road, with trees still lining both sides.


    This tree-lined path was dark and quiet, with the ground still mostly covered in fallen leaves, appearing quite disordered.


    However, through the dead branches and leaves, there seemed to be numerous traces on the dirt road.


    ¡¾You¡¯re curious about these traces. Upon closer observation, you find they include tracks from horses and carts, humans, beasts, and other things¡­¡¿


    ¡¾Ahead might be an ancient town.¡¿


    ¡¾There should be quite a bit of old-world history remaining there, and it doesn¡¯t seem too dangerous.¡¿


    Colin dismissed the hints from his mind.


    He already knew there was a town ahead and that it wasn¡¯t particularly dangerous¡­


    Yet, he still felt uneasy, sensing that something terrifying and dangerous was brewing with time.


    Colin felt he might have overlooked something, but couldn¡¯t make any connections or find a direction¡­


    It was a bit like forgetfulness¡ªone moment clearly remembering something, and the next moment forgetting it¡­


    ¡­I¡¯m probably overthinking it. Colin shook his head, his feet pressing on the leaf-covered path, and spoke in a low voice:


    ¡°Keep moving, stay alert, and report any issues immediately.¡±


    The team resumed their advance.


    However, no one noticed that in the lantern¡¯s light, which carried the rare tainted blood, the shadows walking alongside them had grown to twenty-eight¡­


    ¡­


    After another half hour of walking, Colin finally saw the town mentioned in the hints, a few hundred meters away.


    To be more precise, it was a ruin.


    The ruins were not large; it might have been a town as the hint suggested, but it had now settled into silence.


    ¡°Wonder what kind of monsters might be there¡­¡±


    Although the hint mentioned no significant danger, Colin wasn¡¯t taking any chances.


    The ruins¡¯ outer perimeter reflected in his eyes was a collapsed city wall, seemingly smashed by some force. Through the breach, the inner scene was vaguely visible.


    Desolate and dark.


    ¡¾You realize that a massive creature seems to have burst through here, following this ancient cobblestone road deep into the town.¡¿


    ¡°Could it be something the ¡®Mourning Watcher¡¯ did when leaving the High Court?¡±


    Colin immediately thought of this creature, but it didn¡¯t seem like it, as there were no large footprints on the ground.


    The monster that breached the city wall appeared to be a beast, given the remaining tracks of a four-legged animal.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go in and check.¡±


    Colin hesitated briefly but decided to proceed without bypassing the area.


    The main reason was that this was his first time seeing a town, and such a ¡°complete¡± one at that.


    There might be a lot of historical information to gather here.


    However, just as Colin and his team were about to cross the city wall and enter the desolate town, the shadow at the edge of the lantern¡¯s light began to move¡­


    In an instant, a shadow seemed to split off from its back and silently joined the team.


    Now, there were twenty-nine shadows.


    Colin, walking in the middle of the team, suddenly looked back¡­


    ¡¾You feel like something might be following you, but after observing the surrounding forest, you find it still quiet with no anomalies.¡¿


    ¡°An illusion?¡±


    Colin frowned, feeling increasingly uneasy, as if an invisible pressure was slowly intensifying.


    It was becoming harder to breathe.


    However, the hint¡¯s description seemed accurate¡­


    ¡°Lord Colin, do you feel like something is off around here¡­¡±


    Sanna furrowed her brow, seemingly sensing something but finding no clear evidence¡­


    ¡°Yes, but I haven¡¯t noticed anything¡­¡± Colin shook his head.


    ¡°Anything? I don¡¯t really feel much¡­¡± Li Chou interjected in surprise.


    All along, he had seen Colin seemingly on high alert, but he hadn¡¯t felt anything himself.


    In fact, for him, there was no safe place here.


    Everything looked eerie, making him feel creeped out, as if unknown horrors could leap out at any moment.


    Without special means, this was the biggest difference between ordinary survivors and Colin.


    They couldn¡¯t distinguish safe from dangerous¡­


    To them, everything here looked incredibly dangerous!


    Especially having to leave markers to avoid getting lost, if it weren¡¯t for the two servants at the start, their goosebumps would be dancing by now.

 Chapter 85: The Unsettling Bone Town

    ¡­Your inspiration is below three, barely reaching two. What can you feel¡­Colin glanced at Li Chou and muttered to himself.


    Despite the grumbling, Colin knew that he was unlikely to encounter someone with inspiration greater than three now.


    Those with inspiration above three and kind-hearted¡­


    Most likely had died on the first day without even leaving their house.


    High inspiration allows them to vaguely sense some ¡°truth¡± behind the unknown, making the ¡°right¡± choices.


    Thus, the first batch of people who mastered the lantern lighting method may not have had high inspiration.


    But those with high inspiration generally mastered the method of lighting the lantern.


    However, this is not necessarily a good thing¡­


    Especially when the inspiration is high but not high enough.


    Whether they intended to share lantern information out of goodwill on the first day or wanted to trade information for items¡­


    When they had such intentions and typed the first character in the chat channel¡­


    They all died, without exception.


    It seemed that something had hunted them using this method¡­


    Burying and blocking the lantern lighting method might be just a ¡°small¡± trap.


    The true target was not all humans, but this group of high-inspiration people¡­


    However, Colin had determined that, for unknown reasons, this trap had been dispelled. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Then he brought back a mixed-bag of punitive ¡°results.¡±


    Of course, this was just an accidental idea among Colin¡¯s many speculations and could not be taken as fact.


    The reason for his speculation was based on a hint received recently, namely, ¡°Those with inspiration below three won¡¯t die, but those above three will.¡±


    Something was targeting them.


    On the contrary, someone like Li Chou, with higher than average inspiration but not too high, was the most suitable¡­


    Shaking his head, Colin brushed off these sudden thoughts.


    Without much hesitation, he led everyone into the ruins.


    Compared to the outside, after crossing the three-meter-wide gap in the city wall with the lantern, the view became much clearer.


    However, upon seeing what lay ahead, Colin and the others couldn¡¯t help but become solemn.


    The light shone into the town, revealing pale bones everywhere¡­


    Almost covering every corner of the town.


    This sight captivated everyone¡¯s attention, making them unconsciously overlook the other buildings.


    ¡°How many people died here?¡±


    Colin couldn¡¯t help but gasp¡­


    Then they noticed the abandoned, collapsed, and uninhabited buildings.


    ¡°Did someone massacre the city?¡± Li Chou couldn¡¯t help but ask.


    Given the scene before them, this was the only plausible explanation.


    Moreover, almost simultaneously, they couldn¡¯t help but recall the wretched deeds of the Suffering Church.


    Anything but good, they would attribute it to them without feeling out of place.


    ¡°Wait, it doesn¡¯t seem like those guys did this¡­¡±


    Colin noticed that every skeleton on the ground had traces of being gnawed by something.


    Even though countless years had passed and the bones had weathered, these gnawing marks were still quite evident.


    ¡¾You notice that these seem to be marks left by rodents.¡¿


    Colin shivered involuntarily.


    Rodents¡­


    He meant rats, right?


    Most importantly, Colin recalled something¡ªon the body of that female survivor¡­


    There were traces of being gnawed by rats.


    But at the time, no one paid attention to a few rats¡­


    But now¡­


    These rats seemed a bit off.


    ¡°Could it be a coincidence?¡±


    Colin¡¯s eyelids twitched, swallowing hard, as he looked at the scattered white bones¡­


    ¡¾After careful observation, you notice that every piece of remains has gnawing marks from rodents, without exception.¡¿


    What about the rats?


    ¡¾There are no traces of rat activity around.¡¿


    ¡°Wait, is there really no significant danger here? I mean including groups, not just individuals. Don¡¯t give me a false sense of security.¡±


    Colin thought, suddenly realizing that if the so-called lack of significant danger referred to just one rat¡­


    Then he would be in big trouble.


    After all, it didn¡¯t seem to be just one rat here.


    One rat might be fine, but a swarm of rats was another matter¡­


    He suddenly remembered the unease during the journey. Could it be related to the rats?


    ¡¾After observing the surroundings, you find that you indeed haven¡¯t detected any dangerous areas in the town.¡¿


    ¡°I was too naive. I believed in that hundred-kilogram thing before. I hope you¡¯re not deceiving me.¡±


    Colin grumbled and led the team forward, ¡°Be careful and try to avoid these bones. If you can¡¯t find a place to rest, just move them aside. No, Li Chou, you handle it¡­¡±


    The bones on the ground were so numerous that it was hard to imagine how many people had died here.


    It was also hard to imagine how many rats it would take to kill these people¡­


    Especially since there wasn¡¯t a single rat in sight.


    It was as if only people had died¡­


    Well, also the remains of cats, dogs, and birds.


    But these remains were too few and buried among the many human bones, making them hard to spot.


    Regardless of whether they were discovered, all the bones Colin walked past were ¡°sealed¡± into Li Chou¡¯s inventory with a tearful expression.


    This was to avoid any sudden reassembly of these remains later¡­


    Even if they all stood up, they would be in a dismembered state, easier to deal with than a complete skeleton soldier¡­


    And Colin would constantly monitor Li Chou¡¯s mental state to ensure there was no mental interference or similar issues nearby.


    Fortunately, everything seemed fine for now.


    As for the bones, if there was time, they would be gathered and burned, leaving not a single piece behind.


    At this moment, as the team delved deeper, Colin stopped in front of a relatively intact two-story stone house, intending to knock on the door to see if he could find the cause of the town¡¯s destruction.


    ¡°Knock knock¡­¡±


    ¡°Is anyone there?¡±


    A servant, following Colin¡¯s instructions, knocked on the wooden door. But the next moment,


    There was movement inside the house.


    Instantly, everyone became alert.


    It sounded like bones scattering on the ground.


    Had the skeletons come to life?


    Everyone had a similar thought during the journey¡­


    Like childhood fears of a ceiling fan falling and cutting off their heads¡­


    But it wasn¡¯t.


    ¡¾You realize it might be the sound of bones shifting and falling from the door after being disturbed.¡¿


    Confirming there was no danger inside,


    The number one with the wooden wheel suddenly kicked the wooden door.


    With a bang, the simple wooden door of the stone house was split in two, and the interior space was illuminated by the lantern.


    A dust-covered hall had a pile of white bones at the entrance, as if they had tried to block the door to defend against something¡­


    Clearly, this effort had failed.


    This group of people had all died here.


    After a simple and uneventful exploration, Colin found an unfinished will.

 Chapter 86: The First Miracle: “The Twisted Father�

    An almost intact letter was found.It was old and yellowed with a touch of gray, covered in dust, and placed on a fairly well-preserved table.


    The person who wrote it had become a pile of bones scattered around, with some remains still in the clothes on a chair, clearly dead for a long time.


    Since the paper was extremely fragile due to the erosion of time, Colin had no intention of touching it.


    After having Li Chou help collect the bodies, Colin held the lantern above the paper, leaning forward slightly to read its contents.


    The writing was in an unfamiliar script similar to cuneiform.


    With the help of system ¡°machine translation¡± and hint, Colin roughly understood the meaning:


    The plague has erupted again, and the church has abandoned us. Not only do they forbid us from contacting the priests, but they also refuse to send a knight¡­


    They told us that if we are devout followers of the ¡°Mother of Suffering and Thorns,¡± miracles will descend in the midst of pain and despair¡­


    These self-righteous bastards have completely twisted the church¡¯s teachings and distorted the truth of the First Miracle, ¡°The Twisted Father¡±¡­


    Damn these¡­


    Damn these¡­


    ¡­


    The subsequent handwriting became messy and hasty, with the paper even being torn. It was filled with negative emotions and a great deal of despair¡­


    ¡°The First Miracle ¡®The Twisted Father¡¯¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s attention was drawn to this term, and almost instantly, he remembered the statue in the church outside.


    The statue depicted a man with disheveled hair and a gaunt body, bound in an extremely tortured and exaggerated manner to a thorny tree.


    ¡¾You speculate that ¡°The Twisted Father¡± might be the name represented by that statue. During the Age of Suffering, he was known as the First Miracle, the first sufferer, and the beginning of all ¡°suffering,¡± marking the start of this era.¡¿


    ¡°Does this First Miracle imply a sequence, or does it refer to strength? Of course, if he were alive, he probably wouldn¡¯t be weak¡­¡±


    Colin made a quick judgment; after all, the description from the prompt was very high-flown.


    The beginning of the Age of Suffering, the first sufferer, the first miracle, the beginning of all suffering¡­


    It all sounded impressive¡­


    Then, having thought of something, Colin took out the scroll.


    In the quest list, his personal progress as a ¡°Civilization Investigator¡± had jumped from about 0.00002% to about 0.1%.


    It moved forward by two decimal points.


    However, the overall progress still did not meet the recording standards, indicating that the global survey progress was still less than 1%. S?a?ch* Th? N0??F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that there¡¯s only a name and no more details. If I could learn more about ¡®The Twisted Father,¡¯ the progress might have skyrocketed.¡±


    Colin felt a bit regretful.


    Just a name could advance the progress by three decimal points. Imagine if all the details and scandals were unearthed¡­


    No, why do I feel like I¡¯ve become a tabloid reporter¡­


    Colin grumbled and shook his head, not dwelling on it further. He then focused on the contents of the letter.


    ¡°Plague¡­¡±


    He recalled the appearance of these skeletons, all of whom seemed to have been gnawed to death by rats, which didn¡¯t seem related to the plague¡­


    Some remains lay on the ground, hands stretched forward, as if pleading for help in their final moments.


    Then they were completely gnawed clean by rodents, leaving only skeletons. It appeared none had died from disease.


    What does this have to do with the plague?


    ¡°Broken machine translation, it should be a rat disaster.¡±


    Colin muttered, then felt puzzled, ¡°If it¡¯s a rat disaster, where are the rats?¡±


    There weren¡¯t any rats, not even a rat hair or footprint. Besides the gnawing marks on the bones, there was no sign of rats or anything related to them.


    He carefully turned to the next page of the extremely fragile paper, only to find it completely blank.


    ¡°But speaking of which, with such a number of rats, even if they were still alive, they should have starved to death, right?¡±


    Colin imagined a rat plague ravaging the entire town. Theoretically, without food, they would surely starve to death.


    But then he thought of something else and dismissed his idea.


    There¡¯s a ¡°Olive Maiden¡± next door who can make hundreds of thousands of olive trees live just by crying every day.


    It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if there was a ¡°Miracle Boy¡± or ¡°Girl¡± here who could keep millions of rats alive just by crying.


    After all, these two places are quite close¡­


    ¡°Hmm, if it weren¡¯t for the white fog, these areas might not be as close as they seem¡­ This fogseems to be layering the space¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s mind was swirling with thoughts, but the problem remained unresolved¡­


    Where did the rats go?


    ¡¾You realize that these rats are not ordinary; they seem to have used some mysterious means to kill everyone.¡¿


    ¡°Mysterious means¡­¡±


    Colin had to abandon further thought. There were no more breakthroughs to be gained in this area. He could only collect more information and see if the prompts provided new content.


    ¡°But it looks like one thing can be basically confirmed¡­¡±


    ¡°The church is deliberately creating suffering to trigger ¡®miracles¡¯ and then¡­ collect them?¡±


    Otherwise, it¡¯s really hard for Colin to explain why they were so inhumane.


    Or perhaps, for the upper class, ordinary people¡¯s lives are worthless. As long as a ¡°miracle¡± is produced, all the sacrifices have value.


    That¡¯s why Colin saw them as so inhumane.


    The church¡¯s refusal to provide aid this time was probably driven by the same purpose¡­


    Just like with Kimino.


    But he didn¡¯t know if this city had experienced a ¡°miracle.¡±


    Then, Colin shook his head. Such behavior¡­ No matter how you understand it, it¡¯s just idiotic¡­


    As the investigation continued, Colin gathered more historical information¡­


    But he was still completely baffled by what happened to the rats.


    There were quite a few letters in the town, but most were of no value, mostly prayers for miracles, and wishes for what they wanted to eat or see before dying¡­


    Some even pleaded for some encounter with a neighbor¡¯s wife before dying.


    They were all kinds of strange¡ªsome were open-minded, some were desperate, and some were hysterical.


    The only certainty was that they all understood what they were about to face, and the disaster was very sudden, so sudden that everyone died without having time to prepare further.


    ¡°Now, a simple judgment, the town must have gathered about ten to twenty thousand people at that time¡­¡±


    Not a small number, but definitely not insignificant.


    ¡­


    The investigation continued, and as Colin saw more and more leftover information, he began to piece together some clues about the source of the rats.


    ¡°¡®The noise from inside the walls is getting louder. They are coming! They are coming!¡¯¡­ Inside the walls¡­¡±


    Colin pondered. At that moment, he stood in a collapsed building, looking at the ¡°letters¡± on the table that seemed to have been scratched out with someone¡¯s nails¡­


    Were the rats coming out from holes dug in the walls?

 Chapter 87: A Big Rat

    Colin instinctively looked at the walls of the surrounding buildings¡­No rat holes¡­


    Thinking back, he hadn¡¯t seen anything like that along the way.


    Besides, with such a large number of rats, what kind of rat hole could accommodate them?


    But at that moment, a new prompt appeared.


    [You still cannot understand where these rodents come from, but you realize that when you have enough information, you might trigger a quest.]


    [Through the quest description, you might be able to learn more information.]


    ¡°Just like with the Land of the Withered Olives, if you meet certain conditions, the system can directly issue quests¡­¡±


    ¡°But, meeting certain conditions and the system issuing quests, is this a ¡®dungeon¡¯ feature?¡±


    Colin remembered that there was no such situation outside. Apart from the two later quests, the system only had a daily quest for black bread.


    To get new quests, you could only rely on ¡°Twisted Souls,¡± then luckily accept a quest, and then encounter a lord-level mutant¡ª


    Then it was game over.


    Not doing trigger quests was a warning learned through many lives lost; countless people had died for this knowledge. Fortunately, this knowledge had spread with the rise of discussions, and people gave up the idea of doing quests.


    At this moment, the chat channel had undergone a significant change thanks to Colin¡¯s two instances of ¡°selfless dedication.¡±


    Negative emotions had greatly decreased, and people were encouraging each other more in their desperate circumstances¡­


    Without thinking too much, Colin left the collapsed house, carrying the lantern, and continued with the group, digging through the last wills for historical information and trying to trigger system quests.


    Although he had little interest in doing quests, he was very interested in what had happened here.


    After all, this concerned whether they could avoid these deadly dangers.


    ¡°The system¡¯s quest descriptions are incomplete, but with hints, I can piece together the quest content¡­¡±


    Colin thought as he walked¡ªnot too quickly, because they would need to find a place to rest around here for the night.


    It would take several hours to reach the foot of the mountain from here, and the gray fog¡¯s nightfall was approaching soon.


    It was uncertain what might happen in the underground area during the night, so they needed to camp and observe first.


    At this moment, they entered another house. After a quick look around, Colin found a ¡°last will¡± written in charcoal.


    ¡°¡­My poor little lambs have turned to white bones. Such a pity. I wish I could see them once more before I die. But if possible, it would be better to have goats. Goats are more tender and taste much better than lambs. I really want to have one more¡­?¡±


    Colin exited the single-story house with a strange look on his face.


    He thought that the neighbor¡¯s wife-obsessed ¡°Boss Cao¡± was weird enough, but this was even weirder¡­


    At this moment, Li Chou, trying to change the topic awkwardly, said, ¡°The people of this era seem backward, but their literacy rate is quite high. Almost every household has someone who can write. Is this also a miracle?¡±


    His expression was also a bit peculiar. He too had the system, so he could barely understand what the words meant.


    Except, unlike Colin, he didn¡¯t have hints to correct him, making reading less smooth, but he could generally understand.


    Of course, it wasn¡¯t just them; the servants also had the system¡¯s translation function, allowing them to roughly understand different civilizations¡¯ texts.


    But their ¡°translation optimization¡± was worse than Colin¡¯s group. S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If Colin¡¯s text had a bit of refinement¡­


    Then what they saw, perhaps due to the cost-saving in computing, was much simpler and cruder: ¡°My sheep are gone, but I prefer goats over sheep.¡±


    Standing beside Colin, Shana no longer read these wills. She couldn¡¯t extract any useful information from them¡­


    Besides, many of the final messages were too filthy.


    ¡­


    As they continued, exploring over a dozen houses, Colin felt he had gathered enough information.


    But something was still missing¡ªjust a crucial piece to trigger the quest.


    It felt like he was stuck at 99% completion, only one step away, but it would not move.


    However, as they continued, Colin saw the largest building in this town.


    A church.


    A Gothic-style church with thorny patterns, gray-white walls, and only one floor.


    Compared to the suffering church outside, this one was slightly smaller, with simpler wall patterns.


    But something had happened, causing a third of this church to collapse.


    [After observing, you find that although this church cannot compare to the Suffering Church outside, it seems to be older than the one outside.]


    [Perhaps its age dates back further than the ¡®Era of Suffering.¡¯]


    ¡°Older than the ¡®Era of Suffering¡¯?¡±


    Colin was surprised. He noticed that unlike the outside church, this one didn¡¯t have many human reliefs on the walls, no bowed heads with iron balls hanging from their necks, no one prostrating¡­


    None of that.


    It only had pure thorny patterns, with no ¡°suffering¡± acts¡­


    What does this imply?


    For someone unfamiliar with the church, they might call this the ¡°Thorny Church.¡±


    But as Colin was about to observe further, Number One reminded him:


    ¡°Lord, look over there¡­¡±


    Colin followed Number One¡¯s direction and narrowed his eyes.


    In the collapsed part of this Gothic church, he saw the dried-out corpse of a large beast.


    Its dry brown fur covered its bones, lying in the shadows, not easy to spot at first glance.


    It was lying there, about one and a half meters tall.


    Fortunately, after observing for a while, Colin found this creature was also dead, lying motionless in the ruins of the church¡¯s right side.


    [Upon examining the skeleton, you find it somewhat twisted, but comparing it to some animal skeletons in your memory, you realize it¡¯s fundamentally a rat.]


    ¡°What kind of rat grows this big, bigger than an elephant¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s eyelid twitched. Though it was hard to believe, it did look like a rat.


    A giant rat.


    However, the more he looked, the more familiar it seemed, as if he had seen this creature before¡­


    This doubt didn¡¯t last long. With the help of a hint, he suddenly realized¡ª


    This rat was killed by the priest!


    At that moment, the cold system voice echoed in Colin¡¯s mind.


    The long-stalled quest finally appeared!

 Chapter 88: Rat in the Walls

    [Quest trigger condition met, issuing task ¡°Rat in the Walls.¡±][Quest issued, please check.]


    ¡°Rat in the Walls¡­¡± Colin squinted, glanced at the giant rat¡¯s corpse, and took out the scroll.


    [¡°Rat in the Walls¡±]


    [Quest Description: In the Watt Manor1ÎÖÌØׯ԰ with ÎÖÌØ being probably the surname and ׯ԰ translated to manor, a ritual was held in disappointment with the Church of Suffering. No one knows the outcome of this ritual, but afterward, sharp, piercing noises often came from the walls, followed by the first rat plague¡­]


    [During this disaster, the young Kaidish revealed his ¡®miracle,¡¯ single-handedly suppressing the rat plague.]


    [Everything was sealed at the bottom of the manor, but later, the seal seemed to loosen.]


    [Years later, when the second rat plague broke out, the church concealed the disaster here for unknown reasons. It wasn¡¯t until the priest escorted the last batch of children through this place that he realized what had happened and understood that the situation here needed to be suppressed.]


    [In the end, he mostly quelled the second rat plague, but this left him near death and unable to reinforce the seal.]


    [Quest Duration: 1 day, 23 hours, 56 minutes.]


    [Quest Requirements: Reinforce the seal to prevent the ominous entities from leaking out.]


    [Hint: You guess that reinforcing the seal will require a large amount of Condensed Light Stones, and the task itself is not difficult; you just need to place a large number of Condensed Light Stones in the seal.]


    After reading the quest details, Colin rubbed his chin, finally understanding why the rat looked so familiar.


    In the ¡°Twisted Souls¡± scenes involving the priest, he had killed a large beast and then stumbled away, mentally unstable¡­


    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the place where he killed the monster to be in the underground area, but how did he get out of here?¡±


    The white fog had disappeared, and now there was no way to turn back. Colin still didn¡¯t know how to leave this place.


    However, it seemed that neither the priest nor the Mourning Watcher left through tunnels but directly appeared outside after leaving here.


    ¡°When I find that light source, I should be able to figure out how to leave here. As for this quest¡­¡±


    Colin shook his head. Seeing no custom design drawings mentioned, he had little desire to complete it.


    The priority was quickly reaching the High Court and gaining extraordinary abilities to face upcoming troubles.


    But when Colin paused for a few seconds on the quest rewards, he was stunned.


    [Quest Rewards: Raw Potatoes*30, Recovery Card*1, Polluted Eyeball*1.]


    ¡°Raw potatoes¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s breath hitched, suddenly realizing the system offered an irresistible reward.


    Li Chou noticed his reaction, glanced at the quest list, and was equally stunned:


    ¡°Did I read that right? Raw potatoes? Is the system broken? Shouldn¡¯t it be ¡¯99 hardened black bread¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Is this food¡­ very important?¡± Sanna asked, intrigued.


    She was always interested in food and was the only one Colin knew who recognized edible roots and gathered them for reserves.


    Even with sufficient food, she¡¯d still pull out withered roots occasionally, clean them, and stuff them into the Bible¡­


    ¡°Very important. If the system can issue this, it might be trying to reduce survival difficulty¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s gaze fixated on the potatoes. A raw potato, with its sprouting ¡°eyes,¡± could be cut into small pieces and planted¡ªan easy method.


    Although there were only thirty raw potatoes¡­


    Once they sprout and are planted, they could fill all the fields in his territory.


    A third-level territory¡¯s fields had a ¡°growth acceleration¡± function. Using fog points could speed up crop growth; if willing to spend, he could harvest in a very short time.


    The main issue now was the lack of seeds.


    Or rather, there were seeds, but mostly wild grass seeds with little nutritional value¡­


    It seemed the upgraded territory¡¯s functions were just for show.


    Colin initially thought they were meant to explore and find suitable wild seeds for cultivation.


    After all, that fits the ¡°survival¡± concept. S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    But he didn¡¯t expect the system to provide seeds, and such a game-changing one¡ªpotatoes!


    When planted and accelerated with mist points, he might harvest within a day, then massively sell sprouted potato pieces¡­


    Perhaps, in a short time, everyone could eat his potatoes¡­


    Just like they ate black bread to the point of nausea!


    Frankly, these potatoes might solve the survival issues of many across the globe.


    ¡°Initially, the cost of accelerating potato growth from sprouting to maturity with fog points will be high¡­¡±


    But so what if it¡¯s costly?


    At this moment, Colin¡¯s compassionate eyes saw those green leeks¡­


    No, those struggling survivors, scrawny and barely surviving on hardened black bread¡­


    With great power comes great responsibility¡­


    How could he enjoy it alone while people suffered?


    These potatoes¡¯ significance was immense, potentially easing survival pressure for all.


    ¡°Tomorrow, the leeks will have grown again, right?¡± Colin mused.


    Today was the third day; those who survived had learned some survival techniques.


    Many areas had formed alliances, with numbers even surpassing his, reaching dozens.


    This meant faster resource gathering and more supplies being carried.


    And sharing was a virtue. If the quest went well, Colin would personally lead the sharing tomorrow.


    Just as he did yesterday¡­


    ¡°Boss, isn¡¯t the field function exclusive to third-level territories?¡±


    Colin glanced at Li Chou and said, ¡°With so many survivors in an area, they can pool resources and collectively fund one.¡±


    Third-level territories were expensive, but with about ten survivors pooling resources, it was manageable.


    ¡°And this would force survivors to band together, despite potential conflicts, making humanity stronger overall¡­¡±


    Colin explained. A third-level territory that produced food versus one that didn¡¯t had vastly different value and influence.


    Once he spread potato seeds, humanity would surely gain another boost in strength.


    1


    ÎÖÌØׯ԰ with ÎÖÌØ being probably the surname and ׯ԰ translated to mano

 Chapter 89: The Slender Ghost

    ¡°Boss, you¡¯re always thinking ahead, always considering humanity as a whole¡­¡± Li Chou felt a bit impressed.¡°Nothing much, just things you think of when you calm down¡­¡± Colin didn¡¯t boast. His eyes moved past the ¡°Recovery Card¡± to the next item: ¡°What the hell is this ¡®Polluted Eyeball¡¯?¡±


    He had noticed it earlier, but compared to the huge potential value of the potatoes, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to it. Now, as his excitement cooled down, he realized this reward item seemed a bit sinister¡­


    [¡­It seems to be laughing?]


    What kind of hint is that? Colin scoffed and decided not to dwell on it, guessing it was something akin to a mysterious item.


    ¡°I¡¯ve collected quite a few Condensed Light Stones; using them shouldn¡¯t be a problem. But where is the Watt Manor?¡±


    Colin looked around, and his gaze finally settled on the mountains, noticing the manor wasn¡¯t far¡­


    [The Watt Manor is on a mountainside, not far off your current path. If you wish, reaching there won¡¯t take much time.]


    [The manor poses some danger¡­]


    [It will take about four hours to reach the mountain¡¯s foot. There¡¯s nearly four hours left until nightfall.]


    ¡°Nearly four hours, so it seems this will have to wait until tomorrow. If only we had a war chariot now, it¡¯d be a huge advantage in this kind of defensive battle¡­ Oh well, I¡¯ll scout it out tomorrow. If it¡¯s not too difficult, I¡¯ll complete the quest. If there are other troubles, I¡¯ll leave it for now¡­¡±


    Colin shook his head. Despite his excitement, he didn¡¯t really intend to ¡°sacrifice himself for others¡± for these benefits.


    He then turned his attention to the collapsed church and the rat¡¯s corpse, preparing to examine them for any peculiarities in preparation for tomorrow¡¯s exploration.


    But at that moment, the 29-person team silently gained one more member.


    Thirty people now¡­


    And at that moment, some kind of dangerous condition seemed to have been met.


    In an instant, everyone felt a shiver in their hearts, and Colin¡¯s step halted.


    Even Li Chou, not particularly sensitive, felt a primal fear.


    A cold wind seemed to brush their souls, spreading eerie terror!


    ¡°Be careful, defensive positions!¡± Colin didn¡¯t dare be careless. He shouted, waking everyone up and ordering them to quickly form a defensive circle.


    The whole team swiftly surrounded and protected him.


    Colin then scanned the surroundings and noticed the environment had suddenly grown darker and more blurred.


    What happened?


    Colin sensed that the source of the danger he¡¯d felt throughout the journey had finally chosen to reveal its fangs at this moment!


    There was no one around.


    Yet a chilling sense of foreboding grew stronger.


    Colin and his team, huddled together, looked uneasy, tense, and anxious¡­


    [You realize this is the source of the fear you¡¯ve felt but couldn¡¯t identify all along.]


    [It chose this moment to appear, though the conditions for its full manifestation aren¡¯t yet met¡­]


    [It seems hesitant, waiting for a more complete opportunity¡­]


    When this hint appeared, Colin and his team felt their hearts sink¡­


    Because amidst the ruins, they suddenly saw a shadowy figure appear.


    A tall, slender figure¡­


    It stood about 2.5 meters tall, with limbs stretched unnaturally long, appearing in a collapsed house about ten meters away. S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Colin had been there just moments ago.


    Now, this slender figure stood there like a post, facing Colin and his team.


    ¡°There¡¯s one here too!¡± Li Chou shouted in fear, pointing in another direction.


    Before Colin could look, another slender figure appeared in a still-intact house, coldly ¡°staring¡± at them through a windowless opening.


    This one was even closer!


    However, Colin and the others still couldn¡¯t clearly see it¡ªonly a black, blurry humanoid outline.


    They couldn¡¯t even tell if it was facing them¡­


    But Colin distinctly felt these things were watching them, their eerie gazes filled with immense, indescribable malice!


    ¡°They can¡¯t enter the lantern¡¯s light?¡± Colin thought.


    If that¡¯s the case¡­


    But before he could ponder further, a fourth slender figure appeared¡­


    This one appeared directly within the lantern¡¯s light, shattering Colin¡¯s theory.


    At this moment, Colin ¡°saw¡± it clearly¡­


    A figure dressed like a gentleman, without facial features, stretched straight into a blurry silhouette!


    ¡°This definitely isn¡¯t human! It might not even be related to mutants!¡±


    Colin and his team immediately had this thought.


    [The Slender Figure, a more bizarre and strange lifeform compared to mutants. It can erase things from reality through contact. Be careful not to let it touch you¡­]


    [You realize it¡¯s extremely hard to kill. To deal with them, it seems you need to start from the inside¡­]


    ¡°From the inside?¡±


    Confused, Colin looked at it again, feeling his eyes dry. He quickly said, ¡°Retreat first and don¡¯t let them touch you¡­¡±


    With insufficient information, Colin had no intention of engaging them directly.


    However, they hadn¡¯t gone far before they had to stop again as more slender figures appeared ahead.


    This time, there were nine of them, making breathing difficult¡­


    They were scattered around, staring at Colin¡¯s team without moving.


    But under this invisible, terrifying gaze, cold sweat soaked everyone¡¯s backs.


    Turning around¡­


    ¡°We¡¯re surrounded.¡±


    Colin said heavily.


    There was no way out.


    In less than three minutes, the entire town seemed to come alive again¡­


    Shadows were everywhere¡­


    In every corner and every shadow, new figures emerged.


    Thousands of shadows¡­


    They just stood there silently, motionless, yet exerting a terrifying pressure.


    ¡°Wait, why aren¡¯t they moving?¡± Colin suddenly recalled this crucial question.


    The hint had said¡­


    They were waiting for a more complete opportunity¡­


    The time wasn¡¯t right yet?


    Why not?


    The problem lay inside¡­


    Colin¡¯s mind raced, feeling he was onto something.


    But at that moment, a slender shadow suddenly appeared in the lantern¡¯s light, just a meter away from the nearest servant¡­


    This time, perhaps because it was close enough, it finally reacted!

 Chapter 90: There’s a Traitor Among Us

    A nearly two-meter-long, grotesquely extended arm reached out towards the outermost servant. The light around its hand was distorted, suggesting that any contact would lead to dire consequences¡­But then, with a whistling sound, a flying iron axe struck its head. With a dull thud, it felt like splitting a wooden stake. The next second, a sharp, piercing scream came from the tall, slender figure. Though faceless and eerily smooth, it clutched its head, screamed, retreated a few steps, and turned to ashes, leaving everything silent.


    Just like that, it was dead?


    Colin, who had just pulled out another axe, was momentarily stunned but quickly realized the screeching sound was very sharp and piercing. Even without any special effects, the more they killed and heard it, the greater the psychological pressure would be¡­


    ¡°Damn it, why scream so loudly when you¡¯re dying¡­¡± Colin cursed inwardly. Knowing these monsters were currently as weak as paper, he immediately led his team to break through and kept moving¡­


    Otherwise, these bizarre creatures would appear in their ranks at any moment. He didn¡¯t know if being touched would truly erase them, but he didn¡¯t want to find out.


    Soon, Colin led the team out of town, and the tall, slender figures didn¡¯t follow. They merely turned to silently watch Colin and his team escape. Only occasionally did a slender figure appear within the lantern¡¯s light, and only when within arm¡¯s reach would it take action. However, these actions were slow and easily thwarted.


    But even as Colin retreated into the forest, along the path they had come, the eerie, tall figures continued to appear quickly. Cold, eerie figures kept emerging from behind the trees. They grew in number, becoming densely packed, making Colin¡¯s scalp tingle.


    Colin couldn¡¯t fathom how many of these tall figures had appeared in just these few minutes¡­


    Explosions, screams, and footsteps echoed intermittently from the forest. Invisible terror brewed wildly over time¡­


    The wind blowing in grew colder and colder. They ran with dry throats, but the wind felt like falling into an ice cellar. They realized profoundly that a certain threshold was rapidly approaching¡­


    Once the time was ripe, the countless tall figures would immediately attack. Colin kept his calm, his gaze sweeping over the team, his mind racing. He felt like he was on the verge of understanding something, but couldn¡¯t quite grasp it¡­


    Everything seemed normal, but Colin knew¡­


    The horror was just a bit of time away from erupting. At that moment, something would inevitably go wrong, which would be the final opportunity and his only chance to break through. Colin had a premonition that if he could understand the rules of this sudden event, dealing with it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    However, at that moment, his heart sank. Suddenly, a rustling sound filled the forest. Tall figures emerged from behind trees, their ¡°gazes¡± filled with malice, slowly approaching. Though they moved slowly, everyone realized in horror that the distance between them was rapidly closing!


    They seemed to warp space to some extent. Just then, Colin noticed a figure within the team, its back writhing madly. Like a splitting image, a new ¡°person¡± joined the team. Colin¡¯s mind flashed, his scalp tingling¡­ S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Damn, why are there thirty-two people in the team?¡± Colin followed the splitting figure¡¯s owner. It was¡­


    Li Chou!


    He was stunned, realizing the source of everything was Li Chou¡­ But after a brief moment, he noticed something was wrong.


    ¡°Here, over here, hehehe, follow us, we¡¯re here, hehehe¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, come on, come on, follow us, let them die, let them die, hehehe, let them die in despair¡­¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t escape, hehehe, they can¡¯t escape¡­¡±


    Li Chou¡¯s face wore an expression urging everyone to flee, but he kept ¡°calling out,¡± laughing eerily and sharply, eyes filled with malice, summoning those lifeforms from another dimension¡­ And no one else seemed to notice anything wrong.


    At this moment, Colin didn¡¯t hesitate. He felt an invisible influence twisting his memory. If he delayed a few more seconds, he would ¡°forget¡± again. His dark pupils deepened.


    Mental Piercing!


    ¡°Hehehe, qui¡ªugh¡­¡±


    The eerie laughter abruptly stopped as Li Chou groaned in pain, clutching his head and writhing on the ground like a mudfish on a hot iron plate. Simultaneously, all the moving shadows froze, staring eerily at them but making no move. They seemed to lose their coordinates, unable to lock onto Colin, only instinctively watching.


    But as ¡°Li Chou¡± clutched his head and screamed, the shadows hesitated and moved again.


    [You realize this is just a bizarre doppelganger, not the real Li Chou.]


    Clang!


    The prompt appeared, and Colin swung his axe at ¡°his¡± neck. No blood splattered; it felt like chopping into cotton. The corpse quickly disintegrated into ashes. Simultaneously, the tall, ghostly figures stopped.


    ¡°What was that? It looked just like me! What happened? What happened?!¡± Another Li Chou looked bewildered at the ground.


    His shout brought everyone¡¯s attention to the fact that there had been two Li Chous!


    ¡°Are you the real one?¡± Colin instinctively wanted to swing his axe but held back.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Li Chou looked dazed.


    Colin¡¯s cold gaze swept over Li Chou, making him shiver. Colin nodded.


    ¡°Come here, let me show you something amazing¡­¡±


    ¡°Boss, you won¡¯t hurt me, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust my word?¡±


    Thud¡­


    Colin¡¯s hand fell, and a head hit the ground, but like a pile of leaves, there was no blood, only ashes. Simultaneously, the pervasive terror eased again. Even the eerie figures dimmed, seeming ready to vanish.

 Chapter 91: Carve a Mark for Me

    ¡°What happened!¡±From another direction, one that no one had noticed before, Li Chou was holding his face, looking at the scene before him in utter terror. At this moment, seeing everyone¡¯s eyes gathered on him, he quickly defended himself: ¡°Boss, I¡¯m definitely real, I would never deceive you¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I believe you.¡±


    ¡°Then, then boss, why are you raising your axe¡­¡± S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Thud¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m really not a fake¡­¡±


    Thud¡­


    ¡°Boss, you know me, if I were an imposter¡­¡±


    Thud¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°I¡¯m done pretending, I¡¯ll admit it, I¡¯m the fake one, hehehe¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    Colin was momentarily stunned; this sudden confession almost threw him off. But at this moment, the clone suddenly rushed at him like it was making a suicidal attack, seemingly attempting a last-ditch effort.


    Colin hadn¡¯t even brought his axe down when a flash of white light passed, and a Bible with sharp corners struck the clone¡¯s head. The ¡°Li Chou¡± before him instantly exploded into a pile of ashes.


    Sanna had acted. Colin nodded at her without saying anything, his eyes continuing to scan the group. At this point, he remembered that he had chopped off ten heads in a row, and counting the one Shana had just killed, there were a total of eleven. All the strange feelings had disappeared, and everyone present felt a weight lift from their shoulders¡­


    Finally, Colin¡¯s gaze landed on the last remaining Li Chou in the group¡­


    ¡°B-Boss¡­¡±


    A weak voice came from the figure, as if just waking up from sleep, lacking energy. Li Chou slumped on the ground, dazed, like someone waking up from a nightmare, drenched in sweat.


    Colin instinctively raised his hand but didn¡¯t bring the axe down. This time, this one was real.


    ¡°Do you know what happened to you?¡± Colin asked in a deep voice.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I was aware of everything on this journey, but now it feels like I¡¯m in a dream¡­¡±


    Li Chou replied, his voice somewhat weak.


    Colin nodded, saying nothing more, and scanned the crowd.


    [When you set out, there were 21 people, and no one was lost along the way; the group still has 21 people.]


    [You finally realize that the trouble was brought on by something like a curse, which has targeted one in your group.]


    [After some contact, you now have some understanding of it¡­]


    [Every hour, it will split off a clone, and when the number of clones reaches half of your group, it will strike for real.]


    [The more people it occupies, the greater the danger with each casualty.]


    ¡°A curse¡­¡±


    Colin instinctively looked at Li Chou.


    The hint didn¡¯t say who was cursed, but after killing so many ¡°Li Chou¡± clones, it was obvious who had been cursed. No one present interrupted him, and even Li Chou himself sat obediently, allowing Colin to scan him with his eyes.


    Everyone knew, as those survivors whom the Lord refers to as ¡°fools¡± would say in private, Lord is just ¡°recharging his cheat¡± right now. Once the ¡°cheat¡± is activated, everything will be resolved¡­


    Colin had no idea what these people were thinking; he was quickly gathering more information about this curse.


    [¡­With your current abilities, you believe you cannot completely eliminate this curse, but can only regularly remove the clones every hour to ensure safety¡­]


    [You can at most use some mystical methods to extract and isolate the ¡®curse¡¯ for a time, but this method isn¡¯t very valuable.]


    [You realize that if you become distracted, you might forget the current information¡­]


    ¡°So, this means that even if I kill Li Chou now, the curse won¡¯t disappear, and as for mystical methods, the only option left is the ¡®The Shield of the Just Knight,¡¯ which isn¡¯t very useful¡­¡±


    Colin rubbed his forehead, feeling that this was just a random disaster that had befallen them, causing unnecessary suffering.


    When the last ¡°cursed body¡± exploded, Colin knew that the curse¡¯s clone had some intelligence. Without the prompt, it would have been very difficult to see through its real or fake clones.


    How did it come about?


    [¡­You cannot comprehend the existence of this thing¡­]


    ¡°¡­So, it¡¯s saying that its origin cannot be traced? Or is it simply beyond my understanding?¡±


    Colin felt a headache coming on. The system always leads the survivors to their doom, and now, instead of properly being a cheat, it likes to act as a riddle maker from time to time¡­


    Neither of them can be truly reliable.


    Wait¡­


    Colin pinched the ¡°soft flesh¡± on his waist and realized that he had inexplicably gotten distracted, almost forgetting the ¡°main quest¡±!


    And this was while in the ¡°Hunting Time,¡± he was almost influenced¡­


    Colin glanced at the others, their eyes somewhat dazed, as if they were about to forget what had just happened.


    Seeing this, Colin couldn¡¯t help but feel a chill¡­


    Taking a deep breath, as Li Chou in front of him saw Colin like this, thinking the problem was almost solved and wanting to ask what was going on, he suddenly saw Colin raise the axe and bring it down¡­


    Decisive, sharp, without a hint of hesitation¡­


    It¡¯s over!


    Li Chou couldn¡¯t block such an attack, but quickly, a shrill scream came from beside him, and he realized he wasn¡¯t dead¡­


    Next to him, there was now a pile of ashes¡­


    It was only then that everyone suddenly snapped back to their senses, reconnecting with their previous memories and realizing that there was a traitor in the group.


    ¡°The situation is temporarily resolved.¡±


    Colin said it coldly, briefly explaining to the group what had happened.


    ¡°I- I¡¯m cursed?¡±


    Li Chou looked incredulous, but the facts were right in front of him, leaving no room for doubt.


    ¡°Yes, although I¡¯m not sure what exactly happened, you were probably targeted as soon as we entered¡­ This underground area is far more dangerous than we imagined¡­¡±


    Colin spoke slowly, suspecting that this clone had something to do with the ritual at Watt Manor.


    Because its style was quite unusual.


    Compared to the bloody and violent mutated creatures, its style seemed to come from another world, more eerie and mysterious.


    However, that wasn¡¯t the key point.


    The key point was that Colin couldn¡¯t keep the ¡°Hunting Time¡± active all the time, so he needed a way to make sure he could constantly be aware of any issues in the group.


    Otherwise, what had just happened would keep happening, over and over again.


    Until they were all dead.


    After a brief moment of thought, Colin came up with an idea and rolled up his sleeves:


    ¡°Sanna, help me carve some words into my arm¡­¡±


    Pain was the best reminder.


    The main danger of this curse came from its ability to infinitely diminish its own presence until the moment it erupted¡­


    If one could be aware of its presence, it wouldn¡¯t be very dangerous, but if one couldn¡¯t¡­


    That would be another story.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Sanna was taken aback, then said, ¡°¡­carve words on your arm?¡±


    ¡°Carve a mark¡­¡± Colin muttered to himself.


    Shana seemed to realize the purpose of this action, extending her pale arm and gently saying:


    ¡°If it¡¯s pain you need to remind yourself of, then I¡¯m actually more suitable¡­¡±


    Colin waved her off and, under the influence of the ¡°Hunting Time,¡± said without much emotion:


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I won¡¯t be the only one. We all need to carve the characters¡­¡±


    ¡°No worries, you won¡¯t be left out. We all have to carve the characters¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±

 Chapter 92: The “No-Conscience Cannon� isn’t the best choice, but it’s cheap!

    Colin never intended to bear this burden alone. What if he carved the characters and still forgot? Only by sharing the pain could they ensure a safer future. So, of course, everyone had to carve the characters together.Before long, everyone had carved the phrase ¡°Kill a clone every hour¡± onto their arms with sterilized, sharp metal. Feeling the constant burning pain in their arms, Colin decided to lead the group back near the town.


    However, he didn¡¯t plan to enter it. Instead, he chose to camp about a mile outside. This way, if there was trouble in the forest, they could escape to the town, and vice versa. If both were problematic, they would have to improvise.


    As for the giant rat¡¯s corpse, they would deal with it the next day. They had already encountered two major events today, leaving them physically and mentally exhausted. They needed a proper rest.


    Dusk was approaching. After finding a flat spot outside the town gate, Colin bought some stones and quickly set up a temporary camp. He then had people gather wood to build a bonfire, using blood as a stimulant. Colin spat a bit, and the large flames roared up.


    As the fire blazed, it was time for the group¡¯s favorite part: eating. Some people stood guard, taking turns to rest and stay alert, keeping everyone in peak condition. Amidst the noise, Colin found a quieter spot, brought out his favorite table and chairs, and sat down. He placed a lantern on the table and took a deep breath, looking at the people around the campfire.


    Despite the numerous dangers, no one had died.


    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle,¡± Colin sighed, hoping it would always be like this, with no one dying around him until the game¡¯s end. Sanna stood silently beside him, ensuring his safety.


    Not lingering too long on their recent luck, Colin took out a scroll and entered his private channel. As soon as he entered, he saw numerous message reports.


    ¡°Today, we made contact with thirty-seven lords, seventeen of whom fully pledged allegiance. The Hunters (four-car formation) found two abandoned cabins.¡±


    ¡°Your subordinate territories have increased to 40, with one third-level territory, eleven second-level territories, and twelve vehicles. The rest are first-level cabins.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Lampbearer¡¯ squads have increased to 38, with a total population of over 1,700. Current supplies can sustain for five days. Expansion is not recommended.¡±


    ¡°The roads to the church, third-level territory, and three main mine areas are mostly cleared.¡±


    ¡°Consider purchasing another ¡®Hunter¡¯ squad.¡±


    ¡°Today, the Hunter squad discovered Silvermoon Bay in the fog and encountered a significant number of mutants, facing a strong mental attack from what seemed to be a lord-level mutant.¡±


    ¡°To ensure the vehicles¡¯ escape, a ¡®Lampbearer¡¯ squad chose to carry a large amount of explosives and stay behind. They were the sixteenth team; all were heroes.¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s casualties: twenty-three. Sixteen died covering the retreat, and seven died from the lord-level mutant¡¯s mental attack.¡±


    ¡°This is my fault. The day¡¯s uneventful exploration made me relax my vigilance. I am willing to accept punishment.¡±


    ¡°¡ª¡ªLi Hang.¡±


    Sighing, Colin didn¡¯t issue any severe reprimands. He understood this was the limit for ordinary people encountering a lord-level mutant, especially in a sudden encounter.


    Losing only one team was already commendable. Even if Colin himself had been there, he might not have done better. This result, if shared in the chat, would be highly praised. After all, they were not professionals but ordinary workers recently thrown into this chaos. Managing to stabilize the situation was already an achievement.


    ¡°Make a summary of all issues. Don¡¯t let the sacrifices be in vain,¡± Colin simply replied.


    The lord-level mutant in Silvermoon Bay was likely the ¡°Witch¡¯s Head¡± from the sunken ship, more powerful than the ¡°Mourning Watcher.¡± Its attack methods were unknown, and without Colin personally leading, figuring out its abilities would cost many lives. Ordinary people could only trade their lives for information, with no shortcuts.


    To ensure no critical information was missed, the scroll was always laid out, even when not in use, with a servant constantly watching it to make sure nothing, especially Colin¡¯s messages, was overlooked.


    After sending the information, a reply quickly came:


    ¡°We will do our best to summarize. Thank you for your trust¡ª¡ªLi Hang.¡±


    The topic didn¡¯t last long. After approving some requests, like chariot expansions, Colin returned to his previous task:


    ¡°Any ideas for the design? Make it straightforward, too much data confuses me.¡±


    If there was a good option, Colin wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use it. He urgently needed some transitional weapons to help him gain more benefits in the fog.


    ¡°There is, a cannon called the No-Conscience Cannon.¡±


    ¡°No-Conscience Cannon?¡± Colin was puzzled. He had asked for simplicity, but this seemed a bit too simple, almost nonsensical.


    ¡°Roughly like this.¡±


    The data was quickly transmitted.


    The ¡°Flying Thunder Cannon,¡± commonly known as the ¡°No-Conscience Cannon,¡± is cheap, easy to produce, structurally rugged, and reliable in performance.


    It can perform short-range direct fire or launch bundled explosives, hence the name ¡°Flying Thunder Cannon.¡±


    Most importantly, it doesn¡¯t require high-performance gunpowder, making it suitable for mass deployment in the current situation.


    Of course, compared to the historical version, many adjustments have been made, and the caliber isn¡¯t as exaggerated¡­


    After all, the original ¡°No-Conscience Cannon¡± was basically a simple oil drum, very rudimentary.


    Though they were strapped for resources, they weren¡¯t that desperate. It seems this cannon is actually quite similar to a mortar, or rather, it¡¯s an adaptation based on some mortar model. S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    And because the structure is so simple, it even has the extra computational capacity to include a shell casing¡­


    ¡°Good, this will do.¡±


    After reviewing some other designs, Colin ultimately chose this weapon. While it had many flaws, such as being unsuitable for narrow spaces, poor accuracy, and the possibility of barrel explosions due to material quality, and its limited tactical flexibility, it was¡­ cheap!


    This made it hard to refuse.

 Chapter 93: The Third Night

    After a brief chat, Colin learned that they could transport the cannon barrels by tomorrow morning. Although they could send them now, they preferred to carefully inspect the design plans tonight to be safe.Using Fog Points could allow the system to optimize the original design, but people generally didn¡¯t trust the system much. They would use the optimization feature but not rely entirely on it. Anything that could be solved independently would be handled that way.


    Colin then confirmed that there were no major issues with the other arrangements and opened other chat channels as part of his daily routine.


    Remaining members in the regional channel: 397.


    ¡°Not bad, not many deaths today.¡±


    Compared to the first day¡¯s massive deaths, the mortality rate had finally stabilized over the following days. However, Colin¡¯s expression turned strange as he read the chat logs on the regional channel.


    ¡°Come on, everyone, let¡¯s complete the global quest!¡±


    ¡°Joining Colin¡¯s camp is good for survival, but do you want to live under someone else¡¯s roof forever?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re scared? Who the hell isn¡¯t? But if we don¡¯t work hard now, we won¡¯t keep up with the times, and we¡¯ll be left to die.¡±


    ¡°Did you see those who handed over their scrolls today? They don¡¯t have a future.¡±


    ¡°Charge! Fight to the death! Only by doing this can we secure a future with our own hands.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already put my life on the line. Whether before or after the crossing, I¡¯ve got nothing to lose. If I die, so be it. Better than a coward¡¯s death; I¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    At this point, someone else chimed in: ¡°Wow, I¡¯m fired up! Bro, what level is your territory? I want to fight alongside you.¡±


    ¡°Level 1.¡±


    A moment of silence.


    ¡°¡­ I thought it over and decided to hand over my scroll to Colin. I heard two people¡¯s territories were upgraded to war chariots today. Although they lost ownership, they still have usage rights.¡±


    ¡°+1.¡±


    ¡°Me too. Why struggle alone when you can take it easy?¡±


    ¡°Bro, go fight by yourself. Handle your own business.¡±


    ¡°In a normal group, 90% are useless. If there are so many useless people, why can¡¯t I be one of them?¡±


    ¡°The guy above has a point!¡±


    ¡°Right, we¡¯re useless!¡±


    ¡°You call this living on your knees?¡±


    ¡°Living on your knees? Many people wish for that chance.¡±


    ¡°Are you joking? Colin is the regional overlord now, with cannons, war chariots, level 3 territory, and over a thousand people. What are you fighting for? It¡¯s merciful he hasn¡¯t stripped you of everything.¡±


    ¡°Wait, damn, this guy¡¯s a spy. He heard there¡¯s a war chariot expansion plan tomorrow and is tricking us into fighting to reduce competition. He plans to hand over his three-core set.¡±


    ¡°Really, this guy stopped talking!¡±


    ¡°Damn it, we¡¯ve been fooled. Even being a bum has competition these days?¡±


    ¡°Are these people serious?¡± Colin shook his head with a smile. He skimmed through and then opened the world channel, which was flashing even more frequently.


    Compared to the scheming in the regional channel, the world channel¡¯s content was much purer at this moment.


    Pure nonsense.


    ¡°Guys, I explored 0.1% of the fog alone today. Am I awesome or what?¡±


    ¡°Awesome, awesome, jealous of those with vehicles.¡±


    ¡°Fog exploration progress reached 6%. Keep it up; we might finish the first phase of the global mission by tomorrow or the day after!¡±


    ¡°I wonder what the armband effect will be, looking forward to it.¡±


    ¡°It probably won¡¯t be too strong, just some auxiliary item, but better than nothing.¡±


    ¡°Brothers, be careful exploring. Do your best.¡±


    As night approached, the chat was filled with nonsense and blessings. The outside world was already oppressive enough; this was a time to relax. Moreover, they were using the daily world speaker (post) not to waste it.


    While Colin enjoyed the jokes, he suddenly felt a chill.


    Night had fallen.


    At the same time, he felt a momentary daze, but the burning pain in his arm snapped him back to reality. He instinctively grabbed an axe and hurled it at a shadow beside Colin, hitting a forming monstrous entity. The eerie scream abruptly ended, stopping the split.


    ¡°It looks like we won¡¯t be getting much rest tonight,¡± Colin muttered. After confirming the headcount with the hint, he looked up at the sky. The atmosphere was oppressive and dark. When night fell, this ¡°underground¡± space became eerily silent.


    ¡¾You realize that perhaps in this space, night is safer.¡¿


    ¡°Safer at night?¡±


    Colin hadn¡¯t expected such a hint. He could only shake his head helplessly. Regardless, they needed to rest first. They could test it later in the night.


    Just as he was about to put away the scroll and rest, a message caught his attention.


    ¡°Help! Help! Something is banging on my door! The door can¡¯t hold much longer! Help!¡±


    Everyone who saw this message couldn¡¯t help but hold their breath. They quickly responded.


    ¡°What happened? What¡¯s banging on your door?¡±


    ¡°Is this a joke? This isn¡¯t funny. Don¡¯t joke about life and death. At least finish your sentence.¡±


    ¡°Could he be dead?¡±


    ¡°Stop talking nonsense. I¡¯ll open my door to check. My level 2 territory should be safe.¡± s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Bro, don¡¯t court death.¡±


    Despite the warnings, everyone, including Colin, awaited his response. Generally, opening the door at night was a big no-no. Especially after the horrifying countdown, no one dared open the door at night, not even Colin.


    Less than thirty seconds later, the reply sent chills through everyone.


    ¡°Don¡¯t open the door! Don¡¯t open the door! My yard is overrun! Something is banging on my door and windows. Damn it.¡±


    ¡°Bro, finish your sentences!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over. I¡¯m still in a wooden hut, not even level 2.¡±


    Panic spread rapidly. The message quickly became the hot topic, casting a heavy atmosphere over the chat channel.


    At that moment, the person spoke again.


    ¡°I¡¯m alive! I¡¯m alive! I lit the lantern and was saved. Those with banging doors, light your lanterns! Use ¡®Rare Tainted Blood,¡¯ the higher the blood level, the better!¡±


    ¡°Only the light from rare blood can stop it! And if a non-level 2 territory is targeted, there¡¯s almost no hope! Lighting the lantern weakens it.¡±


    ¡°What do we do? We can¡¯t upgrade now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have money.¡±

 Chapter 94: Support

    ¡¾You speculate that this is an abnormal reaction triggered by the approaching night.¡¿ ¡¾Some unknown effects are occurring. If someone in a level 1 territory is targeted, they can temporarily leave the wooden house and upgrade their territory by lighting Rare Tainted Blood.¡¿


    ¡¾With a level 2 territory and the aid of Rare Tainted Blood one can avoid this crisis.¡¿


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem too difficult, but stepping out at night requires a lot of courage.¡± Colin sighed in relief. All his people were in level 2 or level 3 territories, so he didn¡¯t have to worry about them. Even if they were targeted, they just needed to light the lanterns.


    However, the main problem was for those who hadn¡¯t upgraded their territories. Currently, more than half are still in wooden houses. If any of them were targeted and couldn¡¯t think of a solution quickly, they were as good as dead. The terror wouldn¡¯t give them much time to think.


    So, it wasn¡¯t a matter of difficulty but of courage. Someone with enough authority and credibility needed to assure people that this method could be executed.


    ¡°I need to remind them,¡± Colin decided. He posted the solution in the chat channel to buy everyone more time. Soon, the message, displayed in blood-red text, was pinned to the chat.


    Many were stunned when they saw it.


    ¡°All survivors in level 1 territories, if you can, immediately light at least ordinary tainted blood and go out to upgrade your territory.¡±


    ¡°Survivors in level 2 or above, including level 2, if targeted, just light the lanterns (a level 1 war chariot¡¯s defense is comparable to a level 3 territory). This will ensure you¡¯re not breached.¡±


    ¡°From today onwards, treat every day as if nightfall is imminent.¡±


    ¡°¡ª¡ªColin¡±


    ¡°Is it really useful to go out and upgrade the wooden houses at this time?¡±


    ¡°I saw someone suggest a similar solution, but is it really safe?¡±


    ¡°The big guy wouldn¡¯t lie to us. Let¡¯s act quickly.¡±


    ¡°Please, every day I use all my energy just to earn a bit of food. I don¡¯t have money for building materials. Can it be cheaper?¡±


    Due to Colin exposing the materials needed for territory upgrades, building prices had risen. Although not by much, for those barely surviving, it was still too expensive.


    At this moment, someone in the channel spoke up.


    ¡°Offering building materials like stone for free, donating ten sets. Take what you need; don¡¯t be shy.¡±


    ¡°Since the big guy has spoken, I¡¯ll do some good too. Donating a hundred sets of level 2 materials. Help yourself.¡±


    ¡°Wow, how are you so rich?¡±


    ¡°My territory is on a sulfur mine, and I got on Colin¡¯s rapid development plan. I don¡¯t want to be this rich either.¡±


    ¡°Donating twenty sets.¡±


    ¡°Donating two hundred sets.¡±


    More and more aid appeared in the trading market, free of charge. Those still in wooden houses, unable to afford stone, were moved to tears as they received the donations and lit rare Tainted Blood, stepping into the darkness to upgrade their territories.


    Amidst the terrifying pressure of the night, these survivors trembled, not daring to look back or into the dark. Even knowing that something was constantly trying to approach the edge of the light, reading the chat on the parchment made it less despairing.


    ¡°Brothers, don¡¯t skimp on the blood! The light from anything less than rare blood will be suppressed. Only rare blood is safe.¡±


    ¡°I owe Colin another life.¡±


    ¡°Why is there someone snatching donations and auctioning them at a high price?¡±


    ¡°Damn it, disgusting.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t the damn system auto-detect for targeted aid? They can convert information and matter, but can¡¯t do this?¡±


    ¡°Who¡¯s there? Bringing charges to the officer (system)?¡±


    ¡°Shh, watch out for sanctions. Also, your reference is a bit off and has typos. How can brainwave input have typos?¡±


    Although most people refrained from taking the donations, some still made discordant noises. However, the overall atmosphere remained positive, so Colin turned his attention away. He had done all he could.


    ¡°Only by preserving more human strength can we hope to survive the coming disasters.¡± Colin prayed silently for those people.


    Without overthinking, he prepared to rest. But then, he noticed something about the woman beside him: ¡°Sanna, what are you doing?¡±


    He had felt Sanna fidgeting occasionally but didn¡¯t know why.


    ¡°¡­ My arm wound healed, so I¡¯m re-carving the characters,¡± Sanna said, showing her white arm to Colin. The wound had healed, leaving only faint marks. Realizing this was inappropriate, she quickly retracted her arm.


    ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you,¡± Sanna apologized, looking embarrassed. s?a??h th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Wow, high-attribute talent indeed, Colin thought, unsure what to say. He then noticed his own wound had healed too. Late at night, this meant ¡°Bloodthirsty Stigmata¡± was still performing treatments.


    ¡°Help me with mine too,¡± Colin said awkwardly, cutting off the treatment transmission temporarily.


    Time passed, and apart from a few more piles of ashes near Colin, nothing dangerous happened in the overlapping underground area.


    As the hint suggested, the underground was safer at night as long as forbidden areas were avoided.


    At the ninth hour, Colin lifted his head from the table and opened his eyes. The surroundings remained dead silent, but with a crisp snap of his fingers, a team quickly assembled.


    After some quick preparations, Colin was ready to move again.


    ¡°Three hours until dawn. Let¡¯s see if the night is truly safer,¡± Colin said, leading his team toward the ruined town, using the hints to gather information.


    Soon, they reached the partially collapsed church and saw the large rat¡¯s corpse with brown fur.


    Even in death, the rat¡¯s body was almost as tall as Colin¡¯s, with several sunken bones, indicating it was crushed before death. From afar, it looked like a rat, but up close, Colin noticed discrepancies.


    Especially its hands. ¡°Why do they look like human hands with sharp claws?¡±


    As he moved closer, his heart skipped a beat. The rat¡¯s head looked human, with a mouth full of misaligned teeth.

 Chapter 95: Fire Support

    ¡¾A long-dead giant human-faced rat. It¡¯s completely dead, and you realize that the ¡°rat plague¡± it caused has vanished with its death.¡¿ ¡¾You suspect that the ¡°rat plague¡± ability is related to dreams.¡¿


    ¡°Killing in dreams equates to reality. It seems all the abnormal deaths in the town were caused by it. No wonder there were no rats. So, the town should be safe now.¡±


    Colin felt a wave of relief. If this creature were still alive, dealing with it would have been a significant hassle. Thankfully, the problem was resolved.


    Having seen plenty of abnormal creatures, Colin collected the giant rat¡¯s corpse and stored it in Li Chou¡¯s inventory. He no longer wondered how such a creature could grow so large or how it defied science.


    Holding a lantern, Colin led his team into the dimly lit church. Immediately upon entering, they saw a large number of human bones, scattered densely across the ground, making it hard to find a place to step. The doorway was blocked with piled-up chairs and benches, an attempt to fend off something, but it had clearly failed. The people had died horribly at the hands of the giant human-faced rat, leaving behind skeletal remains.


    In the enclosed space, Colin could almost hear the infernal wails. However, the area was unusually clean, with no mutated bodies or foul stench, which was odd given the mass death.


    Colin left after a quick search of the church, which revealed no secret rooms or basements. The only useful discovery was that in older times, the church primarily worshipped ¡°Thorns¡± rather than the symbol of ¡°Suffering.¡± There were no statues of the ¡°Martyr,¡± only thorns. The architecture, however, was similar to the outside world.


    Another interesting finding was the missing statues. Their whereabouts were unknown, and Colin had no clues.


    ¡°It seems there¡¯s not much valuable information here. Now we can check out Watt Manor. The cannons should arrive soon.¡±


    Colin thought it would be a good idea to practice on the castle. If the situation allowed, he felt that covering the area with firepower to flatten it would be the safest approach.


    After ensuring no more information could be gathered, Colin led his team out of the bone-filled town.


    They traveled for about three hours through the desolate, dead forest before seeing the manor at the foot of a hill, now a ruin.


    ¡°Well, this is¡­¡±


    Colin was taken aback. The manor was already in ruins, with the core castle reduced to a few walls, pillars, and scattered stones. Even as a ruin, they could sense its former grandeur.


    Suddenly, Colin¡¯s attention was drawn to a specific direction in the ruins. At what used to be the main gate, several lanterns were discarded like garbage.


    ¡¾You realize these are the lanterns from some survivors, discarded not long ago.¡¿


    The previous group intended to explore the underground area? Did they perish here? Even their crucial lanterns were abandoned. Colin guessed that something had attacked them, leading to the discarded lanterns.


    Survivors wouldn¡¯t discard their lanterns unless something attacked and stole them, discarding the lanterns afterward.


    Moreover, whatever attacked them was likely not another survivor, as lanterns were valuable. Colin gestured to his team to move toward the lanterns.


    Soon, they reached the gate and found the lanterns, all physically destroyed.


    ¡°Seventeen lanterns, all wrecked,¡± Lee said, surprised. ¡°What did those people encounter?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel scared. He had realized that without strength and a reliable team, this place was deadly.


    Meanwhile, Colin and his team detected a familiar, nauseating stench of decaying flesh.


    The smell indicated either the corpses of the previous survivors or the existing mutated creatures in the manor. But Colin, seasoned in dealing with foul odors, sensed this one was old, not from fresh corpses.


    Turning his gaze from the ruined lanterns, Colin noticed some footprints at the broken iron gate, looking somewhat human but deformed, large and small, with dried, dark red traces resembling coagulated blood.


    ¡¾You realize these creatures have some human traits but do not seem to be mutants.¡¿


    If they aren¡¯t mutants, what are they? Colin wondered but trusted the hint, knowing mutants wouldn¡¯t care about lanterns.


    ¡°Whatever they encountered, it doesn¡¯t look good for them now.¡±


    Colin led his team further into the area for more exploration. Following the footprints, they reached the ruins of what seemed to be a room with a noble crest on a wall. The crest was faded but showed a crowned lion, indicating it belonged to Watt Manor.


    Below the crest, two words roughly translating to ¡°pure blood¡± were engraved.


    On the floor was a dark stairway leading down, previously sealed with stones, now forcibly broken open from within, revealing a path below.


    The stench emanated from this stairway, and the footprints led down into the darkness.


    ¡¾This appears to be a family crypt of Watt Manor. You sense there might be survivors below.¡¿


    A family crypt with survivors. Colin¡¯s eyes narrowed. The best approach would be to blast their way in with barrels of explosives, but that wouldn¡¯t consider casualties.


    To save or not to save?


    At this moment, Li Chou, holding the scroll, suddenly shouted:


    ¡°The cannon support is here!¡±


    Meanwhile, several figures scrambled out of a dark room below the Watt Manor crypt.


    ¡°No time! Keep moving!¡± the leading man whispered urgently.


    But they halted in horror the next second. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 96: Underground Affairs

    Ding, ding, ding. A bell suddenly rang, breaking the eerie silence of the underground hall, as if something had been awakened. Noises came from the walls¡ªscratching, the squeaking of rats, and the chaotic scurrying of many creatures.But it lasted less than three seconds before unknown yet soothing music, composed of piano and organ sounds, played from the darkness, calming the turmoil within the walls.


    However, the few survivors who had managed to escape the room were now drenched in cold sweat and terrified.


    ¡°Damn it¡­ Now, we can¡¯t escape.¡±


    The man in the lead, his eyes bloodshot, had become somewhat crazed from days of torment. The condition of the four survivors behind him was no better. Only a stronger sense of fear and an intense will to survive kept them from showing their abnormal state.


    At that moment, the man quickly scanned the area. It was a luxuriously decorated underground hall with smooth marble floors and intricately adorned walls and sculptures. Even the most inconspicuous pillars were artistically designed, with thorny vine scrolls at the top and twisted stem and leaf patterns below. The dim, cold light from the luminous pearls embedded in the pillars prevented complete darkness. Overall, it resembled a theater¡ªa very old, noble theater stained with black and brown spots.


    The air was filled with an unbearable stench of decay, excrement, and sour sweat, almost causing them to faint.


    Ignoring the overwhelming smell and the mind-numbing music, the man quickly assessed the area, recalling the direction of the sounds when the terrifying creature discarded their lanterns. His gaze fell on a dark stone archway leading to an unknown destination.


    If he was not mistaken, this was the way out.


    They had no idea what to do once outside, nor the energy to think about it. Even if they were to die, they would rather die outside.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hide for now.¡±


    The man made a decision. He knew that, with the bell ringing and their exhaustion, they had no chance of escaping immediately. The others nodded, unable to argue or suggest anything different.


    Perhaps, by a stroke of luck, they quickly found a large curtain next to the theater wall. The once-red curtain now hung to the ground, its rod broken on one side, clearly neglected for a long time.


    Hiding here might keep them safe from the dreaded creatures.


    As the man thought this, he urged the survivors to hide behind the curtain. According to the habits of those horrible creatures, they would soon gather in the hall and feast on the remaining broken survivors. After their feast, they would descend further underground. The man didn¡¯t know what the creatures did below, but he was certain it would be their only chance to escape.


    Just then, a squeaking door opened from the various stone archways.


    The man froze, grateful he hadn¡¯t decided to run blindly. Terror filled the same direction.


    Quickening his pace, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his left foot. Something had pierced his foot, cutting into the flesh and drawing blood. Seeing the blood on the sharp bone that had pierced his foot, he was momentarily stunned.


    Then, a surge of indescribable rage and despair burst from within him: ¡°Damn, damn, damn, damn.¡±


    Dragging footsteps could be heard from all directions, approaching. The man gritted his teeth, forcing himself to calm down. He pulled the sharp bone from his foot, not discarding it but putting it in his mouth. Holding the wound with his left hand, he tore a piece of cloth with his right hand and wiped the blood from the floor. Feeling it was clean enough, he stuffed the blood-stained cloth into his mouth.


    Hearing the creatures approaching fast, he knew he had less than ten seconds. He glanced at the ground to ensure no more surprises, then supported himself with his right hand, ready to hop on one foot to the curtain.


    But then, he hesitated. Looking at the curtain just three meters away, he bit down hard. S?a??h the n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Damn it, damn it, damn it. Why me?¡±


    Anger and frustration welled up inside him. He decided against the curtain, instead rolling under a nearby table that seemed recently used. Under the table, he saw some human remains, including a familiar, chewed-up hand with two missing fingers.


    ¡°My servants.¡±


    He immediately remembered the two servants who had accompanied him through his darkest times, the fingers lost protecting him, and the sacrifice of his servant the previous day.


    Under the table, a complex mix of emotions surged¡ªdespair, fear, anger, regret, and a profound sense of powerlessness.


    Their lanterns had been destroyed, their supplies confiscated, and they were kept like livestock in the dungeon, slaughtered bit by bit. Nearly a hundred slaves had been completely consumed by the previous day.


    Every moment, they heard the desperate screams, gnawing at their sanity. By tomorrow, they will all be gone.


    As shuffling figures entered the hall, all his thoughts were suppressed by fear.

 Chapter 97: Open Fire

    The music remained low and somber but seemed to grow more intense. Some extremely deformed ¡°people¡± entered the opera hall to this music. They wore tattered yet brightly colored noble attire, mostly in varying shades of red, contrasting sharply with their pale skin and wigs.These ¡°people¡± were generally about two meters tall but severely deformed, with hunchbacks, tumors, or limps. However, these deformities didn¡¯t seem to affect them much. More horrifying were their heads, which were about half the size of normal human heads, with extremely twisted, decomposed faces and almost no symmetry. Their protruding jaws occupied most of their faces, filled with misaligned teeth emitting a choking stench.


    As these terrifying creatures entered, the few survivors nearly forgot to breathe, stopping even their trembling.


    ¡°Twisted¡ªFallen Noble Offspring.¡±


    This was the name given to these abhorrent lifeforms, a kind of transformed human even more unacceptable than mutants.


    At that moment, heart-wrenching screams came from one of the rooms. Several smaller ¡°Fallen Noble Offspring¡± carried palanquin-like ¡°dining plates¡± out of the room the survivors had just escaped from. Each ¡°dining plate¡± had a survivor nailed through the abdomen with wooden spikes, writhing and wailing in pain. The spikes were driven skillfully, avoiding vital organs, bringing unspeakable pain and despair. Their hands and feet were bound with thorny ropes, forcing them to twist, struggle, and scream on the ¡°dining plates.¡± The plates also had sharp spikes, causing the survivors¡¯ backs to be slashed open with every movement, adding to their agony.


    The ¡°Fallen Noble Offspring¡± seemed to relish the torturous screams that accompanied the somber music, even forcibly administering some special liquid to keep the survivors from dying easily, ensuring they could enjoy the ¡°feast¡± longer. They didn¡¯t care if this liquid greatly shortened the survivors¡¯ lifespans.


    This time, four survivors were brought out of the dungeon, their faces twisted in extreme pain and madness.


    ¡°Kill me, kill me, please, kill me.¡±


    S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.¡°Stop torturing us, please, let me die.¡±


    ¡°Mom, dad¡­ help.¡±


    The cries and screams echoed in the specially constructed opera hall. The ¡°Fallen Noble Offspring¡± enjoyed these screams, their deformed faces showing grotesque ¡°pleasure¡± as they emitted low growls of excitement.


    With a thud, the palanquins were thrown onto the dining table. The man hiding under the table shivered, but fortunately, none of the ¡°Fallen Noble Offspring¡± noticed him. The hall now had hundreds of these offspring; discovery would be catastrophic.


    Suddenly, the opera hall quieted down, and all the ¡°Fallen Noble Offspring¡± knelt, bowing in one direction. The man under the table felt a strong sense of oppression coming from that direction¡ªa larger stone archway. The oppressive feeling intensified as several short, stout ¡°Fallen Noble Offspring¡± carried a huge palanquin out, holding a bloated, obese figure with a crippled lower body. It had an unhealed wound, clearly having been severely injured at some point but surviving.


    The man under the table realized this was the source of all the horrifying creatures in the basement.


    ¡°Fallen Noble¡ªPrimordial Source.¡±


    When they had exited the mine, everyone received the quest named ¡°Eradicate the Remaining ¡®Nobles.¡¯¡± They hadn¡¯t realized the severity of the situation, blinded by their gains. The man himself had gained a lot. But after the collapse, they found themselves in a massive underground town filled with countless deformed human skeletons. They were attacked by the ¡°Fallen Noble Offspring¡± while receiving system quests that were impossible to complete. Trapped with no retreat, they were captured and tortured both mentally and physically.


    A sharp scream snapped the man out of his chaotic thoughts. He heard the sound of flesh being torn less than half a meter above him, and the table shook. These creatures could tear a person apart with brute force as if they were paper.


    Blood dripped down, some splattering on him. A deformed head of a ¡°Fallen Noble Offspring¡± rolled to his feet, making him shiver. Even the unfit offspring were food, though just side dishes. The man saw some ¡°rats¡± in the blurred reflection on the table, creatures only visible through their shadows and sounds.


    As the feast continued, the screams above his head grew hoarse and weak. The struggle sounds diminished. The hollow, raspy cries contained only despair, unspeakable despair, and a hint of peace. Finally, it¡¯s ending? The man thought, biting the cloth in his mouth. As soon as the bloody feast ended, he would escape with the others, not wanting to stay another second.


    Just then, a sharp pain shot through his heel, filling him with terror. Instinctively, he turned to see nothing but felt a bloody hole in his heel¡ªa bite from a rodent. In the shadows, he saw a rat standing at his heel. His breath quickened, and his pupils dilated as he realized his shadow had been exposed to the ¡°nobles.¡± The rats had long noticed him, licking the ground where his blood had dripped.


    It¡¯s over!


    His mind froze as he turned slowly, neck creaking like rusted metal, locking eyes with a pale, ugly face staring directly at him. More deformed faces peeked down from the table, their colorless eyes filled with ridicule. He curled under the table, surrounded by pale faces, his heart stopping in terror, but a life-draining force kept it beating, adding to his despair.


    A disproportionately long, thin arm grabbed his foot with terrifying strength, followed by another hand grabbing his other leg. In desperate, painful screams, his skin, toes, leg bones, and ribs were torn piece by piece. His internal organs were exposed, and his lower body was completely ripped off, yet he couldn¡¯t die. His mind teetered on collapse, but a large hand grabbed his head, lifting him. In his blurry vision, he saw a mouth large enough to swallow him whole. He was being shoved into the ¡°Noble Primordial¡¯s¡± mouth.


    In a last effort, he pulled out a single item from his backpack: a sphere of condensed light. As it appeared, the ¡°Noble Primordial¡± recalled some terrifying memory, screaming to throw him away. The man¡¯s bloodied face twisted into a grin.


    Die, you monsters!


    Blinding light erupted in the hall, causing the offspring¡¯s skin to ulcerate, and they screamed in pain, terrified of the light imprinted in their genes. The entire hall fell into chaos. In the bright light, the man¡¯s broken body was thrown to the ground, using his last breath to shout:


    ¡°Run! Run now! We¡¯ve been discovered!¡±


    He knew the creatures had spared the survivors behind the curtain to repeat the previous scene. ¡°Run!¡±


    His bloodshot eyes could barely see, unsure if the others had escaped, just repeatedly shouting. Finally, his voice became a wheeze, pointing in the direction of a dark stone archway.


    Run, dying outside is our win. His jaw stopped moving as his mind faded into darkness, finding peace.


    The four survivors ran for the archway, eyes red with fear, desperately charging forward, tripping over fallen offspring but getting up again. The light dimmed, and rats swarmed to extinguish it. Worse, the ¡°Fallen Noble Offspring¡± stood up, blocking the way. Ten seconds wasn¡¯t enough to cross the hall.


    Forced to stop, they saw more humanoid figures approaching from the archway. One survivor trembled, ready to charge, but a flash of white light from the archway made several offspring explode, splattering foul blood.


    Stunned, they saw a small white figure stop abruptly, crouch, and sweep their legs, knocking them down. Red flames flashed in the darkness, followed by a deafening explosion. Amidst the flashing fire, they saw a young man pointing ahead.


    ¡°Continue firing,¡± he calmly said.

 Chapter 98: Baptism

    Boom! Boom! Boom! Shells loaded with nearly ten kilograms of explosives flew from the large-caliber cannon, plunging into the darkness and unleashing devastating destructive power.Numerous ¡°Fallen Noble Offspring¡± were blown to pieces, their limbs and flesh scattering, many dying without even a scream as the shockwaves killed them. The entire space rumbled with the bombardment, with dust falling from the ceiling, but no cracks or collapses occurred.


    Colin felt the ground trembling beneath him and glanced at the domed ceiling.


    ¡¾You realize that this level of firepower is insufficient to affect this sturdy underground space.¡¿


    Are they encouraging me to increase the firepower? That¡¯s not good. What if it collapses? Colin worried inwardly but said, ¡°Don¡¯t stop, increase the power!¡±


    Meanwhile, the last survivor was dragged to safety by Sanna, ensuring they wouldn¡¯t be caught in the crossfire.


    The next second, deep red flames burst in the darkness again, bringing pure death and terror to the abhorrent creatures. Amidst the blood and fire, Colin¡¯s will was executed!


    At this moment, the servants with the first row of cannons quickly dragged them back into the darkness behind Colin after firing. A new round of large-caliber cannons was brought out of the darkness, each carried by two servants to the front.


    A total of eight!


    They quickly mounted the steel cannons, gleaming with a metallic luster, onto the sturdy temporary stone platforms.


    ¡°Continue firing. Aim for where the screams come from and keep firing until it¡¯s quiet.¡±


    At Colin¡¯s command, fierce light burst from the dark cannon barrels, shooting into the darkness with a roaring sound. The servants stabilizing the cannons shuddered, slightly pushed back by the recoil, but were otherwise unharmed.


    With each round of firing, the increasingly skilled servants completed the reloads more swiftly. The servants carrying the heated, smoking barrels retreated and handed them to the busy Li Chou, who immediately traded them to the level 3 territory through his friends and received new barrels.


    The new barrels, when retrieved from the scroll, were already filled with explosives, ready to fire with just a pull of the firing string, saving the servants from having to load the shells themselves, making the process much faster.


    As for aiming, just point where the screams are coming from.


    Under heavy fire saturation, everything would be purified by cannon fire, and all filth would be cleansed. Using the system¡¯s features, the interval between rotations and firing could be reduced to less than ten seconds, becoming increasingly faster with practice.


    The four survivors watched the scene before them in a daze, their faces bewildered, not fully comprehending the situation. Colin had no time to deal with them; he surveyed the battlefield, using hints to observe everything.


    He had some understanding of these monsters and had received the task of exterminating them. They had encountered attacks when they arrived, but easily dealt with them. Led by Sanna, most of the offspring posed no threat. Realizing the creatures feared light, Colin extinguished the lantern and conducted his first no-light exploration, taking about ten minutes to reach this place.


    When he arrived, he witnessed a gruesome scene¡ªover four hundred ¡°Fallen Noble Offspring¡± and a man holding the light. As the blazing light burst, the hall plunged into chaos, and Colin, not waiting for hints, acted on instinct, capturing the fleeting opportunity to suppress the ¡°Fallen Noble Offspring¡± before they could rise again.


    The artillery had now taken full control of the situation!


    The pervasive stench was subdued by the scorching smoke of gunpowder!


    ¡°It seems these monsters have attributes around 1.5 to 3, with a few reaching 5. But they pose no threat now,¡± Colin quickly assessed.


    With the intense artillery bombardment, the area grew increasingly quiet. Suddenly, Colin sensed something and looked in a certain direction.


    A few seconds later, he saw a bloated figure emerging from the smoke. It was an unusually fat, giant, and hideously indescribable creature. S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Twisted¡ªFallen Noble¡ªPrimordial Source.¡±


    It struggled to move, its body battered and torn from the explosions, blood gushing from numerous wounds. But its glaring red eyes were filled with hatred as it stared at Colin.


    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Colin frowned, locking eyes with the creature, his gaze becoming deep and dark.


    Pop!


    The Primordial Source¡¯s eyes exploded!


    Its obese hands, thicker than a person¡¯s waist, covered its eye sockets, blood seeping through its fingers as it emitted a horrifying scream. It rolled like a mass of rotten meat, layers of fat trembling and howling in agony. Numerous ¡°rats¡± around it screamed, seemingly affected by the same damage.


    Clearly, Colin¡¯s ¡°mental pierce¡± caused significant harm to both the Primordial Source and the ¡°rats¡± it controlled.


    Colin smirked. Who gave you the courage to stare at me, thinking you¡¯re a lord-level mutant? This family crypt no longer housed any lord-level mutants. Or maybe it once did, but they had been killed, one even twice. The first lord-level mutant was unknown, but the second, the ¡°human-faced rat,¡± lay in Li Chou¡¯s inventory.


    Hence, Colin explored without fear.


    For the current survivors, assuming the system had levels, a typical survivor was level 10, ordinary mutants ranged from level 3 to 9, and elite mutants ranged from level 10 to 50. These two levels transitioned smoothly, but the jump to ¡°lord-level¡± was ridiculously exaggerated, starting at 100-200 with multiple strong skills and attributes possibly exceeding 300!


    Sanna, with less than ten in single-strength attributes, could make all survivors call her daddy. Imagine how strong a lord-level mutant was. Just seeing one exacted a price; sudden encounters left no choice but to flee. But this had nothing to do with the ¡°Fallen Noble¡ªPrimordial Source,¡± whose level, if quantified, was at most just above 50, with no passive mental interference effects. Once crippled, it was now halved in strength, roughly level 20.


    ¡°Surviving so many blasts, the ¡®no harm despite smoke¡¯ theory holds some truth,¡± Colin muttered, pulling out a 100-pound explosive barrel from his inventory.


    Kicking the lit barrel, he sent it rolling toward the creature. Everyone ducked behind stone pillars to avoid the blast. Just before the barrel exploded, a hoarse, beast-like voice shouted:


    ¡°Kaidish Watt! You treacherous family betrayer! Even in death, I curse you!¡±


    As the words fell, the fiery red light burst forth like lava!


    Kaidish Watt?


    Colin¡¯s eyes widened, and his mouth was slightly agape. He seemed to have heard something astonishing.

 Chapter 99: The Unstable Seal

    Plop, plop, plop. A mixture of viscera, shattered bones, and fat, all soaked in blood, rained down. A minute later, Colin and his team emerged from their cover, untouched by any filth. After relighting the lantern, Colin¡¯s mind churned with thoughts triggered by the name he had heard.¡°Kaidish Watt, I didn¡¯t mishear, right?¡±


    Colin distinctly remembered that this manor was called ¡°Watt Manor.¡± At this moment, he suddenly realized that the monster¡¯s gaze wasn¡¯t on him but on the Number One by his side. More specifically, on the bloodstained, thorny wooden wheel Number One was holding.


    ¡¾Kaidish Watt, the priest¡¯s real name, was once a core member of this noble estate.¡¿


    ¡¾After a horrific sacrificial event, he chose to betray his family.¡¿


    ¡¾That night, as a dazzling white meteor fell from an unknown height, he demonstrated his ¡°miracle.¡±¡¿


    ¡°So, he had a sudden burst of filial piety and righteousness, killed his entire family, suppressed the first rat plague, and sealed everything underground?¡± Colin¡¯s expression was somewhat peculiar.


    Subsequently, the priest became one of the Thirteen Saints of the Church of Suffering, but later had his sainthood revoked. Colin originally thought this was just an ordinary elite monster, but it turned out to be linked to many significant events. And if he wasn¡¯t mistaken, the light among the mountains was the ¡°white meteor¡± that fell that night.


    Shaking his head to clear his mind, Colin turned to the few bewildered survivors: ¡°Besides you, are there any other survivors?¡±


    S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.They hesitated, then one survivor replied softly, ¡°Six.¡±


    What was that glowing orb the man had? Colin wanted to ask but decided against it, fearing it might cause them further distress. From their appearances, they seemed fine, but a closer look revealed serious issues. Their mental states had clearly suffered severe trauma and shock, which would greatly impact their lives. Moreover, the hints mentioned that their lifespans were significantly shortened, with none having more than a year to live.


    However, this wasn¡¯t the most urgent issue, as the countdown in a few days was the immediate concern. If they survived the countdown, they would have opportunities to extend their lives.


    ¡°Drink this first,¡± Colin said, pulling out several bottles of ¡°enhancement potion¡± from his backpack. These potions were most effective when base attributes were around 2, but even if much lower, they wouldn¡¯t cause fatal effects¡ªjust a 100% chance of temporary ¡°Praise the Sun¡± syndrome, with a slight chance of it becoming permanent.


    Colin explained the effects of these items openly.


    ¡°Thank you!¡±


    The four survivors, visibly moved, immediately tore open the bottles and drank. At this point, they would try anything that might soothe their spirits, even if it meant dying afterward. Their primary goal in escaping the dungeon wasn¡¯t survival, but finding a way to die without suffering.


    They simply wanted a less painful death. The potions tasted awful, and their faces twisted as they drank, but then they felt a surge of strength enveloping their bodies, soothing their pains. A fervent, special desire surged up¡ª


    ¡°Praise the Sun.¡±


    Their eyes seemed to glow as they stared at Colin with fanaticism.


    Praise the Sun if you must, but why stare at me? Colin felt his goosebumps rise. Fortunately, they didn¡¯t act on their praises, allowing Colin to relax a bit. Due to the properties of the ingredient ¡°Flesh Mushroom,¡± they couldn¡¯t be knocked unconscious, so any aggressive behavior would be problematic.


    ¡¾You observe that their temporary desire to praise will last between four and six hours.¡¿


    This¡­ Colin rubbed his temples, unsure what to do with these survivors constantly whispering ¡°Praise the Sun¡± behind him. He then checked the quest assigned by the system on the parchment.


    ¡¾Eradicate the Remaining ¡°Nobles¡±¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Description: The former Watt nobles gained immortality through a special, bloody ritual, losing their humanity and becoming violent and brutal.¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Duration: Unlimited.¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Requirement: Kill all ¡°Twisted¡ªFallen Nobles.¡± current task progresses at 94%.¡¿


    ¡¾Quest Rewards: Recovery Card*1, Hardened Black Bread*99, Contaminated Eyeball*1.¡¿


    ¡¾Hint: With the last Primordial Source dead, you know that the remaining offspring are no longer a threat.¡¿


    ¡¾However, you clearly realize that with the death of this ¡°Noble Primordial,¡± the rats it controlled will once again go out of control.¡¿


    ¡¾If the seal is not reinforced quickly, a new ¡°Human-Faced Rat¡± could form in a short time.¡¿


    ¡°Well, with this eyeball, I¡¯ve got a matching pair.¡± Colin looked around at the dozen stone archways in the hall, then focused on one. ¡°Rescuing the survivors can wait; the sealing task comes first.¡±


    He didn¡¯t want a lord-level mutant to form while he was trying to save people. Even Colin would have a headache dealing with such a monster without adequate preparation.


    As he intervened in this underground incident, the main threats had been killed, meaning the dungeon survivors were relatively safe now.


    After waiting a few minutes, Colin, carrying the lantern, led the group through the opera hall, still smoldering with scattered fire sparks and smoke. Without lingering or looting the monsters¡¯ bodies, they entered one of the stone archways. Soon, they encountered a spiral staircase leading downward.


    The four survivors beside him showed horror on their faces, triggered by terrible memories. Following the hints, Colin and his team slowly descended, arriving at a vast underground space.


    An underground town seemingly built of white bones. At its center was a black circular altar, its middle engulfed in darkness. From there, Colin heard the chilling sound of countless rats.


    Thankfully, nine pillars, engraved with holy marks and emitting white light, suppressed everything.

 Chapter 100: A Bold Idea

    The stone pillars emanating sacred light were covered with mysterious engravings. The white light within these engravings flickered like a breathing light, glowing intermittently. Each pillar was about ten meters apart, connected by thick chains that hung in slight arcs.Before Colin could observe further, rustling noises suddenly emerged around them. They soon heard numerous squeaking sounds growing louder and more persistent, seemingly coming from the walls, as if countless rats were burrowing through, trying to break into this world. The stone pillars began to tremble, impacted by the disturbance, and the heavy chains clanked dully. A white shield-like barrier appeared, intensifying with the turmoil, sealing off all the ominous forces.


    However, a crack had appeared in one corner of the barrier, just large enough for a child to pass through. Through the transparent shield, they saw a dark area within the bone-stacked altar, which seemed more like a ¡°gap¡± because it was empty, appearing ¡°black.¡±


    Like a gap in a layer, numerous eerie, unknown rats were trying to crawl out of it. At the edge of the light, Colin and the others could see rats either crawling or standing, all staring intently at them, waiting for the right moment to swarm.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. It¡¯s still safe for now.¡±


    Such a large hole without fully emerging suggests the ¡°rats¡± are only one form, Colin thought while trying to calm the panicked survivors with a soothing voice. However, he had no immediate solution for the survivors, who were already huddled on the ground, shivering like fledglings. Unless he gave each of them a ¡°Recovery Card,¡± it would be difficult for them to recover quickly. But with only three cards and the possibility of needing them soon, he couldn¡¯t waste them on minor injuries.


    Shaking his head, Colin turned his attention to the stone pillars and began to think.


    ¡¾You realize that the stone pillars surrounding the altar are generally intact, but one of them has a damaged holy mark, causing a crack in the seal.¡¿


    ¡¾Through the crack, those intangible things turn into ¡°rats¡± upon entering.¡¿


    ¡¾By placing a large number of light-condensing stones, you can recharge the pillars and complete the task.¡¿


    ¡°Recharging, exploiting every last bit of value¡ªexploitation is everywhere,¡± Colin muttered, his mind wandering a bit. ¡°The system doesn¡¯t require us to deal with this gap completely, so it believes we can¡¯t handle this ¡®black gap¡¯?¡±


    Speculating, Colin took a light-condensing stone from his backpack and threw it toward the damaged pillar. The stone landed near the pillar with a clink. He squinted and noticed a special force in the pillar absorbing the stone¡¯s light, depleting its power quickly. Since one stone had little effect, Colin took out a large number of collected light-condensing stones, preparing to throw them over.


    Just then, Colin felt a burning pain in his arm and instinctively looked at the words on it. He suddenly had a bold idea. With this thought, he looked at Li Chou.


    ¡°Boss, what are you doing?¡± Li Chou shivered under Colin¡¯s gaze.


    Without immediately answering, Colin pondered for a moment and asked, ¡°Are you the real one?¡±


    ¡°Of course, you know me,¡± Li Chousaid seriously. ¡°If I were an imposter¡­¡±


    ¡°No need to say, I believe you.¡±


    Colin nodded, beckoning him over. ¡°Come here. Let me check closely.¡±


    ¡°Of course, but what are you doing, boss?¡±


    Li Chou looked puzzled as Colin took a palm-sized, rust-covered triangular shield from his inventory.


    ¡°Be good, and let me check your development.¡±


    If the team didn¡¯t have 26 people, I might have believed you, Colin thought, holding the ¡°Shield of the Just Knight¡± toward Li Chou, saying solemnly:


    ¡°In the name of the Shield of the Just Knight, I declare a fair duel against this lifeform.¡±


    As his words fell, everything seemed to pull away. A previously unnoticed man, now dazed as if waking from a dream, asked, ¡°What happened? Where¡¯s the boss?¡±


    He looked around and didn¡¯t see Colin. S?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°He forcibly pulled the curse off you,¡± Sanna said, her blue eyes fixed on the blurry ¡°duel field,¡± explaining briefly. This wasn¡¯t the first time they had forcibly extracted the curse. Previously, she had pulled out the curse entity and dueled it, easily killing it. When the doppelganger was killed, the curse entity appeared, only to reattach to Li Chou shortly after, repeatedly creating clones to summon monsters until the host was killed. Colin¡¯s hints indicated that the curse could only be temporarily removed for a few minutes.


    But Colin had just thought of a good solution.


    ¡°I swear, in this duel, I won¡¯t use weapons. As fairness, the opponent also can¡¯t use weapons.¡±


    ¡°I swear, in this duel, I will only move forward. As fairness, the opponent can only move forward.¡±


    ¡°I swear, in this duel, I forgo all defensive actions. As fairness, the opponent cannot defend effectively.¡±


    As the oaths were made, a certain pledge was sealed. The cursed entity, still resembling Li Chou, stood quietly, seemingly suppressed. But as the third minute arrived, it suddenly charged at Colin with a twisted expression. Colin stood still, using ¡°Mental Pierce,¡± causing the Li Chou-like figure to explode instantly!


    It was dead!


    The duel was over. Due to the curse¡¯s nature, a terrifying humanoid shadow appeared after its death, resembling a tall, thin figure. It stood silently like a three-dimensional shadow, without any movement.


    Colin¡¯s gaze turned cold. Activating ¡°Hunting Time,¡± he rushed forward and grabbed the proportionately normal ¡°shadow.¡±

 Chapter 101: Mr. Potato Catches the Future

    Colin couldn¡¯t quite describe what it felt like to grab it; it was like holding onto a cold mass of air, light and flimsy. If it weren¡¯t actually being dragged, he wouldn¡¯t have been sure he had even grabbed the semi-entity. But clearly, it was now being dragged along.He quickly dashed out of the group, heading toward the crack in the seal containing the ¡°Wall Rats,¡± and then¡ª


    ¡°Get in there, you!¡±


    When the mass of ¡°air¡± was stuffed into the crack, it seemed to sense something and began to thrash about. At that moment, hundreds, if not thousands, of faintly glowing stones poured out of Colin¡¯s inventory, piling up under the damaged stone pillar. The holy mark on the pillar instantly started to repair itself. As the holy mark rapidly restored, the sounds of the ¡°Wall Rats¡± inside the town grew fainter and fainter.


    ¡°Is it sealed?¡± Colin closely watched the semi-transparent light screen. The humanoid shadow formed by the curse was frantically pounding against the screen, sometimes turning to gravel and other times morphing into a mass of shadows, constantly changing shape. But this time, it couldn¡¯t break free.


    At that moment, Colin saw a large number of ¡°rats¡±¡ªvisible only as shadows and sounds¡ªswarming out from the ¡°gap¡± behind the light screen, devouring the humanoid shadow. The curse was quickly consumed by these ¡°rats¡± until nothing was left.


    ¡°It¡¯s been eaten?¡± Colin was taken aback.


    This was quite an unexpected bonus.


    But just then, where the humanoid shadow had disappeared, the shadows began to writhe again. Soon, another humanoid shadow appeared! It began furiously attacking the light screen the moment it appeared, but to no avail. With another surge of rats, it was ¡°killed¡± again. Colin saw a mass of rat shadows clustered there, chattering and licking their paws, as if waiting to be fed. Clearly, this thing was never going to escape, forever becoming the food for these hungry rats.


    Pitiful.


    The only word Colin could think of to describe the curse¡¯s fate was ¡°pitiful.¡±


    ¡°You actually thought of this method.¡± Sanna, the only one who kept up with him, looked at the scene in amazement.


    ¡°A flash of inspiration. I figured these ¡®rats¡¯ were at a higher level than it. Since the seal could contain the rats, it might also seal this curse,¡± Colin shook his head, avoiding further discussion on the topic. ¡°Li Chou still needs to be monitored, at least for the next few hours or even days, to ensure nothing abnormal happens.¡±


    The curse had a unique property; once it split off, the original entity would be covered. It was like a Matryoshka doll: the one you see is always the outermost layer. So, when Colin noticed the incorrect number of people, he could decisively act against ¡°Li Chou¡± without fear of making a mistake.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Sanna nodded, fully complying with Colin¡¯s orders.


    ¡°Great!¡± A now fully awake Li Chou and Number One, among others, rushed over. Li Chou was the happiest of all. Every time the curse split, he felt as if he were in a daze, dreaming. The shadow would completely replace him, and he¡¯d be in a third-person perspective dream, barely remembering anything upon waking.


    ¡°The quest is complete.¡±


    Colin took out the scroll and saw that the quest was marked as completed.


    ¡°Congratulations on obtaining ¡®Raw Potatoes¡¯ *30.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations on obtaining ¡®Recovery Card¡¯ *1.¡±


    ¡°Congratulations on obtaining ¡®Contaminated Eyeball¡¯ *1.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here quickly, to avoid any unexpected occurrences.¡±


    After receiving the rewards, Colin didn¡¯t immediately check them. Instead, he had the survivors, who were shivering like quails, quickly leave the area. His sense of urgency put everyone on high alert, as if great danger were imminent.


    However, nothing happened.


    ¡°Did we really complete it that easily and simply?¡±


    Colin was skeptical. Though he believed it, he wasn¡¯t fully convinced. This was the first time a quest had been so easy; he felt a bit out of place. Moreover, the quest was complete, and another major problem was resolved.


    ¡°Easy?¡±


    A survivor who had recovered from the mental trauma heard this and showed a bitter smile. ¡°Praise the sun. Maybe, with your strength, it indeed seems easy.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it; you just had a bit of bad luck.¡±


    Colin comforted them with a few words. Just then, he noticed a recently collapsed pit behind one of the survivors.


    ¡¾You realize this leads to a collapsed tunnel to the outside. If cleared, it could provide a stable exit.¡¿


    ¡¾Considering the reality of the ¡°gap,¡± you think something may have previously escaped through here, and the tunnel was dug out as its escape route.¡¿


    ¡°Is this the passage you came through?¡± Colin asked to confirm.


    Seeing the survivor nod, Colin¡¯s expression became peculiar.


    ¡°The tunnel leads directly to the ¡®nobles¡¯ backyard? These survivors really had some bad luck.¡±


    ¡°But what could have dug such a long tunnel to escape?¡± Colin wondered.


    The tunnel could have housed a subway train, probably another unknown ¡°miracle.¡± Without a new quest, Colin didn¡¯t dwell on it. After instructing everyone to stay alert, he began to tally the mission¡¯s gains.


    He took an unremarkable yellowish lump from his inventory. At this moment, Colin felt he was holding the future of humanity! Under the curious gazes of Sanna and others, he raised the potato with a genuine smile, reminiscent of a cartoon character¡¯s pure joy.


    ¡°This is the potato you¡¯re so hopeful about?¡± Sanna asked, genuinely curious and supportive.


    She rarely saw Colin smile so openly.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Colin smiled and nodded, feeling invigorated. In a few days, most of humanity would be able to eat their own potatoes. Most importantly, they would start to reduce their reliance on the system. S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°I want fries. And a cold soda,¡± Li Chou said, unable to resist.


    At this moment, they all missed the past. ¡°We can¡¯t eat them now. We need to cultivate and sprout them first.¡±


    Colin contacted his territory and shared the news, causing a stir. Reluctantly, he sent all thirty uniform-sized potatoes over.


    ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll be a philanthropist again. I really am a good person,¡± Colin muttered, taking a deep breath to calm his excitement.


    ¡°Four recovery cards now. As long as I¡¯m not instantly killed or in an unsolvable predicament, I have four extra lives.¡±


    His gaze shifted to the sinister, clearly human eyeball, wondering about its purpose.

 Chapter 102: Cleansing Operation

    A grotesque eyeball veined with blood vessels, it seemed to possess some form of vitality. Colin observed it closely.¡¾You discover that it is always smiling.¡¿


    ¡°What a bizarre hint.¡±


    Colin¡¯s expression was peculiar. He wasn¡¯t sure if the eyeball was too sinister, causing the hint to be vague, or if it was truly a useless item, or perhaps the useful information was given, but he just couldn¡¯t grasp it.


    The key point was:


    ¡°Always smiling?¡±


    Who could determine its use from that?


    Colin took the eyeball out. It felt limp, like a squeezed orange. Suddenly, he shivered, his gaze locking with the eyeball¡¯s pupil. In that moment, Colin lost himself briefly but quickly snapped out of it, moving his eyes away from the eyeball.


    He just felt it was entirely ominous. But throwing it away seemed wasteful.


    After hesitating for a few seconds, Colin put the eyeball back into his inventory without further examination.


    ¡°There¡¯s another eyeball in the other mission; it looks like a pair. Maybe they¡¯ll change if I get both.¡±


    Colin didn¡¯t dwell on it, collecting his thoughts and leading the group back to the opera hall.


    By now, the hall was utterly silent. The floor was coated in blood, mixed with the choking smells of smoke and gore. Every step felt sticky, pressing into the fragments of flesh and bone beneath their feet. Blood bubbles were squeezed out of the sides of their shoes with every movement.


    ¡°Next, rescue the people, then clear out the remaining monsters.¡±


    Colin scanned the surrounding stone archways, quickly identifying one. That was the location of the dungeon.


    Just then, one of the survivors asked softly, ¡°Can we leave for a bit?¡±


    ¡°For what?¡±


    Colin turned in surprise to see the three men and one woman looking mournfully at a corner of the hall. Under a heap of pale flesh lay a hand, equally pale but not distorted, still pointing in a certain direction. Perhaps by luck, it had survived the artillery fire.


    ¡°Go ahead.¡±


    Without waiting for a reply, Colin nodded. The four survivors hurried over, using all their strength to move the massive chunk of flesh, only to find¡­ it was just a single arm. Suppressed emotions finally erupted into subdued weeping.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    ¡°No, don¡¯t say that. Brother Wang¡¯s wish was to die, taking these monsters with him.¡±


    The survivor spoke with mixed emotions. ¡°His wish has been fulfilled, all thanks to you.¡±


    Colin said nothing more, stepping back with his men and waiting a few minutes for their emotions to calm and for them to stop searching for more remains before resuming their actions.


    Inside the dungeon, six people were imprisoned. As Colin approached the eerily silent area, he was immediately met with the sounds of screaming, banging, and rattling chains coming from several rooms.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come near me, stay away!¡±


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t touch me, please don¡¯t touch me.¡±


    ¡°Why can¡¯t I die, someone kill me!¡±


    When Colin and his team arrived, the dungeon was filled with frantic sounds. Their footsteps seemed to have provoked the inmates. Some rooms echoed with dull thuds of heads hitting walls, some with the clinking of chains and sobbing, while others were deathly silent, making it unclear if the occupants were alive or dead. S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡¾You realize they have all fallen into irreversible, permanent madness.¡¿


    As the hint appeared, the survivors, still teary-eyed, inappropriately praised the sun while explaining:


    ¡°This is why we didn¡¯t take them when we escaped. The torture was too much; they¡¯ve all gone mad¡­ We were lucky the torture didn¡¯t reach us; otherwise, we wouldn¡¯t be much better off.¡±


    One spoke softly.


    Colin didn¡¯t respond, instead moving past each cell, his face expressionless as he peered inside.


    Eventually, his gaze landed on a large room filled with various spiked torture devices and stained with blood. Beyond the light of his lantern, amidst the stench of blood and debauchery, several mutilated female figures hung suspended, swaying slightly. Some were survivors, others were their servants, and there were also long-dead female corpses and even some animals.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get these people out first.¡±


    Colin turned his gaze to the living, their clothes soaked in blood, their mental states extremely poor. Some were even banging their heads against the walls, trying to end their misery. At his command, Sanna immediately acted, violently dismantling the cell doors with her bare hands.


    Each person was then force-fed at least three bottles of ¡°enhancement potion.¡± Finally, they quieted down, prostrating themselves on the ground, gazing at Colin with devout fervor, constantly muttering prayers.


    To them, Colin seemed bathed in a holy light, offering them peace and fulfillment. But to Colin, the six disheveled, injured survivors kneeling at his feet were a reminder of the dire circumstances. Just days ago, these people were normal, just like him. If not for their unfortunate experiences, they might have become friends or enemies. Who could say how the future would unfold?


    But at least initially, everyone had chatted and laughed on the regional channel. Now, within just two days, they had become like this. Even with the large doses of potions bringing a fanatical ¡°serenity¡± to their faces, to Colin, it was merely a transition from one form of madness to another slightly more acceptable one. Essentially, there was little difference between the two.


    ¡°If I have the chance in the future¡­ I will help you regain what it means to be human.¡±


    He muttered to himself before standing and having his men pull the survivors to their feet. Difficult to reverse didn¡¯t mean impossible. As long as they survived the terror countdown, there would be a chance.


    He then surveyed the area, speaking without emotion:


    ¡°All threats must be completely eradicated.¡±


    After removing the tattered female corpses hanging like ragdolls, the cleansing operation began. The hiding fallen noble spawn were dragged out from the corners, their legs broken, and they were thrown onto the stage of the opera hall. Under Colin¡¯s supervision, they were executed by cannon fire.

 Chapter 103: Returning Home

    With a roar, the abhorrent creatures in the dark red fog were all incinerated into ash. When the scroll displayed that the quest was complete, it marked the end of the cursed family, who had survived the ¡°Era of Suffering¡± by using evil means to gain forbidden power.Additionally, during the cleansing operation, Colin retrieved all the scrolls and crafting tables.


    With everything finally over, Colin sighed and turned to pat one of the six survivors on the shoulder.


    ¡°You see? It¡¯s all over now.¡±


    Just as he was about to say this, before his hand could make contact, the survivor suddenly collapsed.


    His hand swung through the empty air.


    Thud, thud, thud.


    All six of them fell one by one. Their eyes were closed, and there was no trace of either manic pain or pathological fervor on their faces, only a serene peace, as if they had found satisfaction in that moment.


    The air was filled with an eerie silence.


    Perhaps it was a minute or two, maybe just a few seconds, or even mere moments¡ªbut in the time that felt stretched out, the bright lantern continued to burn.


    ¡°May the light bless them,¡± Sanna, rarely seen with her Bible, radiated a holy glow, chanting softly in a melodious tone, offering final prayers and blessings for the deceased.


    Her ethereal, beautiful voice echoed through the opera hall, filled with smoke, blood, and the flowing remnants of the old nobles.


    Colin and the others stood silently, heads slightly bowed, gazing at the ¡°survivors.¡± They seemed to be merely asleep, their faces peaceful, as if lost in pleasant dreams. Perhaps, in their dreams, they had finally returned home, lying on couches or beds, playing on computers, watching their phones, or even working overtime¡ªresuming their tranquil daily lives.


    In that place, there was no more gray fog to face, no monsters, no despair, and no suffering.


    When the prayers and blessings ended, Colin exhaled deeply and said calmly, ¡°Take them outside to be cremated and buried.¡±


    After that, he said nothing more, not even bothering to complete the quest immediately.


    The four survivors, who had not yet faced such a cruel fate, silently stepped forward to carry away the six bodies. Some of them had had conflicts with those among the deceased during previous explorations, but now that didn¡¯t matter.


    In the somber atmosphere, Colin, holding the lantern, began to leave in the direction they had come from.


    As he walked, he took out the scroll and conveyed information about the tunnel leading to this area to the base.


    But suddenly, Colin stopped, his face filled with alertness as he looked toward a particular stone archway, pausing in his steps.


    Though uncertain, Li Chou quickly set up the ¡°No-Conscience Cannon,¡± having his servants aim at that spot.


    At that moment, a faint sound came from the stone archway, and a strangely dressed man emerged from the darkness.


    The man wore a faded, heavily patched, but impeccably clean Western suit. The most noticeable features were his hair and eyes¡ªboth gray.


    He stepped into the bloodstained opera hall with a smile, seemingly indicating he had no ill intentions.


    He looked around and exclaimed, ¡°Impressive, you dealt with these creatures so easily.¡±


    ¡°Who are you?¡± Colin frowned, ready to unleash a ¡®Mental Piercing¡¯ at any moment. ¡°And stop right there.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright, relax. I mean no harm.¡±


    The man, as if rehearsed, raised his hands smoothly.


    ¡°I¡¯m Russell. Are you the reinforcements sent by Lady Bluebell? What¡¯s it like outside now? How many survivors are left?¡±


    ???


    What nonsense are you talking about?


    Listening to this self-proclaimed Russell, Colin and his group were flooded with questions, feeling something was very off.


    Who was this guy?


    Who was Lady Bluebell?


    What about the outside? The outside is just the way it is!


    But then, the hint appeared, making Colin furrow his brows deeply and his gaze sharpened.


    ¡¾You have never heard the language spoken by this man. You vaguely sense that this language might not have appeared since the dawn of civilization on Earth.¡¿


    The hint was clear¡ªthis man spoke a language that had never existed on Earth.


    Just a moment ago, he had wondered why, after crossing over, someone would dye their hair and wear colored contact lenses. With this hint, everything made sense.


    ¡°Do you know how ¡®Lady Bluebell¡¯ died?¡± Colin began probing.


    At the same time, he guessed who ¡°Lady Bluebell¡± might be¡ªthe headless female corpse. The cocoon at her feet couldn¡¯t have grown overnight. Compared to other parts of her body, it was clear she wasn¡¯t someone who did heavy labor regularly.


    Given that the foot calluses were recent, the answer was obvious¡ªthe owner of that body had been active in the fog for some time before they appeared. Colin had always suspected that another group of ¡°survivors¡± had been sent before them.


    However, neither the chat channels nor his explorations had revealed any traces of this ¡°previous group.¡±


    But now, a clue seemed to have surfaced.


    To Colin¡¯s surprise, this ¡°previous group¡± wasn¡¯t even from Earth.


    Russell, the man named by the system, was stunned by the question, ¡°Dead?¡± S~?a??h the N0v?lFir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He sighed. ¡°Her death is pretty obvious, isn¡¯t it? She exposed the system¡¯s malfunction and was punished by it. She avoided it for a while, but ultimately couldn¡¯t escape. But how could you not know that?¡±


    As he spoke, Russell¡¯s voice gradually paused. He finally realized something.


    Damn! We¡¯re not on the same team!


    The system¡¯s issue was known to all survivors. How could anyone not know?


    ¡°Ah, haha, this is a bit awkward.¡±


    Russell, like a husky among wolves, forced a smile. ¡°Friend, how about this? I¡¯ll give you some stuff and hide back underground. You can pretend you never saw me, okay?¡±


    He regretted his haste.


    ¡°Sorry, friend,¡± Colin said, not wanting to harm a friendly face. ¡°Hand over the scroll, crafting table, and lantern, along with all your supplies. Surrender and tell me everything you know.¡±


    Colin dared to make this demand because the hint suggested dealing with this man would be troublesome but not unmanageable.


    Initially, he had no intention of killing this ¡°previous generation¡± because there was a wealth of information to be gained from him.


    Everything the man knew could be revealed. If it weren¡¯t known, those who did would be dead already. If he was alive, it meant there was no problem.


    Meanwhile, Russell, facing Colin, showed no change in expression and didn¡¯t answer immediately but was filled with confusion.


    I know what a lantern is, but what are ¡°scroll¡± and ¡°crafting table¡±?


    Are these things unique to this batch of survivors?


    Moreover, there really are other civilizations¡¯ survivors!

 Chapter 104: Blue Sabre

    ¡°Friend, you¡¯re being too overbearing. Are you so sure I can¡¯t resist at all?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡±


    Colin nodded, verifying again through the hint.


    ¡¾You realize that this strange survivor before you isn¡¯t strong enough to pose a mortal threat to you.¡¿


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Russell, wearing a tattered suit, was taken aback. He really didn¡¯t have any means to counter Colin.


    Analytical mystical items? Are there such powerful analytical mystical items that can directly see through a person¡¯s strength?


    Russell¡¯s mind raced.


    At that moment, Colin spoke again: ¡°It seems you don¡¯t want to hand over your belongings willingly, so we¡¯ll have to fight.¡±


    Halfway through speaking, Colin made a secret gesture, prompting two of his servants to fire the cannon.


    No honor in battle!


    Russell was stunned, not expecting Colin to attack halfway through his sentence. These survivors were too impolite!


    At this moment, Colin watched intently, knowing that this man wouldn¡¯t easily die if he appeared so confidently.


    Sure enough, for some unknown reason, both cannonballs misfired, hitting the stone archway behind Russell without causing him any harm.


    Seeing this, Colin didn¡¯t hesitate and ordered everyone to attack.


    However, all the cannon shots either misfired, veered off course, or dropped immediately after being fired, like a damp squib, fizzling out.


    Seeing one cannonball about to hit the ground, Sanna stepped forward, flicked her toe, and kicked it towards the man.


    It missed.


    So absurd?


    Colin was astonished, feeling like his entire team had been debuffed, with every attempt against Russell failing.


    ¡¾You notice he seems extraordinarily lucky at the moment.¡¿


    ¡°Luck? A mystical item that influences luck?¡±


    Colin guessed, pondering his next move without hastily using ¡°Mental Piercing.¡±


    Today, he had already used the skill twice and only had one more use left. It would be a shame if it also missed.


    As all attacks against Russell failed, Colin had a strange thought¡ªconservation of luck indeed worked both ways. If Russell was lucky, they were unlucky.


    Colin knew Russell couldn¡¯t stay lucky forever; the luck would eventually run out. So he kept firing.


    At this moment, Colin saw Russell pull out a blue-bladed dagger. As he prepared to defend himself, he heard a clear neigh from beside the man.


    Next, a fully equipped skeletal horse appeared. It seemed to materialize from an unknown realm, with hoofbeats sounding from indistinct to clear.


    Colin and his group saw the skeletal warhorse, its skull like white porcelain, with blue flames billowing from its nostrils. Its eye sockets were also filled with ghostly flames.


    ¡°Is that Fighting Qi forming a horse?¡± Li Chou exclaimed.


    As the horse fully materialized, Russell mounted it amidst Colin and his team¡¯s ineffective attacks.


    Colin finally understood why Russell had been standing still; he was waiting for his horse!


    ¡°Sorry for the disturbance, goodbye.¡±


    Russell politely waved, sitting straight on the horse, smiling elegantly as he prepared to leave.


    He secretly sighed in relief, as his luck was about to run out and he would soon have to face the cannons.


    But now that his horse had arrived, the situation had reversed. Once he was on the saddle, everything chasing him would be halved in effectiveness, making it hard to catch him. s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Not far ahead was a wall, but he seemed unbothered by it, tugging the reins and spurring the horse.


    Colin and his team tried to chase but quickly realized something was off. It felt like they could never catch up, as if the distance between them was inexplicably stretched.


    Seeing the ¡°treasure box monster¡± about to escape, Colin gritted his teeth. Believing only mystical items could counter mystical items, he pulled out a rusty triangular shield and aimed at Russell.


    ¡°Warrior ahead, dismount and fight me!¡±


    In an instant, they were dragged into a twisted space, and Russell¡¯s horse vanished, dropping him to the ground.


    But Russell, experienced in battles, quickly used one hand to brace himself, rolled, and stood back up, looking bewildered.


    Why did his horse suddenly disappear?


    Noticing the surroundings, he realized something was wrong.


    Colin assessed his physical abilities, noting that the man had good physical attributes, withstanding such a fall without injury. This confirmed his base attributes were above 3.


    My base attributes are around 2, but with various means, I can briefly exceed 6.


    As Colin thought quickly, he went through the formalities, holding up the triangular shield, and declared:


    ¡°In the witness of the ¡®Shield of the Just Knight,¡¯ I request a fair and just duel with this man!¡±


    Russell chuckled, ¡°Are you sure you can beat me? After all, I¡¯ve lived a bit longer than you, and none of the six attributes on my personal panel have a minimum below three.¡±


    Russell smiled, having secretly observed the frenzied survivors¡¯ state, deducing that the average strength of these survivors wasn¡¯t high.


    He drank enhancement potions like water, without any frenzied effects, indicating low attributes and a short exploration time.


    He was puzzled by the rare blood lanterns but quickly figured it out¡ªLady Bluebell carried some rare blood when she left.


    He speculated that they must have encountered her; otherwise, they couldn¡¯t have defeated a lord-level mutant so quickly.


    His words aimed to probe, hoping to uncover the shield¡¯s effects, thinking Colin might foolishly reveal too much if provoked.


    But Colin was fixated on the mention of ¡°personal panel.¡±


    Personal panel?


    The system has that?


    In that moment, Colin realized he couldn¡¯t let this man escape!


    His value was enormous¡ªnot his items, but the knowledge he possessed.


    Through this man, Colin could understand the differences between the systems of two generations of survivors.


    Knowing the man was aware of the system¡¯s problems meant he knew what could and couldn¡¯t be said.


    Most importantly, Colin knew the man¡¯s intuition was above 3, meaning what he knew could be disclosed.


    If it couldn¡¯t be said, he¡¯d already be dead.


    Calming his thoughts, Colin raised the shield with his right hand, took out an enhancement potion with his left, and said:


    ¡°In this fair and just duel, we¡¯ll follow three rules.¡±


    Colin popped the cap, drank the potion, and quickly said:


    ¡°I vow not to use any enhancement potions in this duel, and to be fair, neither can my opponent.¡±

 Chapter 105: Fairness

    Crack!Seeing Colin drink the potion, Russell immediately took out a similar potion to drink, but a whip struck his back, causing the potion to spill out of his mouth with a spray.


    Too slow¡­


    Russell reached back to touch the wound, seeing blood on his hand. However, more than the lash, his gray eyes looked at the spilled potion with heartache.


    This wasn¡¯t some cheap potion like the one the opponent had.


    ¡°What a waste¡­¡±


    But Russell wasn¡¯t flustered. This only slightly narrowed the gap in their strengths; he still had a big advantage.


    But there were two more rules to be set.


    He stared at Colin, ready to mimic his actions without delay to avoid another misstep.


    ¡°I vow, in this duel, not to use any mystical items, and in fairness, my opponent must not use any mystical items either.¡±


    Huh? How can you vow not to use mystical items when you¡¯re clearly relying on something to make these vows?


    Russell felt the ¡°Shield of the Just Knight¡± was a very unfair and biased item. But it didn¡¯t matter; his individual attributes and combat experience far surpassed Colin¡¯s.


    Moreover, his skills were still usable.


    You didn¡¯t expect that, didn¡¯t you? I can still use my skills!


    Russell secretly laughed, confident that these survivors, who hadn¡¯t been exploring for long, had no skills.


    As he watched Colin, he stored his blue dagger, a yellow coin, and a blood-stained cloth in his bag to avoid losing them.


    Then he heard Colin utter the final rule, and he felt even worse.


    ¡°I vow, in this duel, to receive the blessing of a designated priest, and, in fairness, my opponent may also receive a priest¡¯s blessing.¡±


    ???


    Where am I supposed to find a priest to bless me?


    Russell was completely taken aback.


    At the same time, a female figure became clear at the edge of the arena.


    ¡°Courage Blessing.¡± s?a??h th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Light Shield.¡±


    ¡°Weapon Blessing.¡±


    ¡°Wind Blessing!¡±


    ¡°Light Shield!¡±


    ¡°Light Shield!¡±


    ¡­


    The girl¡¯s voice echoed quickly, casting every blessing she knew onto Colin.


    Except for Light Shield, all blessings had half the effect when cast on others.


    However, these were still strong support spells.


    With many buffs, Russell watched in shock as Colin¡¯s overall strength surged.


    Various layers of Light Shield stacked upon him, making Colin appear as if he were wearing a suit of radiant armor, glowing blindingly bright.


    Wait¡­


    Russell realized that the shield¡¯s mystical level must be very high!


    The second rule prohibited the use of mystical items. If the shield wasn¡¯t highly mystical, it wouldn¡¯t be able to enforce such a restriction.


    Both were mystical items, but the shield¡¯s restriction indicated a higher power level, suppressing all mystical items Russell possessed.


    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. I still have an advantage.¡±


    Russell remembered his three skills, feeling somewhat relieved.


    He pulled out a pure black hammer from his bag, smirking, ¡°Mystical items are forbidden, but not weapons.¡±


    But then Colin silently took out a row of cannons, gripping the firing cord, making Russell¡¯s expression freeze.


    There is half a minute left.


    Colin¡¯s Light Shield had been stacked over a dozen times, and although the effect was diminishing, Sanna kept adding more shields despite sweating from the effort.


    Finally, as the words ¡°Duel begins¡± were spoken, Sanna¡¯s figure blurred again, unable to participate further.


    Colin¡¯s third rule had skirted the edges of the basic rules, so it couldn¡¯t be used indefinitely.


    At that moment, Colin pulled the cannon cord, and flames burst from the barrels, sending three shells straight at Russell.


    ¡°Heh.¡±


    Russell smirked, disappearing from Colin¡¯s view and reappearing behind him in an instant.


    But something felt off about Colin¡¯s aura¡­


    Russell swung his flaming hammer at Colin¡¯s shoulder, using a skill meant to break through shields and cause massive damage.


    Yet he didn¡¯t intend to kill Colin, believing it hadn¡¯t come to that.


    In the mid-stage of the survivor¡¯s fight for resources, he might have considered it, but not now. Seeing another living person was already rare, and he had lost much of his killer instinct.


    He planned to teach this disrespectful junior a lesson and loot him.


    As for the servant, especially the white-clad, gold-trimmed, delicate-faced priestess, he wouldn¡¯t touch her.


    This wasn¡¯t due to his kindness, but because he knew the complexity of the situation.


    As he considered how to distribute the spoils, Russell suddenly saw Colin¡¯s slight smile. Colin turned quickly, his eyes meeting Russell¡¯s with a glint.


    Damn it!


    Before he could think, Russell¡¯s muscles froze, his mind going blank.


    A skill! I¡¯ve been hit!


    Realizing this, a tidal wave of pain surged through his brain, making it hard to think.


    At the same time, he felt a heavy kick to his abdomen, sending him flying and crashing to the ground.


    Rolling several times, Russell barely managed to regain his senses, realizing he had lost.


    In these ¡°semi-extraordinary¡± battles, whoever seized the initiative had the upper hand.


    With the upper hand, the opponent couldn¡¯t turn the tables.


    Now, not only was he losing, but his brain was in turmoil, unable to use his skills. He was being ground into the dirt.


    Using a skill would take at least three seconds of recovery, but his opponent wouldn¡¯t give him that time.


    Three seconds were enough to end many things.


    There was no way to turn the tide.


    Before the next barrage of blows could rain down, Russell quickly said:


    ¡°I surrender.¡±


    He knew Colin wouldn¡¯t kill him if he had any sense.


    He was also curious about the outside world; otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have risked his life to come out.


    Living alone was too¡­boring.


    But he hadn¡¯t expected Colin to keep punching him, even after he surrendered.


    ¡°Not the face!¡±


    After six or seven minutes, Colin finally stopped, calming his duel-induced desire.


    Putting away the shield, the buzzing voices in his head screaming ¡°Kill him¡± gradually quieted down.


    They returned to their original location.


    Russell¡¯s face was bruised and swollen; he was struggling to open his eyes, and he saw his horse again.


    Finally, someone is worse off than me. Li Chou grinned, wishing he could take a picture.


    Next time, I can¡¯t use this item twice within an hour. Colin exhaled deeply.


    Using the ¡°Shield of the Just Knight¡± twice within an hour left an unquenchable desire for battle.


    Colin walked toward Russell, not in a hurry to collect the spoils, but saying:


    ¡°Now can we talk?¡±


    ¡°About what?¡±


    ¡°The system.¡±


    Russell stiffened, his body tensing.

 Chapter 106: Level 5 Underground Fortress

    Jumping straight into the topic without any preliminaries, Russell felt a bit unprepared. Fortunately, the dreadful sense of being watched didn¡¯t occur, which gave him some relief.Unlike others, Russell knew that if that gaze appeared, he would die in a short time without any judgment or reason, just enough time to tidy up his clothes. He glanced around the dismal area and said, ¡°It¡¯s not convenient to talk here. Let¡¯s go to my place.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Colin nodded, ¡°but first, open your inventory and let me see.¡±


    Although he had essentially subdued Russell, Colin couldn¡¯t allow him to carry dangerous items that might allow him to counterattack.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have much left,¡± Russell sighed, opening his inventory to show compliance. After all, aside from mystical items, there wasn¡¯t much of importance in there.


    However, upon checking Russell¡¯s inventory, Colin couldn¡¯t help but exclaim inwardly: So rich?


    ¡°Red potion *4, restores thirty percent of injuries.¡±


    ¡°Blue potion, medium enhancement potion, black chocolate bar, compressed biscuits, canned meat, entrenching tool¡­¡±


    Russell interrupted with a puzzled expression, ¡°Aren¡¯t these just standard system-issued items? We get a set of red and blue potions and a food set every day. What¡¯s so strange?¡±


    ¡¾You realize this man doesn¡¯t seem to be lying¡¿


    Colin¡¯s expression twisted, unsure how to react: ¡°¡­We don¡¯t get these things.¡±


    If the system provided these every day, why would so many people die? Why would people risk their lives for a bite of black bread? Many are still venturing out, wounded, into the gray fog just for food. Without rapid recovery, many wouldn¡¯t survive.


    Some couldn¡¯t bear the severe pain from their wounds and chose to end it. Colin decided to take everything; these were all valuable items. He grew more interested in the previous batch¡¯s situation, which didn¡¯t seem so dire compared to theirs.


    Russell didn¡¯t mind too much, as these items were common for them, even until now. Bored, he often drank them like beverages.


    ¡°By the way, could you leave me a red potion?¡± He still had a swollen face.


    Colin put the last red potion into his inventory, not looking back. ¡°Your wounds will heal with some food.¡±


    Is it worth it? These aren¡¯t precious items, Russell thought, unsure what to say.


    But soon, he did feel the loss as Colin took out a coin from his inventory. An old brass coin, heavily worn with no visible patterns.


    Colin examined it.


    This thing had made them sharpshooters, missing every cannon shot.


    ¡¾¡°Fate Coin¡±: Stores daily luck to be released at critical moments, with a maximum storage time of ten minutes.¡¿


    ¡¾Note: The consumption speed of luck is proportional to the danger faced.¡¿


    ¡¾Special active skill: ¡°Desperate Gamble¡±; upon successful use, the coin disappears.¡¿


    ¡¾Remark: My luck is your misfortune.¡¿


    ¡¾You realize luck is conserved. During storage, you will become unlucky.¡¿


    ¡°No matter what happens, don¡¯t use the ¡®Desperate Gamble¡¯ skill. The outcome can be severe,¡± Russell advised, suppressing his heartache.


    ¡°What will happen?¡± Colin asked curiously.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I can tell you this coin has changed hands dozens of times, and experiments with servants have never succeeded,¡± Russell implied. They all died. Colin got the hint, storing the coin and taking out a gray cloth piece from Russell¡¯s pocket.


    ¡¾¡°Lost White Cloth¡±: Can suppress or weaken the effects of mystical items. Prolonged contact will erase bodily vitality.¡¿


    What a plain name and effect, even lacking a remark. Colin muttered.


    ¡¾You realize this isn¡¯t something to contact for long.¡¿


    After storing it, he took out the blue dagger. The dagger was about half a meter long, with a blue gem blade, wavy pattern, and a short handle, feeling good in the hand.


    ¡¾¡°Deep Blue Soul Blade¡±: Summons and tames the ¡®White Bone Horse¡¯ within. When riding the summoned ¡®White Bone Horse,¡¯ the distance enemies need to chase you triples.¡¿


    ¡¾¡®White Bone Horse¡¯ can traverse unknown realms, pass through ordinary obstacles, and reach speeds over 100 km/h in a short time.¡¿


    ¡¾Remark: Almost there, don¡¯t rush. On the way, at most a few minutes, thirty minutes tops, and your horse arrives.¡¿


    ¡¾You realize taming a ¡®White Bone Horse¡¯ isn¡¯t easy.¡¿


    Earlier, the horse had disappeared after the duel, but Colin remembered it well. Russell smiled and said, ¡°Can you leave this one for me? Taming the ¡®White Bone Horse¡¯ isn¡¯t easy. I¡¯ve already formed a bond with it. If you summon it, it won¡¯t respond, or if it does, it won¡¯t obey. Our bond is strong, like family, unbreakable.¡±


    Fine, Colin reluctantly asked, ¡°Can you summon it again for me?¡±


    Russell moved a few steps away, unchallenged by the group.


    Standing still for a few minutes, a long whinny sounded, and a ¡®White Bone Horse¡¯ ran from the void into reality.


    Tall, majestic, fully equipped, bones as white as jade, eyes burning with blue flames.


    Russell, holding the ¡®Deep Blue Soul Blade,¡¯ petted the horse¡¯s head, smiling, ¡°This friend wanted to take you from me, but see, that¡¯s impossible.¡±


    The ¡®White Bone Horse¡¯ nudged him, letting him stroke it. Indeed, even in front of others, it was loyal to him. Russell felt relieved, thinking the struggles to tame it were worth it.


    Seeing this, Colin thought about it and decided to let it be. He had no energy to tame such a thing.


    But suddenly, the horse approached the dagger, bit it from Russell¡¯s hand, and trotted over to Colin.


    Sanna and the others blocked it, but Colin said, ¡°Let it through.¡±


    Trotting happily, the horse approached Colin, bowed, and neighed softly.


    Silence fell; everyone was astonished.


    Colin took the dagger, and the horse neighed happily, half-kneeling as if waiting for him to mount. But Colin didn¡¯t.


    He wasn¡¯t sure what was happening.


    ¡°Friend, your horse seems to have abandoned you,¡± Li Chou mocked.


    Russell¡¯s face twitched, seeing his loyal horse now submitting to another.


    ¡¾You feel the undead creature has taken a liking to you.¡¿


    Why? Colin wondered.


    ¡¾You guess it desires something you have.¡¿


    ¡°What do I have that it desires?¡± Colin pondered, realizing, and patted the horse¡¯s head, ¡°Do you also wish to cleanse the land with cannon fire, sweeping away all shadows and horrors?¡±


    ???


    The horse tilted its head.


    ¡¾You realize the ¡®White Bone Horse¡¯ can temporarily ignore physical damage when using its ability.¡¿


    Seeing this prompt, Colin¡¯s mind raced. He patted the horse¡¯s head while Russell winced, knowing the horse would kick back if he did that. They were supposed to be each other¡¯s angels. What went wrong? His feelings were complicated.


    Suddenly, Russell remembered something. Normally, the horse reached 100 km/h in three seconds, faster than a level-one battle car at full throttle. But it had taken ten seconds to cover thirty meters earlier, leading to his capture.


    Also, it usually took thirty minutes to appear, like it had been running a long way, but it had shown up in less than three minutes just now.


    Realizing this, Russell fell into thought, noticing many overlooked details. Thinking about his earlier words, strong embarrassment surged, making his toes curl.


    He felt like a clown.


    On the other side, Colin¡¯s mind worked fast upon seeing the prompt.


    So sturdy¡­ Shouldn¡¯t it be a problem carrying a few cannons?


    With this, the mobility issue of the cannons was solved.


    A natural gun mount!


    He needed to prepare a compatible loadout.


    And the ability to temporarily ignore physical damage¡­


    Could he use it to charge enemies with explosive packages for precision strikes?


    What¡¯s its load capacity? If it could carry a ton of black powder¡­


    Colin thought unconsciously.


    Suddenly, he asked the horse, ¡°Do you have more comrades like you?¡±


    If he had a hundred more, they could form a weakened steel torrent. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The ¡®White Bone Horse,¡¯ seemingly moved by Colin¡¯s vision, tilted its head, the blue flames flickering in its eye sockets, trying to understand him.


    It felt like a ¡®Twisted Soul,¡¯ Colin mused, wanting to pluck and crush it.


    Seeing the prompt, he knew he wouldn¡¯t learn its loyalty soon. But he¡¯d use it as needed, enjoying the freebie.


    After a few seconds, the horse nodded, then shook its head.


    ¡¾You guess it means there are others like it, but only it is here.¡¿


    ¡°That¡¯s a pity.¡±


    Colin patted its head, refocusing his thoughts. The horse, reluctant, watched him store the dagger.


    He planned to call it out later and turn it into a light biological tank.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s visit your territory and talk about the system,¡± Colin said to Russell.


    Russell, accepting reality, led the way. Winding through the fallen noble family¡¯s crypt, they reached a hidden corner where Russell lifted a carpet, revealing a manhole cover.


    Lifting the cover revealed darkness, like a pixelated void.


    Colin asked, ¡°Why is your territory here?¡±


    Russell shook his head, ¡°We fled here to hide. Don¡¯t you know territories can be moved if the level is high enough?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Colin nodded. ¡°What¡¯s your territory?¡±


    ¡°Level 5 Underground Fortress.¡±


    Silence fell, punctuated by sharp intakes of breath.


    ¡°Level 5 Underground Fortress?¡±

 Chapter 107: We Too Have Struggled

    ¡°You¡­¡±Li Chou took a step forward, intending to ask a question, but Colin stopped him.


    ¡°Let me ask. These things¡­ asking about them is dangerous,¡± Colin whispered.


    Because this involves the system, he had to be cautious.


    Hearing this, Li Chou closed his mouth, still shaken.


    He knew Colin wasn¡¯t just trying to scare him.


    Some people in the chat channel liked to dig into the questions behind the system¡­


    They would dig and dig until suddenly, they stopped talking.


    No one knew whether they encountered danger and died in the mist or if something else happened.


    Some alliances of survivors had released information stating that these people simply vanished into thin air.


    But the specifics of what happened, they didn¡¯t reveal.


    The mist is terrifying¡­


    But the system is no less so¡­


    And compared to the mist, the system¡¯s dangers are closer, and the most despairing part is that they can¡¯t escape the system at all right now.


    Even if there were a way to escape the system, they couldn¡¯t do it because, without the system¡¯s functions, they wouldn¡¯t survive for long¡­


    At this moment, Colin only felt an unspeakable suffocation.


    ¡°Come down! What are you all standing there for? This place stinks¡­¡±


    From the manhole, Russell¡¯s half-exposed body called out to them.


    This time, Colin didn¡¯t hesitate. He had the servants go down first, ensuring there were no problems, then Li Chou, followed by Colin, Sanna, and the others¡­


    As they completely entered, the entire family cemetery seemed to fall into utter silence.


    Meanwhile, after entering the Level 5 Underground Fortress, Colin and the others felt as if they had arrived in a different world.


    They descended the stairs step by step.


    Eventually, a multi-layered, ring-structured, massive underground space unfolded before Colin¡¯s eyes, looking like a large underground shopping mall.


    Colin and the others emerged on the top floor.


    In the center of the ceiling, there was something emitting a soft light¡­ an ¡°artificial sun.¡±


    The light it emitted illuminated the entire underground space.


    Looking down from the stainless steel handrails, the Level 5 Underground Fortress had three layers in total, with an ¡°open-air¡± plaza at the bottom.


    This is the Level 5 Underground Fortress¡­


    Colin couldn¡¯t help but gasp¡­


    Yes, the air is pretty clear.


    The only downside is that it¡¯s too quiet¡­


    In this vast space, not a single person was visible.


    ¡°This has to be more than ten thousand square meters, right?¡±


    Colin surveyed the enormous underground area; it looked much larger than ten thousand square meters.


    Moreover, Colin and the others clearly felt the constant mental influence from the outside world had disappeared.


    Li Chou felt this the most strongly.


    Russell chuckled and proudly said, ¡°It¡¯s just over ten thousand square meters per floor, totaling over thirty thousand. There¡¯s another floor at the bottom, but its total area is only about three thousand meters.


    ¡°In here, not even a lord-level mutant could break in.¡±


    ¡°Very well, it¡¯s all mine now,¡± Colin nodded.


    Russell couldn¡¯t help but twitch at the corners of his mouth.


    But just then, Colin and the others suddenly heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching, as if someone was rushing toward them.


    Seeing Colin and the others pulling out explosives and cannons, Russell quickly said, ¡°Don¡¯t get excited, it¡¯s just a few of my¡­ subordinates.¡±


    As soon as he finished speaking, Colin and the others saw three female figures rushing over.


    Unsurprisingly, these women were all very attractive¡ªsome tall, some petite, others exuding mature feminine charm¡­


    And¡­


    [You know, they are not survivors but characters summoned by the system.]


    Colin saw this prompt and moved slightly closer to Russell¡­


    If anything seemed off, he would immediately detain him.


    Because¡­


    As far as he knew, the system could only summon servants¡­


    These three women were clearly not servants!


    Three special character summon cards!


    Even Colin only had one by his side!


    He knew firsthand how strong and terrifying Sanna¡¯s physical capabilities were!


    ¡°Relax, they¡¯re just ordinary people summoned by the system, not monsters created by special talent summon cards¡­¡±


    Russell explained with a smile, ¡°You can see a person¡¯s strength, so you should be able to tell.¡±


    Indeed¡­ Colin nodded. The source of special talents seemed to be outside the system¡­


    ¡°Monsters¡­¡± Shana gave him a displeased look, not liking the term.


    ¡°Ah, sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to offend you. It¡¯s just that special talent summon cards are indeed¡­ very special¡­¡± Russell said, his scalp tingling as if he was deeply worried about something happening. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about it later¡­¡±


    As he spoke, he glanced at the inscriptions on everyone¡¯s arms before looking away.


    Then, under the expressionless gaze of Colin and the others, Russell quietly rubbed his waist, stepping out of the crowd as the three beautiful women surrounded him, showering him with affection.


    ¡°What happened to your face¡­¡±


    ¡°I fell; it¡¯s nothing serious.¡±


    ¡°Ah, then you should take your medicine quickly¡­¡±


    Seeing their concerned faces, Russell¡¯s mood improved: ¡°You¡¯re still the best¡­ You¡¯ll never betray me.¡±


    ¡°Who would betray you?¡±


    ¡°¡­Xiao Bai. Sigh, it doesn¡¯t recognize me anymore.¡±


    ¡°How could it do that? You were so good to it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­No more talking, it¡¯s all tears.¡±


    ¡­


    ¡°Boss, I want to chop him up¡­¡± Li Chou, eyes fixed on Russell, whispered to Colin with jealousy.


    Why the hell doesn¡¯t their system summon people like this?


    He wanted pretty girls too!


    ¡°Let it go for now¡­¡± Colin sighed, looking at Russell, ¡°I don¡¯t think you brought us here just to show us¡­ this, right?¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I just got excited, having been apart for only an hour. Come with me. You, go prepare something for our guests¡­¡±


    Russell led Colin and the others to a spacious balcony where a large round table and several chairs were placed.


    Colin and the others took their seats one by one, while the servants stood guard nearby.


    Once seated, Colin immediately asked:


    ¡°Start from the beginning, and also, where did your scroll and crafting go¡­¡±


    Earlier, when Colin searched Russell¡¯s inventory, he hadn¡¯t found those items, but he forgot to ask at the time.


    ¡°¡­We don¡¯t have those things.¡±


    Russell shook his head, ¡°Our ¡®social¡¯, ¡®trade¡¯, and ¡®team-up¡¯ functions are all in our minds, but now they¡¯re all unusable¡­¡±


    ¡°In your minds¡­¡± Colin murmured.


    Without a doubt, if those functions were in their minds¡­ it would be much faster.


    Wait, team-up function?


    ¡°You have a ¡®team-up¡¯ function?¡± Li Chou exclaimed in surprise.


    ¡°You don¡¯t?¡±


    Colin and the other survivors all shook their heads in unison.


    Russell also became surprised. He originally thought the differences between them were just the scroll and the crafting table, but now it seemed there were more¡­


    ¡°Describe every detail from the beginning. Explain each function¡­¡± Colin said in a serious tone.


    Russell didn¡¯t answer immediately. He pondered for a moment, as if recalling how to answer the question thoroughly.


    Two or three minutes later, Colin and the others finally heard his voice.


    ¡°About six months ago, we were mysteriously sent here. At that time, some advice appeared in our minds, saying this was the toughest survival¡­¡±


    ¡°The advice told us how to light a lantern and go out to hunt mutants. I remember I first chatted for a while, then opened the newbie gift pack¡­¡±


    ¡°I remember the newbie gift pack contained a recovery card, a bottle of water, some food, two warrior summon cards, and a fine steel axe¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Wait a minute.¡±


    Li Chou couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°You got a recovery card? On the first day? Warriors? And, you were already told how to light a lantern?¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it the same for everyone? The instructions for lighting a lantern were in the advice. Didn¡¯t you read it carefully?¡±


    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t have any of that. We only got a loaf of bread, no water, two servants, and the lantern lighting method was something Colin figured out while risking punishment¡­¡±


    ¡°Uh, what¡­¡±


    Russell was stunned. That¡¯s harsh!


    But he quickly realized something¡ªpunishment? ¡°How many days have you been here?¡±


    ¡°Four days¡­¡±


    ¡°Four days? How could there be punishment already? That kind of thing doesn¡¯t appear until at least a month in¡­¡±


    Russell said in disbelief. After observing Colin, he felt this group had been exploring for at least ten days.


    How could they have any skills after just four days?


    And punishment¡­ doesn¡¯t appear until after at least a month.


    ¡°We¡­¡± Li Chou was about to say something about his countdown being off, but seeing Colin¡¯s gesture, he stopped.


    Colin looked at him and said sternly, ¡°Continue.¡±


    He wanted to see just how wide the gap between the two sides was on the first day.


    ¡°Uh, I forgot to mention earlier that on the first day, we also had a sign-in feature. Daily sign-ins gave us a set of red and blue potions and food supplies. There were also many good things later, of course, provided you survived¡­¡±


    Everyone¡¯s faces twitched¡­ Damn, they had a sign-in feature too?


    Everyone gets a cheat code?


    Surviving is the only requirement?


    That¡¯s practically living on easy street!


    ¡°I remember I mentioned earlier that those were the supplies we had on the first day. Then a nearby survivor came knocking, and we went exploring together¡­¡±


    ¡°Nearby?¡± Colin couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Were you all grouped together?¡±


    ¡°Not exactly, we were randomly grouped in teams of thirty, arriving within a one-kilometer radius. I recall that the elderly, children, and pregnant women received special care; any illnesses were cured, and they received the most substantial supply drops. Four hundred of them were gathered in one area¡­¡±


    ¡°Elderly and children?¡± Colin was too weary to even consider the arrangement of these groups.


    ¡°Yes, you didn¡¯t have them?¡±


    Colin and his group shook their heads again. The oldest among them was no more than forty years old, all in peak physical condition.


    ¡°Keep going,¡± Colin urged.


    ¡°Alright,¡± Russell continued. ¡°After we formed our team, we grabbed lanterns, and dozens of us went to complete that stingy daily task¡­¡±


    Hearing the word ¡°stingy,¡± Colin and the others finally felt like they had found some common ground, but the next second, they dismissed the thought.


    Russell complained, ¡°Ugh, that task was miserly, just ten loaves of bread that even dogs wouldn¡¯t eat and a bottle of water¡ªwho would want to do that?¡±


    After he finished, he saw Colin and the others turn pale, and added quickly, ¡°Not that I don¡¯t understand why you did it; after all, survival is key, but ten loaves of bread and a bottle of water is nothing to be excited about¡­¡±


    ¡°No¡­ We only had one sour, hard loaf of black bread, and no water¡­¡± Colin murmured.


    ¡°Oh¡­ well¡­¡±


    ¡°Just keep going, don¡¯t mind us¡­¡±


    ¡°Then we followed the map and started exploring outside¡­¡±


    ¡°A map?¡±


    ¡°And we encountered some monsters with low health bars¡­¡±


    ¡°Health bars?¡±


    ¡°Later, we accepted some triggered quests¡ªthose were killer. We almost died fighting a knight in a pointed hat¡­¡±


    Dozens of people nearly getting wiped out by a single opponent?


    Wait a minute¡­


    ¡°You dared to do triggered quests on the first day? Weren¡¯t you afraid of a Lord-level mutant?¡± Colin asked again.


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t we dare? It wasn¡¯t that hard. Besides, what does that have to do with a Lord-level mutant?¡±


    [You realize that at this point, they wouldn¡¯t have encountered any Lord-level mutants¡­]


    Listening to their story, Colin felt a huge disconnect. Were these people really survivors from the previous generation, or were they just here on vacation?


    As Russell continued talking bit by bit, Colin roughly pieced together what the previous generation¡¯s system was like¡­


    On the first day, they had a forty-five-day countdown, a team system, a map, health bar displays, personal panels, and detailed quest descriptions¡­


    The quest descriptions even had warnings about which attributes were suitable for exploration¡­


    They also had a sign-in feature¡­


    Just by signing in on the third day at home, they could get a boosting potion¡­


    By the fifteenth day, everyone could acquire a random skill¡­


    All of their system functions were embedded, so they didn¡¯t need parchment scrolls or crafting tables¡­


    Additionally, their crafting list wasn¡¯t hidden¡­


    And then there was the talent recruitment feature¡­


    They could buy three servants for one coin!


    Not only that, but they had a wide range of choices¡ªthey could summon ¡°Warriors,¡± ¡°Mages,¡± ¡°Generals,¡± ¡°Priestesses,¡± ¡°Rangers,¡± ¡°Assassins¡±¡­


    Meanwhile, Colin and his group could only summon ¡°Servants.¡± And the price had gone up to three coins each, with no choices¡­


    Their survival¡­


    ¡°Why does it feel like we¡¯re the only ones trying to survive while you guys were playing a game?¡± Li Chou couldn¡¯t hold back any longer.


    This wasn¡¯t just a case of being raised by a wicked stepmother¡­


    ¡°Ignore him, keep going,¡± Colin sighed.


    So, with all those advantages, it wasn¡¯t until the fifteenth day that this bunch of useless people finally defeated a Lord-level mutant¡­


    And received a reward that Colin couldn¡¯t even dream of¡­


    A bundle of recovery cards, a complete treasure map, an airship construction card, and more¡­


    ¡°With such good conditions, you only killed a Lord-level mutant on the fifteenth day?¡± Li Chou couldn¡¯t help but interject again.


    ¡°You have no idea how terrifying a Lord-level mutant is; don¡¯t think just because you¡¯ve killed some Fallen Nobles that you¡¯re hot stuff¡­¡±


    ¡°We killed a Lord-level abomination on the second day.¡±


    ¡°Ha.¡±


    Upon hearing this, Russell sneered at Li Chou, ¡°My friend, you¡¯re bragging the wrong way (system translation). You must¡¯ve confused some larger-than-normal mutant with a Lord-level one. I¡¯ve seen your cannons, and they¡¯d barely make it itch¡­


    ¡°Moreover, to put it bluntly, if you have all attributes under five when you face a Lord-level mutant, you¡¯re likely to be instantly killed just by looking at it; you won¡¯t even be able to fight it.


    ¡°With your current strength, encountering one means certain death, and running away would be almost impossible.¡±


    Li Chou was about to retort, but Colin spoke first, ¡°We really did kill a Lord-level mutant on the second day¡­¡±


    Before Russell could respond, Colin described some characteristics of a Lord-level mutant.


    ¡°That¡­ does sound like a Lord-level mutant¡­¡±


    Now it was Russell¡¯s turn to look incredulous. He realized that the blood burning in these people¡¯s lanterns had been earned by their own efforts, not by being led out by Lady Bluebell¡­


    He didn¡¯t know that when Colin met that woman, she didn¡¯t have a single valuable item on her¡­


    ¡°With your start, how did you manage to kill a Lord-level mutant on the second day? Even the weakest one shouldn¡¯t have been possible¡­¡±


    ¡°Did you have someone hacking the system?¡±


    Li Chou immediately retorted, ¡°No, none of us were hacking; we fought our way through with our own efforts.


    ¡°And compared to that, I think you guys must¡¯ve used some kind of modding tool¡ªhow else could you have such an abundance of resources?¡±


    ¡°Right, right, so we all ended up dead with barely anyone left; maybe I¡¯m the last person from Gondor¡­¡±


    Russell said with a good-natured smile, without the slightest trace of anger.


    He hadn¡¯t chatted like this in a long time.


    ¡°Gondor?¡±


    ¡°Our civilization¡¯s name is ¡®Gondor,¡¯ and we call ourselves Gondorians. Let¡¯s continue¡ªwhat follows isn¡¯t very pleasant¡­¡±


    As Russell continued recounting his personal experiences, the atmosphere grew heavier.


    As the countdown progressed, the system began to malfunction more and more, with the map function increasingly leading them into extremely dangerous areas.


    The team system, health bars, quest descriptions, talent recruitment¡ªeverything started to go haywire¡­


    Moreover, internal divisions began to arise within Gondor¡¯s civilization¡­


    ¡°I feel like the civilization¡¯s split in the later stages was not quite natural, but unfortunately, I don¡¯t know what caused it¡­¡± Russell said, his mood heavy.


    Finally, just before the countdown ended, a group of them used a ¡°treasure map¡± to open a passage and descend into this area, where they discovered this place by chance and hid here¡­


    Something happened at that time that prevented them from dealing with the Fallen Nobles¡­


    After that incident, only he was left as the sole surviving Gondor refugee.


    ¡°How did you manage to produce so much stuff without leaving any trace of yourselves for us to find?¡± Colin asked, puzzled.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know; the world of fog is vast. We only explored up to 37% of it; you might be on the other side¡­¡±


    Russell leaned back in his chair, ¡°Maybe all our traces were wiped out. After all, we¡¯re just failures, and we didn¡¯t find any traces of the ¡®previous generation¡¯ either¡­¡±


    As the conversation continued, Colin and Li Chou realized¡­


    The later stages of Russell¡¯s system seemed more like the system they were now interacting with¡­


    And for this ¡°previous generation,¡± apart from the inventory that was still functional and the daily sign-in for a set of medicine and food, everything else was gone¡­


    The discussion gradually wound down, but for Colin, many questions still remained unresolved¡­


    However, at that moment, Russell suddenly asked, ¡°Mr. Colin, could I ask you to come over alone for a moment? There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Colin gave him a look.


    With just a thought, he could kill the man with the oath of the ¡°Shielfd of the Just Knight¡±


    Moreover, Russell couldn¡¯t subjectively do anything harmful to him¡­


    With that safety net, Colin agreed, though he also took other precautions.


    For instance, he searched Russell¡¯s entire body, leaving no stone unturned, even down to his fingernails. He tied Russell up like a zongzi and added a few barrels of explosives to the rope.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being a bit too cautious? We¡¯ve been talking for hours now.¡±


    Russell smiled wryly and shook his head, signaling to his three subordinates not to worry.


    ¡°My apologies.¡±


    Despite his words, Colin didn¡¯t show a hint of embarrassment. ¡°I can¡¯t afford anything to happen to me here; there are still many people in my territory waiting for me to bring back good news.¡±


    He had never let his guard down with this ¡°previous generation.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Russell nodded.


    Being carried by Colin, he was taken to a slightly secluded spot, about thirty meters away from the crowd, where Russell¡¯s usual ¡°seen it all, world-weary¡± expression faded.


    ¡°What do you want to ask me?¡± Colin asked directly.


    Russell¡¯s face grew serious as he cautiously glanced at Sana, who was still watching from afar, and then said:


    ¡°Please forgive my rudeness¡­ I wanted to ask if you¡¯ve fulfilled the wish of the female priestess summoned by your ¡®Special Talent Summoning Card¡¯? Is her loyalty to you one hundred percent?¡±


    ¡°Tell me why you¡¯re asking this, and I¡¯ll decide how to answer based on your reason.¡±


    Colin wasn¡¯t particularly surprised by the question. From the very beginning, he had noticed that Russell had been extremely cautious and wary of Sanna.


    Russell¡¯s suspicion of Colin was nothing new, and he didn¡¯t answer immediately, as if contemplating where to start his explanation. After a few seconds, Russell leaned back against the armrest, glancing at the scab on Colin¡¯s arm:


    ¡°¡­If I¡¯m not mistaken, you¡¯ve already encountered it, right? That thing that summons shadowy beings¡­¡±


    ¡°The Slender Ghost? The Trailblazer¡¯s Curse?¡± Colin hadn¡¯t expected to hear news of this here. He had given both those names himself.


    ¡°Uh, you could call it that, though we refer to it as the ¡®Group Activity Curse¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying this has something to do with Sanna?¡± Colin frowned, observing the tense expression on Russell¡¯s face.


    ¡°Yes and no¡­ About four months ago, we also had several characters summoned by Special Talent Summoning Cards¡­¡±


    Russell spoke with lingering fear, ¡°One of them had a loyalty level of ninety-five percent, and then¡­ nine-tenths of our group died because of him¡­


    ¡°The highest death toll wasn¡¯t from the countdown itself, but from that Special Talent Summoning Card¡­


    ¡°Anyone summoned by a Special Talent Summoning Card has a chance to collapse and turn into something similar to that¡­¡±


    Shana could turn into the Slender Ghost?


    Colin¡¯s breath caught, nearly disrupting his train of thought from the shock: ¡°Do you realize what you¡¯re saying?¡±


    This news was too horrifying to believe. The ¡°Slender Ghost¡± had once been a person summoned by a Special Talent Summoning Card?


    ¡°Heh, I know it¡¯s hard to believe, but I can tell you that the ¡®Slender Ghost¡¯ is what happens when a Level 3 ¡®Shadow Mage¡¯ collapses and becomes a ¡®curse¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Surely, you¡¯ve noticed that characters summoned by the system are absolutely loyal, while those summoned outside of the system only have a loyalty percentage? Oh, I forgot, you can only summon servants, my apologies¡­¡±


    ¡°Haven¡¯t you realized that this curse is out of place in this world?¡±


    ¡°In fact, our collapse occurred even before we encountered the countdown, so I don¡¯t really know what dangers await after the countdown ends because we all scattered and disconnected before the countdown finished¡­¡±


    ¡°In the final days, unusual events kept happening, and the death rate skyrocketed. Among these numerous incidents, the primary cause of our heavy losses was the ¡®Special Talent Summoning Card¡¯¡­¡±


    ¡°Around the thirtieth day, some characters summoned by Special Talent Summoning Cards with lower loyalty began to collapse, turning into various disasters that could only be sealed at great cost¡­¡±


    ¡°If an area had a Level 4 special talent, it would turn the entire area and neighboring regions into a no-man¡¯s land¡­¡± S?a??h the Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The most terrifying case was one of the top ten lords. He had plundered a large number of Special Talent Summoning Cards, amassing over a hundred, with the strongest reaching Level 5¡­¡±


    ¡°A Level 5 Special Talent Summoning Card character could single-handedly take on multiple lord-level mutants without being outmatched¡­¡±


    ¡°But the first to collapse was this character with seventy percent loyalty, and along with the other Special Talent Summoning Cards, nearly a hundred regions became death zones. Heh, you can¡¯t imagine such a scene¡­¡±


    ¡°It was so hopeless, all we could do was flee¡­¡±


    ¡°Only those Special Talent Summoning Cards with one hundred percent loyalty from fulfilling their wishes won¡¯t collapse, which is why I asked you that question¡­¡±


    Russell tried to clap his hands but then realized he was bound. He tried to shrug instead¡­ but that didn¡¯t work either.


    Damn, he shot a glance at Li Chou from a distance. How could someone tie a knot so tightly? What kind of man is so skilled at tying people up?


    After listening, Colin stared at him for a full minute before slowly replying:


    ¡°Sanna is safe.¡±


    Phew¡­ Russell let out a sigh of relief. This meant that the female priestess¡¯s wish had been fulfilled and she wouldn¡¯t collapse into a terrifying and unknown disaster.


    ¡°If fulfilling their wish can prevent it, why didn¡¯t you complete their wishes? I remember it shouldn¡¯t be too hard.¡± Colin recalled¡­


    Sanna had only needed to save someone, and her wish had been fulfilled¡­


    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s not hard, as long as you know what their wish is. But the system was malfunctioning back then, so it didn¡¯t indicate their wishes¡­ How could you help them fulfill it if you didn¡¯t know?¡±


    Russell said helplessly, ¡°Their wishes are likely their greatest despair before death, instinctively suppressed and unspeakable. If they¡¯re repeatedly triggered by similar situations, there¡¯s a chance of collapse¡­


    ¡°The key is, some wishes are simple, while others are nearly impossible to figure out, leaving you to guess¡­¡±


    ¡°Before death?¡± Colin couldn¡¯t help glancing at Sanna. She noticed and blinked as if asking if he needed help.


    Colin shook his head slightly.


    She¡­ had already died once?


    ¡°This is just a guess we¡¯ve formed based on their wishes. It may not be right before death; it could be at the moment of greatest despair when they were turned into a¡­ card¡­¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± Colin suddenly remembered something from Russell¡¯s words. ¡°You just said there were a few Special Talent Summoning Cards here? What happened to them?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re dead.¡±


    Russell responded bluntly,


    ¡°After paying a heavy price, we finally managed to locate and expel it from our territory¡­


    ¡°Heh, at first, whenever it split off a ¡®decoy form,¡¯ it would immediately become a beacon to summon countless shadowy beings for an attack, but from the engravings you¡¯ve made, it now requires more than half the group to trigger a summoning¡­


    ¡°This is much easier than it used to be¡­


    ¡°Anyway, to get back on track, at the time we had four Special Talent Summoning Card characters, all at Level 3, three of whom were one hundred percent loyal, and one at ninety-five¡­


    ¡°Only when a wish is fulfilled can loyalty reach one hundred percent; otherwise, it never will¡­


    ¡°We didn¡¯t kill that ¡®Shadow Mage¡¯ before he collapsed because we were overly optimistic, thinking ninety-five percent wouldn¡¯t be a problem¡­


    ¡°But we paid a terrible price for it. There should have been more lords left alive¡­¡±


    Russell sighed, ¡°But we don¡¯t hate him; after all, this kind of collapse isn¡¯t under their control.¡±


    Avoiding another pitfall¡­ Colin felt a mix of emotions, but what made his scalp tingle was¡­


    How many special talents have they summoned now?


    Colin¡¯s head began to ache.


    In a way, Special Talent Summoning Cards are¡­


    If loyalty isn¡¯t absolute, then it¡¯s absolutely disloyal.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t fulfill their wish, what¡¯s your strategy for dealing with them?¡± Colin asked.


    ¡°Before they collapse, do everything possible to raise their loyalty, use all resources to level them up¡­¡±


    Seeing Colin¡¯s confused expression, Russell slowly continued: ¡°Then, explain everything to them, make them understand your actions, and then kill them.


    ¡°A Special Talent Summoning Card character of Level 2 or higher will drop a mysterious item when killed. The stronger they are, the better the item¡¯s effect, and the more loyal they are, the lower the negative effects¡­


    ¡°This is the best solution we¡¯ve come up with¡­¡±


    ¡°Has it come to this¡­¡± Colin sighed.


    Russell smiled, his eyes filled with helplessness: ¡°If you don¡¯t want to end up like me, the last one left standing.¡±


    With that, he strained to turn his neck and looked toward a spot in the lower square.


    Colin followed his gaze and suddenly noticed something he hadn¡¯t seen before.


    There, a hundred black stone tablets stood neatly in a row.


    As Colin stared at them, he constantly processed the information with the help of the system, confirming that¡­


    There was no false information.


    This was worse than being deceived¡­


    In the somewhat oppressive atmosphere, Colin couldn¡¯t help but feel a surge of anger:


    ¡°Why would the system do this? Just for fun?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe we¡¯ll find out after the countdown ends. I¡¯ve told you everything I know. Anyway, you still have plenty of time, just be careful and avoid it¡­¡±


    Russell thought of Colin¡¯s abilities and mysterious items, glanced at those graves, and seemed lost in thought,


    ¡°If you can avoid it all, maybe you¡¯ll get a chance to face what comes after the countdown. When that time comes, I¡¯d like to see it too¡­


    ¡°See what lies at the end of the road our civilization couldn¡¯t reach.¡±


    ¡°¡­Our countdown only has three days left¡­¡± Colin suddenly said.


    ¡°Three days, that¡¯s still plenty¡­ Cough, cough,¡± Russell turned his head in shock and disbelief, ¡°Three days?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± Colin then explained their situation.


    ¡°You guys are just¡­¡±


    Russell didn¡¯t even know what to say after hearing this. No wonder these people got so excited over ¡®junk¡¯¡­


    No wonder they looked at him as if they wanted to eat him alive before.


    It wasn¡¯t just misery; it was beyond comprehension.


    Yet, despite such a start, they had accomplished what the Gondor civilization couldn¡¯t¡­


    They killed a lord-level mutant on the second day.


    Maybe a miracle really is possible?


    At this point, after Colin finished processing all the information in his mind and was fairly certain there were no major issues, he spoke with a mix of curiosity and caution:


    ¡°I feel like your assistance has been a bit too thorough¡­ You¡¯ve basically said everything you could, and what you couldn¡¯t say, you hinted at indirectly. During some of the dangerous information, I noticed several times that your face went pale and you rubbed your chest¡­ It looked like you were about to have a heart attack.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Russell smiled, his gray eyes finally calm after a long time. ¡°I do have some requests, hoping you might help a little. If you¡¯re willing to assist, I can offer even more support.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead, tell me. I¡¯ll see if I can help.¡±


    ¡°If one day I accidentally die, if I¡¯m the last Gondorian you encounter, and if you manage to survive, I just ask you to remember one thing¡­¡±


    ¡°There was once a civilization called ¡®Gondor¡¯ that existed on this land, that struggled and fought back¡­ Even though we failed and were completely wiped out, if someone remembers us, perhaps we can be reborn with newfound strength¡­¡±


    ¡°To continue¡­ even if it¡¯s just a name.¡±


    After a moment of silence, Colin slowly nodded:


    ¡°I¡¯ll help with that.¡±

 Chapter 108: Freeloading

    ¡°By the way, if you encounter other Gondorians who need help, please assist them,¡± Russell added.Colin didn¡¯t immediately agree. Instead, he said, ¡°Unless they accept being fully controlled by me, I won¡¯t help.¡±


    ¡°Of course. Human nature is the most unreliable. You just need to provide a safe environment. Safety is the most luxurious thing for us,¡± Russell nodded and then asked, ¡°Another question, Mr. Colin. How did you survive ¡®the Punishment¡¯?¡±


    He already knew Colin was punished by the system a few days ago and was curious about how he managed to endure it.


    Colin shook his head. ¡°It arrives in about three days, coinciding with the countdown.¡± He briefly explained the situation about the punishment.


    Russell¡¯s expression turned extremely peculiar, and he said in disbelief, ¡°Arriving in seven days?¡±


    ¡°Is there something strange about that?¡± S?a??h th? N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°This is impossible. Once the punishment appears, it must arrive the same day, within twenty-four hours, and it¡¯s certain death,¡± Russell shared what he knew.


    ¡°The Punishment¡± is one of the most baffling mysteries of the system. Once it appears, it arrives the same day, and no one can be around when it happens, or everyone nearby will be wiped out as well.


    So no one knows what happens when the punishment comes. The death it brings is total, and it¡¯s easy to identify a death caused by the punishment. The deceased usually appear as if something tore their heads off. This is also why Lady Bluebell left; she was marked but the punishment never came until recently when it suddenly appeared in her mind, prompting her to leave her territory and wait for death alone somewhere unknown.


    But with Colin¡¯s exception, Russell¡¯s preconceived notions were shattered. ¡°And the punishment won¡¯t be announced to the whole server, only a forced quest, without a countdown, and death occurs randomly within twenty-four hours after an hour.¡±


    Hearing Russell, Colin fell into deep thought. His punishment seemed off? But as a strange feeling enveloped the area, they both wisely chose to move on from the topic.


    Now, Colin was certain the punishment timing was off¡ªit was delayed by at least six days! Colin couldn¡¯t help but recall the global terror countdown, the critical information somehow transmitted through the system.


    Was the delayed punishment related to whoever sent that message?


    No, he couldn¡¯t think about this any longer. His heart felt uneasy. The punishment was the system¡¯s most sensitive topic, even Colin dared not probe too much.


    Taking a deep breath, Colin asked, ¡°Do you know much about the history of this world?¡±


    The previous generation¡¯s investigator quest was 19% complete, it would be a waste not to freeload this information.


    ¡°I personally don¡¯t know much, but I can probably give you about three percent,¡± Russell said.


    That¡¯s quite a lot. Colin muttered.


    Their quest progress was less than one percent. Mainly because, apart from daily quest, they always encountered lord-level mutants no matter what they did. The task descriptions weren¡¯t detailed enough, making progress extremely difficult. But they had to do it because the task¡¯s title granted a thirty-meter teleportation skill, the ability Colin used to suddenly appear behind Russell during their fight. If everyone had this skill, their survival chances would greatly increase.


    ¡°Let¡¯s start with the miracles. In the Era of Suffering, the people of this world generally worshipped a deity called the ¡®Mother of Suffering and Thorns.''¡±


    ¡°The Era of Suffering began when the first miracle, the ¡®Twisted Holy Father,¡¯ was received through self-torture, requesting a miracle from the ¡®Mother of Suffering and Thorns.''¡±


    ¡°People believed that as long as their bodies and souls endured suffering, this deity would bestow ¡®miracles of suffering.''¡±


    ¡°Over time, as only one deity manifested divine signs, the ¡®Church of Suffering¡¯ emerged.¡±


    ¡°Under various ¡®miracles,¡¯ it quickly became the sole belief in the world, but from our perspective, these ¡®miracles¡¯ were quite twisted.¡±


    ¡°We divided miracles into two parts: ¡®Great Miracles¡¯ and ¡®Lesser Miracles.''¡±


    ¡°¡®Great Miracles¡¯ are few, about thirteen, but they have significant impact.¡±


    ¡°We only know six: the first miracle, ¡®Twisted Holy Father,¡¯ the second miracle, ¡®Mother of All Mothers,¡¯ the seventh miracle, ¡®The Undying,¡¯ the tenth miracle, ¡®Wailing Wall,¡¯ the twelfth miracle, ¡®Wound Licker,¡¯ and the thirteenth miracle, ¡®Ash and Silver.''¡±


    ¡°Excluding the ¡®Mother of Suffering and Thorns,¡¯ the source of all suffering belief, most ¡®Great Miracles¡¯ formed their own branches.¡±


    ¡°We know three of them: the ¡®Twisted Holy Father,¡¯ the main belief of the ¡®Church of Suffering,¡¯ symbolizing its pinnacle. All mutants are related to this ¡®Twisted Holy Father,¡¯ whose miracle form emits ¡®Golden Hot Oil,¡¯ or ¡®Tainted Blood.''¡±


    ¡°Early ¡®Golden Hot Oil¡¯ was sacred, but it later caused a global catastrophe. We don¡¯t know the specifics, as we haven¡¯t encountered a ¡®Great Miracle¡¯ directly.¡±


    ¡°Then there¡¯s the ¡®Mother of All Mothers,¡¯ honored by the church, though why they dared name it so is unknown. Interestingly, the ¡®Mother of All Mothers¡¯ doesn¡¯t worship the ¡®Mother of Suffering and Thorns,¡¯ but the ¡®Twisted Holy Father.¡¯ There¡¯s much to explore here.¡±


    ¡°The third is the ¡®Lickers¡¯ Holy Order,¡¯ which heals through kissing wounds, restoring one¡¯s physical state completely.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the main content of the ¡®Great Miracles¡¯ we know. I¡¯ll tell you more as I remember.¡±

 Chapter 109: Extraction

    ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s something else. It¡¯s not like we haven¡¯t had any contact with the ¡®Great Miracles¡¯. I remember someone from a certain region said they saw the Thirteenth Miracle, ¡®The Ashes and Silver Shadow,¡¯ before its destruction.¡± In Russell¡¯s description, this was a massive silver figure walking through the ashes, towering like a mountain and considered almost ¡®divine.¡¯After encountering it, all life in that region, including mutated creatures, even lord-level mutated creatures, turned to ashes. S?a?ch* Th? Nov?lF?re .??t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°When someone went to investigate later, the entire region was nothing but ashes, and they couldn¡¯t find anything, so we don¡¯t know much about it.¡±


    ¡°Next is the ¡®Minor Miracles.¡¯¡±


    ¡°The ¡®lord-level mutants¡¯ you see now are incarnations of the ¡®Minor Miracles¡¯. They are exceedingly numerous and the information about them is fragmented, so I haven¡¯t remembered much.¡±


    ¡°The strength of the ¡®Great Miracles¡¯ is unclear, but the strength of the ¡®Minor Miracles¡¯ can sometimes be quite apparent, and they are varied in nature.¡±


    In this regard, even without further explanation, Colin knew a lot. The most terrifying ¡®Minor Miracle¡¯ he had encountered so far should be the Kimino, a gigantic olive tree that expanded into a cave. Without taking shortcuts, it would have been impossible to defeat.


    ¡°Besides that, the Church of Suffering also has a category known as ¡®Saints¡¯. Their position in the church is only second to the ¡®Pope¡¯, and they can be seen as potential candidates for the Pope.¡±


    ¡°Most of the Saints¡¯ powers are related to the ¡®Great Miracles¡¯. They are a connecting tier above the lord-level but below the ¡®Great Miracles¡¯ and above the ¡®Minor Miracles¡¯.¡±


    ¡°In the last generation of Saints, there was a particularly unique one called the ¡®Saint of Light¡¯. His power seemed to have little to do with ¡®Suffering¡¯.¡±


    ¡°Later on, many followers of the Church of Suffering supported him, even threatening the current Pope¡¯s authority, so he was ¡®hunted down¡¯ and dealt with by others.¡±


    ¡°Of course, he was also the most mysterious one, and no one knows where he ended up.¡±


    I killed him. Colin thought to himself with a peculiar feeling. As he listened to Russell recounting what he knew, Colin saw his ¡°quest progress¡± reach 2%. The ¡°shocking change¡± was also noticed by other survivors, sparking a frenzy of discussion in the channels.


    But Colin wasn¡¯t interested in that. He was immersed in the joy of obtaining free historical knowledge.


    Occasionally exchanging a few words with Russell, he eventually reached 3% in his personal history progress. The total investigation progress reached 4%! Soon, most of the historical knowledge from Russell was extracted by Colin.


    ¡°Oh, I forgot, there¡¯s one more thing, concerning the servants.¡±


    What now?! Colin¡¯s blood pressure spiked, and he said weakly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter now?¡±


    Russell looked at the servants eyeing him: ¡°It¡¯s nothing major. Mainly, I wanted to mention that in our generation, servants were like puppets who could only follow orders and had no emotions. Also, our servants couldn¡¯t level up, but yours are different.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not trying to sow discord, just a reminder. Compared to our batch, your servants have a high learning limit, are stronger, and are very loyal to you. The exact reason is unclear, and it might be a characteristic of your group of survivors. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±


    [You realize that the changes in servants seem to be developing in a positive direction.]


    A positive direction. Colin nodded, keeping a slight watchfulness, and responded, ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡±


    After a few hours of dense information, his brain felt like it was almost shrinking. Soon, the two returned to the round table.


    ¡°Boss, what did you guys talk about? Can you share?¡± Li Chou asked curiously, and a few other survivors nearby were equally inquisitive.


    Because they had just noticed the explosive increase in the all-survivor investigation task.


    It was obvious that this situation was closely related to Colin and Russell¡¯s conversation.


    Facing their inquiries, Colin thought for a moment and shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll tell it later. Many of the details are dangerous, and I need to organize them properly before I can share them.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± They sat back down, a bit disappointed.


    Then Colin turned to Russell, who had untied his ropes and was sitting opposite him:


    ¡°You said your Level 5 underground fortress has been modified for portability. Can it be taken away later?¡±


    ¡°Sure, but even after modification, moving it, even by a meter, requires ten thousand Fog Points for the moving fee.¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand? Why not just rob it!¡± Li Chou and the others exclaimed.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯d have to ask the system. Maybe it thinks this method is much faster than robbing,¡± Russell shrugged.


    Colin thought for a moment and asked, ¡°If I tear up the entire floor and take it along with the floor, can I do that?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t afford that many Fog Points right now, but he had plenty of explosives.


    [You realize that your plan won¡¯t succeed; when you tear up the floor, it will remain suspended in place.]


    Before Russell could answer, the hint had already given him a negative response. When Russell did answer, the response was similar.


    ¡°What a pity.¡±


    Colin shook his head. ¡°But don¡¯t be discouraged. Tomorrow, we¡¯ll have the money.¡±


    The value of this manhole cover, no, this Level 5 underground fortress was significant; it could withstand a direct impact from a lord-level mutant.


    Even if faced with a lord-level mutant with no way out, jumping into the manhole cover would allow for a quick escape.


    So if he could take it, he would.


    Even if it required some cost.


    ¡°Oh, right. Tomorrow, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Li Chou also suddenly understood.


    Tomorrow, the boss will be doing something good again.


    And doing good would bring money.


    ¡°Tomorrow? With your current state, where will you get the money?¡± Russell, enjoying the beauty¡¯s massage, asked curiously.


    In his view, Colin¡¯s group of survivors could be simply summed up with the word ¡°poor.¡±


    Oh right, and also ¡°miserable.¡±


    Without answering this question, Colin pondered and asked:


    ¡°Forget about that. You said the entrance ¡®style¡¯ can be changed. Can it be modified to a larger one, big enough to fit a war chariot?¡±


    If it could be changed to that.


    Then.


    ¡°Yes, it can be done, but it will cost, roughly around ten to twenty thousand.¡±


    So expensive. Can¡¯t it be expanded with explosives?


    Colin had a headache and abandoned that line of thought since doing good might not earn that much money.


    He also had significant expenses in other areas.


    Never mind, just moving it will suffice for now. The rest can be discussed later, and I currently can¡¯t even find a war chariot.


    Colin silently decided on this matter.


    Next was how to resolve the collapse of the ¡°Special Talent Summoning Card.¡±


    After a bit of thought, Colin came up with some ideas to try.

 Chapter 110: Diagnostic Through The Threads

    There were about five hours left until nightfall. At this time, whether the survivors were already out hunting, resting, staying within their territory handling various affairs, or simply idling away their time doing nothing, they all suddenly saw a string of blood-red messages occupying their screens as soon as they opened the chat channel.Almost instantly, they were drawn to the information at the top.


    ¡°Attention! To all survivors who have summoned characters using the ¡®Special Talent Summoning Card,¡¯ if their loyalty is not at 100%, please be cautious.¡±


    ¡°Through certain channels, I have learned that the ¡®Special Talent Summoning Card¡¯ can cause out-of-control situations. Once they lose control, it will become an extremely terrifying disaster.¡±


    ¡°This loss of control is not based on their will; as long as their loyalty is not at 100%, they will inevitably lose control.¡±


    ¡°The disaster they cause is no less than that of a lord-level mutant and even more unpredictable and difficult to prevent. I will have someone post more detailed information separately.¡±


    ¡°I will provide methods for achieving 100% loyalty to all survivors with ¡®Special Talents¡¯ as best as I can.¡±


    ¡°Secondly, tomorrow, a large quantity of potato seedlings will be available. Survivors with territories above level two can purchase them as needed.¡±


    ¡°Thirdly, I have collected a large amount of valuable historical knowledge through special channels, which will be made public soon for everyone to reference.¡±


    ¡°Above all¡­¡±


    After reading this, the chat channel quickly became lively.


    ¡°Wow, I told you the rapid progress in the investigation quest was definitely related to the big boss, but you didn¡¯t believe it. Where¡¯s the guy who said he¡¯d eat shit? Do you know how many tons you owe?¡±


    ¡°We can grow crops! Finally, we can grow crops! My entire territory is full of wild grass, and it tastes terrible.¡±


    ¡°Can the characters summoned by the ¡®Special Talent Summoning Card¡¯ really lose control? No way, my ¡®Greatsword Hunter¡¯ doesn¡¯t look out of control at all.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t the big boss say? This collapse doesn¡¯t depend on their will. If loyalty isn¡¯t at 100%, they will inevitably collapse.¡±


    ¡°The hot topic is out, go check it out!¡±


    ¡°To achieve 100% loyalty, just help them complete their wishes. For those with special characters, copy their attributes and send them to Colin for specific advice. Damn, I accidentally typed this in the world channel, wasted a broadcast, damn it.¡±


    ¡°Haha, this is just a way to get at us! When special talents level up, their strength is terrifying. Now he¡¯s collecting information to target us in the future. Who would believe that?¡± S?a??h the N?velF?re.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Serves you right, you conspiracy theorists. I¡¯m telling you, special characters do collapse. One of our special talents had loyalty below thirty, suddenly turned into a walking fireball, and started chasing us.¡±


    ¡°In ancient times, there was the divine doctor diagnosing through silk threads; now we have the big boss diagnosing through the net.¡±


    ¡°What awful thing did you guys do?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know. He suddenly dropped from fifty to thirty loyalty and then went crazy. Now we don¡¯t dare go near that area.¡±


    ¡°It seems like this issue is not simple.¡±


    ¡°Everyone, listen to my advice: special talents are great, but they are complicated. If you can¡¯t handle it, contact the big boss and let him help you manage them.¡±


    So there have already been cases of collapse. Colin frowned; he didn¡¯t expect this to happen so quickly.


    In the previous cycle, the loss of control occurred after the thirtieth day. Before that, no matter how low the loyalty, there was no loss of control. Even if it dropped to ten percent or even zero, they would at most disobey orders, but not retaliate.


    But now, it had only been four days.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not all bad news. Right now, everyone is poor and can¡¯t afford to upgrade special talents.¡±


    As he thought about this, Colin felt a bit complicated. Because of their poverty, they were actually doing quite well. He didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry.


    However, if they aren¡¯t at level three, the loss of control for special talents isn¡¯t too hard to handle. It¡¯s only when they upgrade to level three, where their power undergoes a qualitative change, that the disaster becomes terrifying and difficult to resolve.


    Just like that ¡°guide.¡±


    Currently, few people have the money to upgrade to level two, let alone level three. Colin remembered that the promotion to level three for talents required sacred marks. For example, Sanna needed the ¡°Mark of Light.¡± He wasn¡¯t sure if there was a ¡°Mark of Light¡± at the end of the mountains.


    According to Sanna, the light in this region was undoubtedly the ¡°Holy Light¡± she recognized, the same source as her power. But it was ¡°extreme,¡± with no healing effect, only purification¡ªthe purest form of purification.


    If it were compared to vehicles, one would be a medical vehicle, and the other a cannon. Rational beings exposed to this light for too long would go ¡°mad¡± and start ¡°praising the sun.¡± This was something Sanna had never witnessed before. She said it was unlike her people, who only genuinely ¡°praised the sun¡± from the heart.


    But when Colin recalled the devout expression on Sanna¡¯s face when she praised the sun, he couldn¡¯t help but think of the difference between southern and northern pyramid schemes.


    Without dwelling too much on it, Colin opened his private messages and unsurprisingly saw an overwhelming amount of content.


    After deleting a lot of useless information, he used keywords to find relevant information.


    ¡°So many.¡±


    Colin was a bit stunned, seeing all the information made his temples throb.


    ¡°Level 2 ¡®Greatsword Hunter,¡¯ base strength 3.8, ¡®Storm Slash.¡¯¡±


    Colin glanced at the information, quickly processing it in his mind, diagnosing through the screen.


    [You realize that he may regret not being able to hunt a strong enough prey, earning enough bounty and glory.]


    Is this a sword duel?


    After thinking for a moment, Colin replied, ¡°Find a stronger elite monster or multiple ones for him to hunt. Then, you guys should act like you¡¯re struggling alongside him, as if you barely won. Afterward, give him a large reward and have a group of people praise him heavily. And when rewarding him, don¡¯t be stingy. From my experience, he will return the favor.¡±


    Soon, the person on the other end replied with thanks.


    The enthusiastic words made Colin¡¯s skin crawl, making him wonder if this person was going to duel.


    Colin was about to look at the next message when he suddenly felt something was off. Thinking back.


    ¡°Huh? I remember Sanna¡¯s base strength is 3.9. Why is the Greatsword Hunter¡¯s base strength 0.1 lower? Who is the real ¡®Greatsword Hunter¡¯?¡±


    Without looking at the characters, swapping their names wouldn¡¯t feel out of place.


    He suddenly regretted not bringing along the black greatsword.


    With so many problems, a few more wouldn¡¯t matter. Shaking his head slightly, Colin dismissed these odd thoughts and looked at the next message.

 Chapter 111: Rich, But Not Very Rich

    Colin sent out solution after solution, swiftly dispatching his ideas like a machine. Luckily, it was all conveyed through thought transmission; if he had to use a keyboard, his fingers might have broken by now. But some of these ¡°wishes¡± from the special talents were truly bizarre¡­[¡°¡­Perhaps, she wants a child of her own, fulfilling a long-lost desire to be a mother¡­¡±]


    ¡°Uh¡­ this¡­¡± Colin¡¯s expression turned odd. Even if the survivor built a good relationship with this special talent, progressing to that stage, it wasn¡¯t like they could instantly get pregnant and have a baby¡­ Besides, there might be reproductive isolation between people from different worlds¡­


    Russell, for example, had spent the last six months hanging out with his three female servants¡ª¡±maid,¡± ¡°cook,¡± and ¡°assassin¡±¡ªbut no children had come of it. No one had studied this; no one knew where the problem lay.


    After a few seconds, Colin thought for a moment, ¡°Why don¡¯t you try calling her ¡®Mom¡¯¡­?¡± But that was just a random quip. He didn¡¯t seriously consider sending that message. Instead, he suggested alternatives involving ¡°pets¡± or ¡°dolls¡± before finally sending the most extreme solution, just in case.


    Regardless of how they felt about it, they needed to be mentally prepared for this scenario. Ultimately, what to choose was their business, as long as it didn¡¯t escalate to a level-three special talent¡ªeverything was still manageable.


    After a period of intense mental work, Colin felt mentally exhausted for the first time. Sanna, sitting beside him, wanted to give him a massage but feared disturbing his thoughts, so she occasionally boosted him with a buff, casting Winds of Revival.


    Already over 300¡­ Colin felt his brain overheating, his mental reserves severely depleted.


    ¡°Your boss¡¯s head is smoking¡­¡± Russell whispered to Li Chou, munching on chocolate. On Colin¡¯s head, the sweat turned into steam, faintly smoking.


    But before Li Chou could respond, Russell continued, ¡°Your boss¡¯s ability is really something¡­ He can even do this¡­ And it doesn¡¯t seem to have a cost, which makes it seem more like a skill¡­ Heh, but I¡¯ve never heard of a skill that can be used infinitely¡­ You still say your boss isn¡¯t cheating?¡±


    Li Chou gave Russell a disdainful look. ¡°Haven¡¯t you heard of something called a ¡®passive skill¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± Russell was immediately stumped. It made sense¡­ That explanation could indeed fit.


    ¡°Too bad if your boss were one of us from Gondor, maybe things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way.¡±


    ¡°Dream on. The boss is an Earthling.¡±


    The two whispered for four hours straight. Finally, Colin stopped thinking, collapsed into his chair, drenched in sweat, panting heavily with an exhausted expression.


    Today, amid his unrelenting thoughts, Colin realized for the first time that the human brain indeed has its limits. Especially when combined with continuous use of his hint system, his energy was draining even faster.


    Now, Colin was horrified to find he couldn¡¯t even remember his multiplication tables¡­ ¡°Are my brain cells dying?¡± he wondered, a bit scared. But thankfully, that wasn¡¯t the case. S?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    With Sanna¡¯s massage and a few high-purity dark chocolate bars stolen from Russell, Colin slowly recovered. In these few hours, he had dealt with over 500 special talents, clearing out most of his private messages.


    For each response, he detailed what the ¡°wish¡± was and sent over the most extreme solution just in case.


    Yet, for Colin, the most significant gain wasn¡¯t how many problems he solved but gauging the current number of ¡°special talents¡± summoned.


    Judging by his reputation, at least a third of all special talents would seek him out for ¡°diagnosis.¡± Estimating broadly, those 500 people could be tripled and then multiplied by ten for potential numbers¡­ It was around ten thousand people.


    That figure seemed large, but it was within an acceptable range. Even if all of them caused trouble, the impact wouldn¡¯t be too significant.


    It¡¯s important to remember that during the Gondor civilization¡¯s time, with 2 billion people and millions of regions, nearly every area had one or more special talents¡­ That scenario, where numerous special talents collapsed into disasters, truly felt hopeless.


    Moreover, Colin¡¯s group was generally quite ¡°poor,¡± with no funds for upgrades, so the threat from special talents was manageable.


    ¡°This must be the silver lining of being broke¡­¡± Colin thought, feeling conflicted.


    If his side also had special talents in every region¡­ It would be truly despairing.


    Fortunately, their landing points didn¡¯t overlap with the Gondor civilization. Otherwise, they would face not only Lord-level mutants but also disasters caused by large numbers of level-three or higher ¡°special talents¡±¡­


    Suddenly, thinking of something, Colin pulled out a parchment and sent a query to the base.


    ¡°Any progress on the new explosives?¡±


    Recalling Russell¡¯s words and the terrifying existence of ¡°great miracles¡± in this world, Colin¡¯s firepower anxiety flared up. He needed more firepower.


    ¡°Almost there, just a few more steps¡­¡± came the quick response from the other end of the scroll.


    However, before Colin could ask for more details, the reply continued, ¡°Boss, about the research funding here, we need some Fog Points to purchase system computing power optimization¡­¡±


    Ugh¡­ Colin¡¯s head throbbed painfully. Just kill me already.


    Why does everything cost money? Even though he¡¯s the richest on the server, it feels like he¡¯s more strapped for cash than on day one¡­


    Meanwhile, as Colin nursed his headache, a group of survivors in his area found the sole ¡°level-three territory¡± in their region by driving their armored vehicle.


    ¡°What a huge building¡­¡±


    ¡°So many people¡­¡±


    ¡°Wow, ten chariots and over a thousand people¡­¡±


    ¡°They even have cannons¡­¡±


    The five lords on the tank were genuinely awestruck by the disparity. But just then, a series of chariots approached, surrounding them entirely.


    ¡°Stop immediately!¡± came a stern voice from one of the tanks. Several cannons aimed at them, poised to fire at the slightest sign of trouble.


    ¡°W-We mean no harm¡­¡± the survivors quickly replied.


    ¡°We¡¯ve come to surrender!¡±

 Chapter 112: New Function

    ¡°Do we really have to hand over everything?¡± a survivor inside the vehicle whispered.Joining Colin¡¯s side could also be done through an alliance, and it felt like pooling resources to get a war chariot gave them some leverage, right? Handing over all their assets, including the three-cores set and the war chariot, seemed too restrictive.


    ¡°It¡¯s up to you. I¡¯m planning to fully commit and hand over everything I have. As for the money put into the war vehicle, I¡¯ll just consider it my travel expense for coming here,¡± a female member among the five said gloomily.


    She had had enough of this life of constant anxiety; she just wanted a safe environment to live simply. She no longer wanted to experience scenes where survivors fought like stray dogs over dried, brittle bones for a bit of resources. That day, she felt like a domesticated pet dog, seeing the world¡¯s rawest barbarism and rudeness from a different perspective for the first time. Moreover, this world had the gray fog, mutants, and countless desperate dangers.


    The woman didn¡¯t think merely forming an ¡°alliance¡± would make their lives much better. When one force becomes too powerful, an alliance can be a joke, ready to be torn apart at any moment. In that case, it¡¯s better to join proactively, becoming ¡°one of them¡± sooner, gaining higher status and seniority. Sometimes, choices matter more than effort.


    So, when the war vehicle door opened, the woman didn¡¯t hesitate to choose complete submission, aligning herself with the unstoppable rising survivor, Colin.


    However, just as the woman handed over the scroll in her hand, a line of system text suddenly appeared in Colin¡¯s mind underground.


    ¡¾Detection: Survivor ¡°Colin¡± now possesses 100 parchment scrolls. New function for the parchment scrolls will be unlocked.¡¿


    ¡¾¡±Map¡± function has been unlocked separately.¡¿


    ¡¾Note: If the number of parchment scrolls you control drops below 100, this function will no longer work properly.¡¿


    ¡°A map?¡± Colin was stunned, then immediately delighted, quickly accessing this new function.


    The next moment, in the center of the yellowed, blank scroll, some blurry images began to spread from the center outwards, like ink dropped on paper.


    But¡­


    ¡°So slow,¡± Colin couldn¡¯t help but complain.


    After a minute, the map had only loaded an area the size of a palm, less than a tenth of the entire parchment scroll.


    Also, collecting 100 parchment scrolls didn¡¯t come with any achievements or rewards? Even a few black breads as a token would have been something. The system was becoming increasingly stingy.


    ¡°Boss, is this a new function?¡± Li Chou and others crowded over. S?a??h the N?v?l(F)ire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Only Colin had heard the prompt; the others didn¡¯t know what it was.


    Colin nodded, ¡°I now have 100 parchment scrolls, and a ¡®map¡¯ function appeared.¡±


    ¡°Is this a large map?¡± Russell glanced and said, ¡°I remember its activation requires controlling ten survivors, then it displays a tenth of the area. I¡¯m curious to see where this ¡®treasure map¡¯ has transported us.¡±


    Since being teleported here, Russell had always known that the end of the mountains was where the ¡°treasure map¡± held the greatest treasure, but he no longer had the capability to retrieve it. However, he was still curious about the nearby terrain.


    Ten scrolls¡­ Colin and his team were already used to such things, wanting to complain but unsure what to say.


    ¡°Speaking of which, why is your map so slow?¡± It had been three minutes, and the map had only revealed half, with many elements still loading.


    There were not many labels, only some sketches of the regions. After a few more minutes, the entire map was finally revealed. Among the marked points, Colin saw about a hundred symbols, seemingly representing territories. The distances between these points varied, not uniform.


    The largest marked point had many smaller points around it. ¡¾You realize this point represents your territory and the war vehicles nearby.¡¿


    ¡¾You guess the map only shows a third of the area, and more scrolls will reveal more.¡¿


    A hundred scrolls show a third, so three hundred would reveal the entire area? Colin did some quick math and realized that three hundred parchment scrolls were needed for the complete map of the area.


    He then noticed the furthest five points from his own territory were separated by a large blurred area, looking like an ¡°enclave.¡±


    ¡°Why are there people living so far away?¡± Colin was puzzled.


    Moreover, half of this third of the area seemed to show a border between land and sea, as he found Silver Moon Bay not far from his territory on the map.


    ¡¾You vaguely realize you are not far from the sea, and perhaps everyone in the area is close to the sea.¡¿


    ¡°Everyone is close to the sea? That¡¯s interesting,¡± Colin rubbed his chin, beginning to understand the hint.


    This implied that, including himself, all survivors were near the sea. This meant the area was likely an island, surrounded by water.


    ¡°No wonder no one from other areas comes over; we¡¯re on an island. Oh, even if the areas were connected, it seems impossible to cross.¡±


    Colin remembered that someone mentioned in the chat channel that there should be a more intense ¡°gray fog wall¡± between regions. It was speculated that beyond the wall was another area, but no matter how one tried, they couldn¡¯t pass through the ¡°gray fog wall.¡± Stepping into it felt like treading in place, but retreating brought them straight out.


    Since no one had crossed, it remained a mainstream guess.


    At this point, Russell, seeing the map no longer loading, was surprised, ¡°Why did it stop? The area isn¡¯t fully displayed.¡±


    Colin shook the map, saying, ¡°This is all of it.¡±


    He realized what Russell meant. In their group, controlling or subduing a hundred people might have revealed the entire area.


    However, neither the ¡°alliance¡± nor ¡°subjugation¡± functions were available to Colin¡¯s group.


    ¡°??? A hundred parchment scrolls mean a hundred survivors, but it doesn¡¯t show the entire area? Your system is really lame. Whoa!¡± Russell was about to complain further when suddenly he clutched his heart, bent over, and spat blood on the table, looking significantly weakened.

 Chapter 113: “Virus� Rampage

    Cough, cough, cough, Russell clutched his chest, wiping the blood from his mouth. Guided by his extraordinary intuition, he said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. One hundred parchment scrolls showing a third of the area¡¯s content is really a good deal. Oh, by the way, your map seems to lack personal positioning. It only shows territory coordinates, no real-time personal coordinates, not to mention any danger markers.¡±Colin and his team looked at him and silently decided to keep any complaints about the system to themselves. Whether it was a coincidence or not, they didn¡¯t want the system to suddenly ¡°manifest¡± again.


    The main reason they weren¡¯t sure if it was the system ¡°manifesting¡± was that just spitting blood seemed too ¡°gentle.¡± At that moment, Colin saw some messages from the survivors guarding their base.


    ¡°Boss, what¡¯s going on? We¡¯ve noticed our parchment scrolls are lagging, responding slowly.¡±


    ¡°We compared with some scrolls from neighboring ¡®alliances,¡¯ and theirs aren¡¯t lagging at all. It seems only ours are.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe it. It¡¯s like when someone used to secretly download movies, slowing down the whole network.¡±


    ¡°Boss, do you know what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Colin¡¯s expression turned strange as he began to suspect the reason: his map.


    Viewing the map consumed so much ¡°bandwidth¡±? He turned off the map, and soon received messages from various parts of the team.


    ¡°So slow. My last message was sent ten minutes ago and it just got through now.¡±


    ¡°But it seems to be back to normal now. Just now, switching pages took tens of seconds.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve identified the source of the problem.¡±


    ¡°Five survivors who recently joined us had scrolls with ¡®viruses,¡¯ which infected our group¡¯s scrolls.¡±


    ¡°This is my fault. I underestimated it. I didn¡¯t expect scrolls to carry ¡®viruses¡¯ and wasn¡¯t prepared for it.¡±


    Reading these messages, Colin¡¯s expression became even stranger. He knew it was a misunderstanding and quickly replied:


    ¡°Release those people; it¡¯s not their fault.¡±


    ¡°Not their fault? What happened?¡± came the surprised response.


    Colin explained about the map function.


    Thus, the five bewildered survivors were released from the temporary holding cells. They were full of questions, wondering what had happened.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it seems only I can open the map, which is a bit inconvenient.¡±


    Colin shook his head. The system only had a text function and couldn¡¯t send images, so he couldn¡¯t transmit the map back.


    After some thought, Colin decided to engrave the map onto something and send it as a physical object.


    However, everyone would have to endure some ¡°network lag¡± for a while.


    ¡°Night is approaching fast. I need to finish engraving the map before dark to resolve this issue.¡±


    If he started engraving at night and something happened, even a delay of a few seconds could make things very passive. The closer it got to the countdown, the more mutations in the gray fog appeared, and no one knew what might happen next. Therefore, ensuring smooth communication at night was crucial.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s complete the quest at hand.¡±


    Colin handed over the recently completed ¡°Cleanse the Fallen Nobility¡± quest, acquiring another ¡°Corrupted Eyeball.¡±


    Then he activated the map function and assigned the engraving task to Russell¡¯s female assassin subordinate.


    Stealthily exploring and drawing maps was an assassin¡¯s basic skill, and no one else could do it as meticulously as she could.


    Afterward, Colin used a hint to check the unknown purpose of the eyeball.


    ¡¾You notice it¡¯s laughing.¡¿


    Useless information.


    Colin took out another eyeball, bringing the two soft, nauseating eyeballs together to see if anything would happen.


    ¡¾You notice it keeps laughing, louder now.¡¿


    ¡°More useless hints.¡±


    Without surprise, Colin stored the eyeballs in his bag, thinking they might be useful later. At worst, they could be used as fertilizer.


    About half an hour later, the map was engraved and handed to the waiting group outside.


    Although they had been drawing maps themselves, this one was far more detailed.


    ¡°Be careful when using the map tomorrow. Double-check to avoid dangerous areas,¡± Colin cautioned.


    Maps from the ¡°previous batch¡± of survivors often had dangerous areas marked as ¡°safe,¡± leading to their demise. Their current map, while lacking flashy features, still required caution.


    At that moment, an invisible pressure enveloped them. Colin knew night had fallen.


    The nearby survivors all opened their scrolls, constantly refreshing the world channel to check for unexpected events. Not just his group, but many ¡°idle personnel¡± in the third-level territory also joined the ¡°monitoring operation.¡±


    However, tonight seemed especially peaceful.


    ¡°Almost half an hour now. Why is it so quiet tonight?¡± Colin felt a vague unease. There were no events in the chat channel; everything was ¡°quiet.¡±


    After answering some questions from ¡°special talents,¡± he continued to wait for updates from the territory. But there were only occasional check-ins, indicating that nothing had happened tonight.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s assign the monitoring duty to someone else. The rest should get some rest.¡±


    Feeling tired after a while, Colin knew their main goal was the light under the mountains, not this place. ¡°We¡¯ll rest for six hours tonight and then continue the journey. Actually, we need to wait until tomorrow. We can¡¯t move the ¡®Level 5 Underground Fortress¡¯ without more money.¡±


    With their current physical condition, they needed minimal sleep to stay energetic for a day. But they needed to sell potatoes tomorrow to earn more money to move the Level 5 Underground Fortress.


    ¡°Let¡¯s transfer the territory¡¯s control now.¡±


    Colin rubbed his forehead and looked at Russell, who sat nearby. Transferring a level 5 territory required going to the ¡°core fortress¡± at the bottom.


    Thus, he hadn¡¯t transferred the territory earlier.


    But now it was time to take this from the ¡°previous generation¡± and put it in his own pocket.


    Only then could he fully grasp all the information about the ¡°Level 5 Underground Fortress¡± and better utilize everything here. s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 114: Humans Have Limits

    As Colin walked towards the lowest level, he noticed more of the dilapidation beneath the ¡°glamorous¡± building.Many areas were damaged, with dark brown and red bloodstains and a thin layer of dust. It appeared that after the battle, the place hadn¡¯t been maintained, let alone repaired.


    Leading the way, Russell explained, ¡°You can clean and repair manually, or spend money for automatic repairs. Cleaning alone costs about three thousand fog points each time, and repairs, depending on the extent, might be over ten or twenty thousand. I don¡¯t have the money for repairs; what about you?¡±


    ¡°Same here.¡± Colin shook his head. ¡°Let¡¯s just make do and repair it ourselves. The damage isn¡¯t too severe.¡±


    A few stairs were missing, the walls were full of holes, and some public facilities seemed to have been erased by some force. These issues could be handled with a few stones, some wooden boards, and some patching up.


    However, as Colin observed the battle marks, he curiously asked, ¡°By the way, how did you deal with that thing?¡±


    ¡°We were caught off guard,¡± Russell said, reflecting on the past. ¡°No one expected the breakdown of that ¡®special talent¡¯. The entire ring city was filled with ¡®slender figures¡¯. Killing one brought ten more. A touch from them would make you lose a chunk of flesh; a slower reaction would vaporize you on the spot. The main issue was that due to their nature, we couldn¡¯t identify the source of the problem.¡±


    ¡°Luckily, I and a few others managed to retreat to the ¡®core fortress¡¯, where the mental impact lessened, and we ¡®fortunately¡¯ discovered the problem. Then I noticed that it had split into more people than we had, about ten times more.¡±


    ¡°After identifying the issue, solving it became easier, but the overall incident cost us dearly.¡±


    ¡°Only two of you survived in the end?¡± Colin asked, recalling that a woman named ¡°Bluebell¡± had left alone after being ¡°watched¡±, appearing in the outside world from a sealed tunnel.


    Russell shook his head, ¡°Accurately speaking, including ¡®servants¡¯, about a dozen survived. We had around six survivors at the time. After resolving the problem, most of us were left with some physical disability. However, we only had two recovery cards. Red potions don¡¯t regenerate a lost limb.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t mind missing a leg,¡± he paused, sighing before continuing, ¡°At that time, some people had no desire to live on. Their ¡®servants¡¯ died in the incident, as did several completely ¡®loyal¡¯ special talents. With the system almost useless and no way to contact the outside world, they wanted to rest.¡±


    When physically disabled, with no future in sight, and with loved ones suddenly gone, breathing itself can be torment. In such circumstances, even knowing some had negative thoughts, they didn¡¯t try to comfort them. S?a??h th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°In the end, only two survivors remained. Bluebell and I used the last two ¡®recovery cards¡¯.¡±


    ¡°But shortly after using the ¡®recovery card¡¯, she told me she was going to be ¡®sanctioned¡¯.¡±


    ¡°And being in the same area and also watched, maybe I was ¡®lucky¡¯?¡± Russell gave a helpless smile. ¡°In this so-called survival game, we lost thoroughly. We lost everything, both what we should and shouldn¡¯t have lost. In those final days, we could do nothing but run, unable to save anything. We couldn¡¯t even see what the final disaster looked like.¡±


    Colin and the others remained silent, not knowing how to respond. Observing the increasingly dense battle marks, they could imagine the past horrors.


    ¡°No need to be so gloomy. Talking about it has lifted a weight off my shoulders. Ah, we¡¯re here.¡±


    Speaking, they stopped in front of an inconspicuous manhole cover. Colin and the others couldn¡¯t help but grumble internally: another manhole cover. Without a guide and clues, finding this place would take a lot of effort. Who would think to find a hidden passage under a manhole cover?


    Russell squatted by the cover, placing his hand on it, seemingly unlocking something. He then opened the cover, revealing a deeper passage below.


    Colin soon received a system message asking if he accepted a ¡°gift.¡± Agreeing, he received the legacy from the previous generation.


    ¡¾Level 5 Underground Fortress: Total space size 100*100*30.¡¿


    ¡¾Portable Modification: Original volume reduced by 50%.¡¿


    ¡¾Basic Buildings: Core Underground Fortress (4% damaged), Ring City Three Layers (21% damaged), Eco Park (79% damaged), Water Tower, Sun Simulator¡¿


    ¡°That¡¯s huge.¡±


    Colin roughly calculated, feeling surprised. He wondered how much material was needed for such a structure. A non-spacious level 5 underground fortress was already so big. How large would the most extensive level 5 territory be? The hint told him it was ¡°very large¡± but didn¡¯t specify how large.


    Without overthinking, Colin opened the building function page to familiarize himself with new options.


    ¡¾You are attempting to repair building damage. This repair will cost 21,846 fog points. Confirm?¡¿


    No, I refuse. Colin dismissed the message and quickly familiarized himself with the place through the hints.


    After thoroughly understanding it, the hints became noticeably more accurate. However, soon he felt mentally exhausted and empty.


    He had overused his brain today. If he could see his personal panel, Colin guessed he¡¯d have some related debuffs.


    ¡°Indeed, humans have limits,¡± Colin muttered.


    As he reviewed the information, Russell climbed out of the ¡°core fortress,¡± having descended earlier.


    ¡°I have some good stuff to show you,¡± Russell grinned, dumping out a pile of metal objects that clattered on the ground. He picked one up, waving it around.


    It was a metal weapon comprising a long metal tube, a wheel, a handle, and a trigger. Seeing these items, Colin and the others looked as if they¡¯d seen a ghost.

 Chapter 115: Contradictory Rewards

    On the ground lay a chaotic pile of long and short firearms, ranging from pistols and light machine guns to heavy machine guns and cannons. S~?a??h the ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.[You recognize an AK, an M16, a Gatling gun.]


    [You realize they seem to have undergone some optimization and modification, but there¡¯s no doubt they are weapons from Earth¡¯s civilization.]


    ¡°You even issue these things?¡± Colin was dumbfounded. He had thought the primary difference between the sides was in terms of skills, special talents, and food. He hadn¡¯t expected it to include firearms as well.


    ¡°Heh, never seen these before? They¡¯re weapons randomly given on the tenth day of signing in. Though they look small, they pack quite a punch. I was also shocked by their power at first,¡± Russell bragged. ¡°Not sure which civilization invented these, but they¡¯re quite handy. They use something called ¡®bullets¡¯ which can unleash immense power. You wouldn¡¯t believe how powerful a single ¡®bullet¡¯ is. If the system hadn¡¯t stopped issuing ¡®bullets,¡¯ we might¡¯ve held out a bit longer. With these, especially paired with some special ¡®bullets,¡¯ we could suppress or even execute lord-level mutants.¡±


    ¡°I recall you also got similar weapons from the system, right? Though they seem cruder than mine. Let me introduce you to my favorite.¡±


    Initially, Russell had approached Colin, considering him an insider, because only ¡°Gondor¡± people used firearms and cannons. However, before he could continue, Colin interrupted, ¡°This is a large-caliber revolver modified from the ¡®Smith 500¡¯, using 12.7mm caliber bullets.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I¡¯d forgotten what it was called. How do you know that?¡± Russell suddenly slapped his forehead, ¡°Oh, I forgot. I can¡¯t access item information panels anymore, but it seems you can.¡±


    As he spoke, he remembered something and frowned, ¡°Wait a minute, did you use a skill? I recall accessing item information requires touching the item. Plus, your item descriptions¡­ tsk.¡±


    For them, the trigger conditions were the same; they had to touch the item to get detailed information. So, he quickly guessed Colin had used a skill. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have known this.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if the boss used a skill, but these things¡­¡± Li Chou, nearby, looked as if he¡¯d seen a ghost, ¡°These are the treasures of our culture!¡±


    Russell was also stunned, dropping the gun in his hand with a ¡°clink.¡± After a few seconds of silence, he bent down to pick up the revolver, his expression awkward, ¡°Your culture¡¯s treasures?¡±


    Recalling his earlier words, he felt inexplicably embarrassed, his face burning and scalp itching.


    ¡°Yeah.¡± Li Chou scratched his head, ¡°Why is it that you¡¯re so familiar with these things that should be ours?¡±


    Even items he hadn¡¯t used were being handled expertly by others. And these things should have been theirs!


    Meanwhile, Colin suddenly noticed a detail. The rewards for the previous generation¡¯s quests all seemed to be Earth items like canned meat, dark chocolate, and entrenching tools. In contrast, their generation received items unrelated to them, from a different civilization entirely. Suddenly, Colin had an epiphany and interrupted their conversation, ¡°Could it be that each generation of survivors gets items from other civilizations? Our items have been swapped?¡±


    ¡°Possible,¡± Russell agreed, recalling that the rewards given to them were all unfamiliar items. Though unfamiliar, they were quite useful, and the food tasted good, especially something called ¡°self-heating hotpot.¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then who did we swap with?¡± Li Chou asked, causing everyone to look at Russell.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. I don¡¯t recognize the things you¡¯re getting now. Our civilization¡¯s staple food is a mixed insect cookie, which isn¡¯t bad in taste and nutrition,¡± Russell shook his head. ¡°Our civilization is not weak either. We use ¡®plasma¡¯ as our main weapon, with a shorter range but greater power and area, more suited for this place. Also, you didn¡¯t get any of our civilization¡¯s unique ¡®gene mutation potions,¡¯ so it¡¯s definitely not us.¡±


    If not you, then who? Colin and the others fell into deep thought. If this guess is correct, then this civilization must be quite poor¡ªissuing nothing but hard, sour black bread!


    [You realize there might be some unknown coincidence at play.]


    A coincidence, a cryptic hint, basically useless. Forget it; no point in overthinking since it won¡¯t lead anywhere. Colin rubbed his forehead and stopped pondering. Knowing wouldn¡¯t yield results anyway. And the guess likely isn¡¯t accurate because, if true, potatoes couldn¡¯t be explained.


    Better to uncover the mystery later if the chance arises. Now, Colin looked at the pile of weapons on the ground, deciding to send them back to the base. Though they lacked bullets, these optimized weapons might inspire the territory¡¯s people.


    ¡°Let¡¯s rest now, eat something, and clean up. Oh, some rooms in the level 5 territory have bathtubs or small baths. You can take a bath and clean up a bit,¡± Colin suggested, rubbing his forehead. After days without a bath and intense activity, they were far from clean. Only Sanna could use her skills to look relatively clean, while the others were dirty and emitting a foul odor. Of course, after a while, you don¡¯t mind much. The world was filled with the stench of decay, making sweat smell less significant.


    Russell added, ¡°By the way, friends, the water¡¯s almost out. If you want a bath, remember to pay the water fee, about three fog points per ton. Otherwise, the ¡®water tower¡¯ won¡¯t supply water. With so many people, pay extra. Heh, I haven¡¯t had a proper bath in a long time either.¡±


    With that, Russell left with his three maidservants, leaving only their backs.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡±


    Seeing this, Colin felt somewhat tricked. ¡°Three fog points per ton of water, probably ¡®level three¡¯ water. It¡¯s a good deal. At least the water issue is solved,¡± he thought.


    Soon, after enjoying some food, finding a room to clean up, and having a long-awaited bath, Colin lay down, closed his eyes, cleared his mind, and fell asleep.


    The night was extraordinarily calm, unsettlingly so. After nine hours of sleep, Colin suddenly sat up in bed, eyes wide open.

 Chapter 116: Unavoidable Thoughts

    Colin glanced towards the door, where two men stood: both were servants. One of them held a lantern, dutifully guarding the entrance despite the formidable defenses of the ¡°Level 5 Underground Fortress,¡± which even a lord-level mutant would struggle to breach. They remained vigilant.Inside the room, the soft, almost imperceptible sound of breathing caught Colin¡¯s attention, and he shifted his gaze. Not far away, Sanna was resting on a couch with her eyes closed. However, the noise caused by Colin getting up made her clench her fists and open her eyes, emitting a bright light. Seeing Colin sitting up, she hesitated and was about to speak, but Colin stopped her with a shake of his head.


    ¡°Continue resting,¡± Colin said softly. He rubbed his forehead and took out a parchment to check it.


    Number of people in the area channel: 377.


    A ¡°perfect¡± number, Colin thought. He remembered that yesterday there were 397 people, meaning only twenty had died so far. Soon it would be the fifth day, and many areas still had about half their population. The feared scenario of everyone perishing within five days hadn¡¯t come to pass. Of course, the predictions of total annihilation on the second, third, or fourth days hadn¡¯t happened either. But today felt different.


    Colin checked the chat channels, both ¡°area¡± and ¡°world.¡± There didn¡¯t seem to be any major issues. Even the ¡°knocking¡± sounds were absent tonight.


    ¡°It feels like the calm before the storm,¡± Colin muttered. ¡°I hope I¡¯m just scaring myself.¡±


    Despite still feeling exhausted, Colin¡¯s brain had had enough rest. His fatigue was mostly psychological, and once awake, he couldn¡¯t fall back asleep. Resigned, he got up, washed his face, lit a lantern, and sat down at a solid wood table to organize and summarize the knowledge and clues about ¡°major and minor miracles¡± and other related information.


    In the lantern¡¯s light, Colin¡¯s face was focused, his eyes reflecting the flickering flame. He was increasingly reluctant to stop his mind from working. Even though he felt very tired and wished he could sleep comfortably for a whole day, he couldn¡¯t afford to stop thinking.


    In this decaying world, the more he touched upon the deepest ¡°information¡± with his ¡°hints,¡± the more despairing the feedback became. The ¡°countdown¡± was despairing, the ¡°sanctions¡± were despairing, the ¡°gray fog¡± was despairing, and even the so-called ¡°miracles¡± were despairing. In this world rotten to its core, nothing could bring peace of mind. He couldn¡¯t see a future.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not the time to think about these things. Focus on the path ahead,¡± Colin reminded himself, taking deep breaths and trying to clear his chaotic mind. He needed to ensure the knowledge he spread wouldn¡¯t cause a terrible reaction, attract the system¡¯s ¡°attention,¡± or provoke ¡°sanctions.¡±


    After a long time, he finished organizing the information and sent it to someone in a secondary territory, instructing them to spread it in the world channel at dawn. To avoid issues, the person spreading the information had to be prepared to die, posting alone in a secondary territory. Once an ¡°attention¡± incident occurred, an entire small area would be affected, something previously unknown but now confirmed by Russell. Preparation was crucial to avoid mass deaths.


    ¡°If the ¡®sanctions¡¯ system acts up again, the next victims will likely be those who tried to send information, failed, and barely escaped the ¡®hunt¡¯ due to insufficient inspiration,¡± Colin thought. The ¡°sanctions¡± hadn¡¯t spared the ¡°previous generation¡± of survivors; anyone under ¡°attention¡± might face death in the future. This ¡°future¡± wasn¡¯t far off, which is why Russell claimed he had lost everything and was just waiting to die.


    ¡°Speaking of which, the previous generation obtained a lot of resources, but many were like ¡®clothing-bombs,¡¯¡± Colin recalled Russell¡¯s words. Their generation had a vast array of firearms, including large-caliber grenade launchers and level 4 war chariots, making them nearly invincible. But when the system malfunctioned on the thirty-something day and ¡°special disasters¡± struck, their ammunition ran out. The system stopped issuing ammo, rendering their advanced weapons useless, mere ¡°scrap metal.¡±


    Without belonging to their technology and without the basic knowledge to even create ¡°black powder,¡± coupled with internal strife, many survivors chose to flee. By the last three days of the countdown, Russell and a dozen others, with their servants, escaped to this unknown land, only to find they couldn¡¯t escape. When the countdown ended, their system became completely unusable, cutting them off from the outside world.


    Thus, the ¡°Gondor¡± civilization collapsed in a practical sense, surviving in name only. Colin couldn¡¯t help but think, if they had focused on studying this world, rebuilding their technology, and developing their civilization¡¯s plasma-based technology, would things have been different? Even if they had collapsed to this point, they would still have some resistance. But unless history could be rewritten, this question remained unanswered due to countless unknown factors. So Colin stopped pondering it. S~?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    He realized that every abnormal action by the system seemed like a cruel manipulation, filled with traps only regrettable upon discovery. ¡°The firearms were the system¡¯s biggest trump card for them, ultimately proven to be ¡®clothing-bombs.¡¯ So, what is our biggest ¡®trump card¡¯?¡±


    As he contemplated, Colin had to face this unavoidable question whose answer he knew from the beginning, filling him with despair and oppression. The answer was within him: the ¡°hints,¡± the biggest variable for their generation of human civilization. Confronting this realization, a sense of invisible pressure overwhelmed him, making him feel an indescribable weight.

 Chapter 117: Perfunctory

    Veins throbbed on Colin¡¯s forehead, but he skillfully emptied his mind and adjusted his mindset. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh. ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ll just do my best with what I can.¡±¡°Just like Russell said, we were here; we resisted, we struggled. We may not win, but as long as we can reach this point, it will be enough.¡±


    After a brief self-consolation, Colin¡¯s oppressive mood lightened somewhat. However, as he was about to continue using his brain, Sanna¡¯s gentle, soothing voice came from beside him: ¡°You look very tired, do you want to rest a bit more?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not tired,¡± Colin said, his expression stiffening slightly before quickly reverting to his usual smile.


    This little episode ended quickly, but something made Colin start thinking about some matters.


    [You realize that your ability to gain information will not disappear like ¡°bullets,¡± and you are confident about this.]


    ¡°Haha, I believe you.¡± Colin¡¯s mood improved significantly. Whether this information was true or not was unknown, but even if it was just perfunctory, it made him feel much better.


    If one day the ¡°hints¡± were to disappear, Colin would at least use all his brainpower to ¡°squeeze¡± its remaining value. After all, the benefits it brought were tangible.


    Although the firearms were ¡°sugar-coated bullets,¡± the bullets they fired were real.


    At that moment, a new message in the chat channel caught Colin¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Daylight is here! The sun is out! I can¡¯t wait for Colin¡¯s potato seedlings!¡±


    ¡°Finally, I can eat something else. I¡¯m sick of porridge and bread. I want to grow potatoes, break free from the system, and create my own future.¡±


    ¡°Colin: Are the leeks ready? The sickle is coming.¡±


    ¡°Please, no more harvesting. I¡¯m broke, not a cent left.¡±


    Everyone knew Colin¡¯s actions weren¡¯t purely out of goodwill, but so what? The ¡°leeks¡± were willing!


    Colin didn¡¯t mind some people¡¯s mockery. He paused, seemingly stunned, his gaze fixed on the page.


    His eyes quickly scanned some sentences, growing brighter.


    Daylight, anticipation, and the future. Colin chewed over the meanings of these words without looking at the overall context.


    Suddenly, he couldn¡¯t help but smile slightly.


    The night would come, but it would also pass. One day, they would break free from this parasitic existence. Regardless of future opportunities, for now, while their hearts beat, blood flowed, and brains thought, they could still look forward to the future¡ªa future they would create. The fire they kindled would cleanse the world of filth and shadows. A flood of steel would sweep the world red.


    Colin allowed himself ten minutes to daydream, his face showing a faint smile.


    Shana, casting blessings on him, noticed the change in the room¡¯s atmosphere. She felt it lighten considerably, making her curious but not interrupting.


    However, soon Colin¡¯s expression stiffened again.


    [You realize the ten minutes are up; you know you need to get back to work.]


    So soon? Colin was taken aback, sighed, and turned to Sanna. ¡°Bring over the survivors we rescued from the dungeon. Their mental state should have stabilized by now.¡±


    He wanted to ask about the light that burst out in the dungeon. If he could harness it, Colin felt his overall strength would improve significantly. That controllable light might not be very harmful to mutants, but for twisted life forms, it was as painful as salt on wounds, significantly ¡°stimulating¡± them. It could also block their mental influences. If used extensively, it might suppress lord-level mutants¡¯ mental interference like the light in the ¡°wood wheel.¡±


    This could become a crucial tool in facing the world¡¯s filth. Colin had refrained from asking earlier due to the survivors¡¯ fragile state. But after over ten hours of rest, their mental state should be sufficiently recovered. s?a??h th? n0v?l(?)ire.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Colin thought it was time to learn more.


    While waiting for the ¡°potato craze¡± in the chat channel to subside and the money to come in, he could continue moving forward.


    Soon, three men and one woman, the four survivors, were brought into the living room.


    ¡°Sit.¡± Colin gestured to some sofas. Once the visibly recovered survivors sat, he asked directly, ¡°Do you know what the light he held was?¡±


    Though he didn¡¯t name names, the four clearly understood who Colin was referring to and what light he meant.


    ¡°We know, but we don¡¯t know how to obtain it again.¡±


    ¡°No, no, what I mean is,¡± Colin interrupted, ¡°do you know what it¡¯s called? What exactly does it look like? Tell me everything you know.¡±


    As long as he had specific information, he could use hints to learn how to make it. Of course, provided it didn¡¯t involve any bad things. Otherwise, the hints might throw out garbage information.


    ¡°It looks like a glowing bead about the size of a longan. I remember Brother Wang calling it the ¡®Light Crystal.¡¯¡±


    [You realize that the ¡®Light Crystal¡¯ is an object refined from a ¡®Condensed Light Stone¡¯]


    [Individuals with the ¡®Mark of Light¡¯ can extract the power contained in the ¡®Condensed Light Stone¡¯ to create similar objects.]


    ¡°Condensed Light Stone,¡¯ huh? It can be synthesized by combining ten on the crafting table, but where does the ¡®Mark of Light¡¯ come from?¡± Colin recalled that it was also Sanna¡¯s promotion material. He frowned, thinking further.


    [You suspect this ¡®Light Crystal¡¯ might have been obtained from a collection quest.]


    Collection quest. Seeing this hint, Colin felt disappointed. It meant he couldn¡¯t acquire it through other means.


    Just as he was about to discard this information, new hints suddenly appeared.

 Chapter 118: Opening The Way

    [Perhaps in the mountains, you can find what you want and get the necessary harvest.]Isn¡¯t this the same old answer? Colin rubbed his forehead and didn¡¯t try to ask more questions. He continued dealing with the ¡°special talent¡± inquiries while waiting for the ¡°potato craze¡± to end.


    Yesterday, they had produced around six thousand ¡°potato seedlings,¡± consuming over a thousand fog points, and planned to sell each ¡°potato seedling¡± for ten fog points.


    In the first half-hour of sales, all six thousand potato seedlings were sold, earning a large number of fog points. They then reinvested these fog points to produce more ¡°potatoes¡± and continued to amass various other resources.


    This cycle would continue until the price of ¡°potato seedlings¡± stabilized and there was no profit left.


    Like with the ¡°tainted blood¡± his main goal was to spread potatoes, further reducing people¡¯s dependence on the system and ensuring they could face future disasters more easily. More accurately, when the system no longer provided even black bread, they would still have food to fill their stomachs.


    ¡°A potato plant can produce at least 200 seedlings, which are immediately dug up as soon as they grow,¡± Colin thought, imagining some rather degenerate scenarios.


    But he didn¡¯t dwell on it. Colin, along with others, left the ¡°Level 5 underground fortress.¡±


    Almost immediately after emerging from the bunker, a strong stench assaulted Colin¡¯s nose, making him frown slightly.


    ¡°It¡¯s that familiar stench.¡± He raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t pay much attention. He waited for everyone to come out and looked at the manhole cover. Information appeared before him.


    [You are attempting to move the Level 5 territory, which will cost 10,000 fog points. Confirm?]


    Just as Colin was about to painfully confirm, Russell spoke up, seemingly reminded of something: ¡°By the way, aren¡¯t you leaving those four survivors here? And aren¡¯t you recruiting more people into the territory? You guys seem good at making money; you shouldn¡¯t be short on funds.¡±


    ¡°Can I bring people when moving?¡± Colin was stunned; he hadn¡¯t thought of that.


    Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have brought those four ¡°soy sauce bottles¡± along.


    [You suspect that what you are moving is merely the ¡°entrance¡± to this space; the space itself will not be greatly affected. However, the inner and outer worlds will not be able to connect during the move.]


    ¡°I was ignorant.¡± Colin thought for a moment, pondering how many people he should recruit.


    Excluding costs for researching new explosives, expanding the war chariot, upgrading to Level 2 chariots, and constructing the Level 4 territory: [You believe that 300 people might be the best choice: keeping 200 Level 2 servants and 100 Level 3 servants.]


    Seeing the hints continuously appearing, Colin suddenly held his breath.


    [You will spend 24,900 fog points.]


    Too expensive. Colin¡¯s brain throbbed, feeling like his heart wasn¡¯t just bleeding but had been stabbed.


    However, calculating it carefully, this indeed seemed the best choice, assuming he could accept it.


    Not hesitating long, Colin returned underground with a few others, checked the trading market, and bought some unwanted, slightly injured, but overall well-preserved servants.


    Surprisingly, he saved almost a thousand fog points here!


    Some people were selling their Level 3 servants for just a few dozen fog points and some food.


    Soon, all 300 servants were in place, standing neatly under Number One¡¯s angry roar.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave this to you, Number One. Ensure they are proficient in using the artillery and maintain their ¡®excited¡¯ state.¡±


    Colin patted Number One¡¯s shoulder, leaving behind several artillery pieces and settling the four survivors there as well. He also left three bottles of red potion for everyone to drink¡ªwhich was diluted.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Number One straightened up and replied. S~?a??h the N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Meanwhile, three pretty maids looked at Russell, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to stay? You clearly need more rest.¡±


    I need to be outside to rest; now I have to lean against a wall to ensure I don¡¯t splatter outside when I go to the bathroom. Russell thought silently, rubbing his sore waist, the dark circles around his eyes showing as he smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, you all stay here.¡±


    ¡°How about we come along to cook for you and everyone else?¡± The maid-turned-chef suggested quietly.


    I won¡¯t get any rest then, and it¡¯s not safe. Russell quickly refused.


    ¡°The outside is full of danger. Just being full is enough; we don¡¯t need to eat well. Just wait for me here, don¡¯t worry.¡±


    Not long after, Colin consumed 10,000 fog points to move the Level 5 underground fortress.


    Quickly, the manhole cover separated from the ground, shrinking to the size of a palm. To open it again, one just needed to throw it on the ground and confirm it in their mind.


    ¡°The Level 5 underground fortress is too convenient; it can carry people while moving, enabling unexpected tactics.¡±


    When surrounded and in dire straits, throw the manhole cover on the ground, and ten thousand soldiers would come to the rescue. No, more likely they¡¯d get crushed at the narrow entrance.


    Without thinking further, Colin put it in his backpack and led the group away from the ¡°family cemetery,¡± back under the gloomy sky.


    In a little more than a day, nothing seemed to have changed outside; it was still dark and oppressive.


    Under the mountains, the light still spread across the sky, as if it had always been there.


    Colin looked towards the light, activating the hints.


    [Perhaps in less than a day¡¯s journey, you can reach a place called the ¡®Ruins of Highcourt.¡¯]


    [Beware! A lord-level mutant you cannot avoid resides there!]


    A gatekeeper? Colin muttered but wasn¡¯t too worried. With the initiative, he wasn¡¯t too afraid of lord-level mutants. What he feared was being caught off guard, like in the ¡°withered olive¡± area, with no chance to fight back.


    With the hints¡¯ help, he could avoid such situations by preparing well.


    ¡°Let¡¯s recount the numbers. 22 people, seems right.¡±


    Colin initially had 21 people, left some veterans with Number One to guard the manhole cover, then added a few newcomers.


    Number One¡¯s deputy took over as temporary leader.


    Including the newly arrived Russell, the number hadn¡¯t increased dramatically, so there was no need to worry about sudden, forced group activities.


    After making thorough preparations, Colin led the team into action.


    The mountains were dark, only some scattered luminous stones emitting faint light.


    The surroundings were silent, full of lurking dangers.


    A bright light pierced the darkness¡ªa lantern carried by Colin, his feet treading the uneven mountain terrain, leading the group through withered tree branches.


    The path was blocked by withered bushes, with no clear way forward.


    But one swing of the axe, and a path emerged.

 Chapter 119: The Missing Statue

    At this moment, Colin was using the hints to continuously gather information about his surroundings, ensuring he avoided any terrifying dangers.They weren¡¯t in a great hurry to travel.


    ¡°By the way, what special modifications do Level 5 buildings have?¡± Colin asked curiously while scanning the surroundings. So far, he only knew about the ¡°portability modification¡± which reduced the size by fifty percent.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got it wrong. It¡¯s not that Level 5 buildings have special modifications, but rather that you can only use advanced blueprints for modifications like portability when you reach Level 5. Otherwise, a Level 5 building is just as it is,¡± someone corrected him. S?a?ch* Th? ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Oh, then never mind.¡± Colin shook his head. Given how stingy their system was, asking more was pointless.


    However, it wasn¡¯t long before the sound of a successfully constructed Level 2 war chariot echoed in Colin¡¯s mind. The upgrader was Li Hang. Since Colin himself wasn¡¯t outside, the upgrade had to be handled by several deputies.


    ¡°Congratulations to Big Boss Colin¡­ What¡¯s going on? Why isn¡¯t the boss leading the way? My youth is over,¡± someone lamented.


    ¡°I remember this person. He¡¯s one of Colin¡¯s survivors. The boss must be busy with other matters,¡± another commented.


    ¡°Great, my youth is back!¡±Someone else cheered.


    At the same time, Colin received information about the Level 2 war chariot through the hints.


    [Level 2 War Chariot]


    [Function: Repels gray fog within a five-meter radius of the chariot. Suitable for fifty people. When filled with enough explosives and shells, it can consume 100 fog points to activate the ¡®Overheat¡¯ state, enhancing the chariot¡¯s firing rate, movement speed, and other performance attributes for one hour, with a one-hour cooldown.]


    [Sub-function: Multifunctional Command Room.]


    [Remark: Immune to spiritual damage below lord level, reduces lord-level spiritual contamination by fifty percent.]


    [Hint: Its size is three times that of a Level 1 war chariot.]


    ¡°Five times the materials, three times the size,¡± Colin murmured to himself. ¡°But unfortunately, I can¡¯t see what it looks like. I hope it¡¯s reliable.¡±


    At this moment, Russell, who was following alongside, couldn¡¯t help but comment while looking at the parchment scroll, ¡°Tsk tsk, your chat channel is really lively.¡±


    As a ¡°loser,¡± he couldn¡¯t use the parchment scroll, similar to Sanna and the others.


    ¡°What about yours?¡± Colin asked casually.


    ¡°Back in the first few days, our chat channel was unbearable. One-third was ¡®Where¡¯s Dad?¡¯ another third, ¡®Where¡¯s Mom?¡¯ and the rest was, ¡®Where are my siblings?¡¯¡± Russell replied.


    ¡°What about the rest?¡± Li Chou asked.


    Russell chuckled. ¡°The rest were crying out about how hopeless this world was and wanting to go home, or claiming to be chosen ones destined to save the world. There was everything you could imagine.¡±


    Colin couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°You had people talking about hopelessness in the first few days?¡±


    Colin felt that with the resources Russell¡¯s group had, they must have been overjoyed, as it was almost like a vacation. Moreover, with firearms in their hands, they could design bullets and make the corresponding gunpowder, ensuring the weapons didn¡¯t become useless.


    Of course, the ¡°special talent summon cards¡± were a different matter. The disasters caused by such a large number of special talents brought nothing but despair. Even if someone like Colin had great influence, it wouldn¡¯t help. Before a disaster, people would only see them as having ulterior motives.


    Several hours passed as they traveled.


    Through the parchment scroll, Colin learned that his forces had expanded significantly again. They now had one Level 2 war chariot, eighteen Level 1 war chariots, and, excluding the 300 people with Colin, over two thousand people in total. Various plans were progressing in an orderly manner.


    At this point, a message suddenly came from the territory direction: ¡°Should we publish the materials needed for the Level 2 war chariot?¡±


    Colin hesitated for a moment and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the price of iron now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s doubled since yesterday.¡±


    Double, huh? Colin rubbed his forehead. ¡°Go ahead and publish it.¡±


    Publishing the materials for the Level 2 war chariot would undoubtedly lead to another surge in iron prices. Those who had saved up money, hoping to buy a car or a house, would probably cry again. The prices of ¡°houses¡± and ¡°cars¡± were rising faster than their ¡°wages¡± from killing monsters.


    Compared to them, the ¡°cuties¡± who mined just to fill their stomachs were earning a lot of money, even reaching the ¡°peak of their lives.¡±


    After a brief check, Colin stopped paying attention, as long as everything was progressing positively.


    After almost half a day of traveling, Colin and his group stood halfway up a hillside, overlooking a tall building that seemed to be built in a pit. The area looked like it had been forcibly carved out by some terrifying force.


    At the center of it all stood an ancient, white stone structure with an obvious religious temple style, divided into inner and outer layers.


    [You realize that this is the ¡®Ruins of Highgarden,¡¯ the place of ¡®Light¡¯ you have been seeking.]


    Confirming this, Colin continued to observe. The outer layer of ¡°Highcourt¡± had already turned into ruins, and the inner city wasn¡¯t much better; it heavily collapsed as if it had been hit by an earthquake.


    Strangely, except for the central building with a collapsed dome, other areas looked unusually dark under the light, perhaps due to a ¡°darkness under the lamp¡± effect.


    Suddenly, Colin felt a sense of dread and instinctively looked at a broken gate at the outermost part of the ¡°Ruins of Highcourt.¡±


    A large statue was placed at the entrance.


    It was a huge gray stone statue, depicting a merciful mother cradling a crying baby¡ªa classic image.


    The compassionate ¡°lady¡± had her arms in front as if holding a sleeping baby. Although the statue¡¯s face had been eroded by time, it still evoked feelings of ¡°compassion¡± and ¡°comfort.¡±


    [The style of this statue of the merciful mother does not match ¡®Highcourt.¡¯ After a brief contemplation, you realize that this statue should have been placed in the ¡®Church of Thorns¡¯ rather than here.]


    ¡°The missing statue from the church where the man-faced rat died?¡± Colin thought in surprise.


    When he had explored that church, he hadn¡¯t found anything, not even the statues.


    Unexpectedly, it had been moved here.


    But there was no time to dwell on this.


    Even from a distance, Colin and his group could feel a heavy and restrained pressure emanating from the statue of the merciful mother, as if from a dormant volcano. This pressure wasn¡¯t from the statue itself but from its embrace.


    For in the arms of the merciful mother¡¯s statue lay not a baby but a giant beast with antlers, formed from twisted wood, flesh, and bones, appearing to sleep peacefully in her arms.


    At the moment Colin gazed directly at it, a condition was suddenly met.


    Then, a quest was triggered.

 Chapter 120″ Lord-level Mutant-Terbidard

    [¡°The Sleepless Terbidard¡±][Quest Description: He was once a high-ranking priest of the Church of Suffering, but after a certain mission, he found himself repeatedly dreaming of a gigantic antlered monster formed from thorns and roots.]


    [This monstrous antlered creature roams the dreamland, constantly tormented by the agony of black steel nails piercing its body, its heart thundering like a storm, and roaring wildly like a beast.]


    [In his dreams, the creature¡¯s body is filled with rage and pain, desperately yearning for the peace of eternal sleep.]


    [One day, after repeatedly dreaming of this majestic monster, the high-ranking priest awoke only to discover that his soul had transformed into a twisted, antlered beast made of tree roots, flesh, and bone¡­]


    [From that day on, he endured the same agony and unquenchable fury as the creature, forever unable to rest peacefully.]


    [His soul was completely twisted into chaos by his torment.]


    [Quest Duration: Unlimited.]


    [Quest Objective: Grant ¡°Mutant-Terbidard¡± eternal rest (kill him).]


    [Quest Reward: ¡°Dream Candle,¡± Light Mark x1, 500 Fog Points.]


    ¡°¡®Light Mark comes from this guy, huh¡­¡± Colin unfurled the parchment, reading the mission details. ¡°What¡¯s this ¡®Dream Candle¡¯? Let¡¯s take a look¡­¡±


    [¡°Dream Candle¡±: This allows you to enter the dreams of others, granting you the advantage of being in your own domain. You can kill enemies within dreams, and dying in the dream will not severely affect your reality.]


    ¡°This¡­¡± Colin started to understand how this ¡°lord-level mutant¡± might have come into existence.


    It probably involved seeing something he shouldn¡¯t have.


    [Hint: If you approach within 100 meters, it will awaken immediately from a shallow dream state.]


    Colin dismissed the hint. ¡°So, turning into a monster through a dream¡­ and a lord-level one at that? What kind of dream could do this¡­¡±


    The thought of this creature in a dream filled Colin with dread.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely a ¡®Great Miracle,¡¯¡± Russell speculated.


    A ¡°Great Miracle¡± appearing in dreams¡ªwitnessing it long enough could transform someone into a similar monster¡­


    Everyone shuddered at the thought.


    Does this mean that even dreaming could be dangerous in the future?


    [You speculate that this likely relates to a past encounter he had and will not randomly happen to others.]


    ¡°No need to worry about this for now¡­¡±


    Colin shared the monster¡¯s information with the others, and to avoid disturbing the creature, they retreated to the back of the mountain.


    Colin carefully peeked over the desolate slope, glancing toward ¡°Terbidard.¡±


    The area spanned about a thousand meters, allowing only a vague view of the creature¡¯s outline¡ªenough to trigger another hint.


    [You suspect that ¡°Terbidard¡± has some form of leaping mobility, allowing it to cover distances of up to 500 meters quickly, though it cannot use this ability consecutively.]


    [Its mental influence will spread rage like a plague, causing those affected to lose their sanity and become its minions¡­]


    [Within a 300-meter range, your heartbeat will become uncontrollable. If you fail to leave its influence quickly, your heart will eventually explode in 30 seconds to three minutes, depending on your physical condition.]


    ¡°¡­Teleportation within 500 meters, mental corruption, heart explosions¡­ Lord-level mutants are as terrifying as ever¡­¡± Colin muttered, unsure if his newfound strength or something else was improving the quality of his hints.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t fight it and just go around? Seems like there¡¯s only one lord-level mutant here.


    Colin contemplated taking a detour around the High Court, hoping to avoid the creature altogether. But surrounding the rest of the High Court was a foggy barrier, reminiscent of the edge of the ¡°Olive Witherland,¡± suggesting a similar setup.


    ¡°When I capture this place, I¡¯ll crack this ¡®labyrinth¡¯ technique wide open!¡± Colin thought to himself.


    He shared the information with his team, and they began discussing ways to blow it up.


    Currently, without vehicles and relying only on explosives, their strategy was limited to bombarding it to death.


    The key was to significantly weaken its mental influence during the initial attack phase; otherwise, the tier-three minions wouldn¡¯t stand a chance in battle.


    The mutants¡¯ greatest weakness was their lack of intelligence.


    Apart from ¡°Kimino,¡± Colin and his team hadn¡¯t encountered any mutant with a functioning brain¡­ Although Kimino was labeled a ¡°mutant,¡± it leaned more towards a ¡°miracle¡± that hadn¡¯t fully twisted yet.


    If these lord-level mutant didn¡¯t have fancy tricks up their sleeves, they weren¡¯t particularly difficult to handle.


    ¡°The No-Conscience Cannon should only be used when its mental influence has been reduced by at least seventy percent¡­¡±


    Otherwise, simply approaching such a powerful lifeform would result in mental collapse and death.


    They needed to start with a heavy blow, like during the fight with the ¡°Mourning Watcher,¡± for their combat strategy to work.


    After an intense hour of planning, the group finalized their tactics and prepared for any unexpected scenarios.  S?a??h th? N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The key was to bombard it in waves until it died.


    Once their discussion ended, everyone memorized their roles and held off on immediate action.


    ¡°I finally understand why you guys could kill lord-level mutants so early¡­¡±


    This was Russell¡¯s first battle alongside Colin¡¯s team, and he finally grasped the reason behind their consistent victories. Back in the day, fighting lord-level mutants only became manageable once all team members reached full attribute scores and had tier-three chariots.


    With tier-one chariots, they could barely cause minor damage or slow it down.


    But with Colin¡¯s help, every aspect of the enemy was laid bare¡ªright down to the smallest detail. Planting explosives along the way, setting up precise bombardments, and employing strategic layouts made even miracles seem possible¡­


    As Russell pondered, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel, ¡°We used to have some crazy analytical tools too, but they either killed their users mysteriously or came with severe limitations like usage counts and accuracy¡­


    ¡°But your ability doesn¡¯t seem to have any of that¡ªit¡¯s practically a cheat¡­¡±


    Colin hadn¡¯t disclosed the finer details, but anyone could guess¡­


    If his power didn¡¯t help him avoid pitfalls, Colin would¡¯ve died long ago.


    After another half hour of preparation, the battle plan finally commenced.

 Chapter 121: Unexpected Death

    Thump. Thump thump. Thump thump thump¡­As Colin led Russell along the path toward the ¡°High Court,¡± his heartbeat quickened, becoming harder to control. The increased heartbeat triggered corresponding physiological reactions: dry mouth, chest discomfort, labored breathing, and an unsettling sense of anxiety.


    Simultaneously, a wave of irritability and restlessness arose within him. Colin couldn¡¯t help but clench his fists.


    They¡¯re getting tighter; his fists are tightening! But now is not the time to activate ¡°Hunting Time.¡± He was still over two hundred meters away from the statue of the divine mother, not yet close enough.


    Keeping a constant eye on his surroundings, Colin knew that just a few more meters forward would awaken that terrifying life form.


    Exhaling heavily, he quickly took out some explosives, the best and newest ones. These explosives were a recent production achievement from their base, finally mass-produced.


    Their cost wasn¡¯t much higher than that of black powder, but their performance was double, and they were more stable and efficient. Crucially, they had a faster explosion speed and higher blast heat, giving the target less time to react. This meant Colin¡¯s actions had to be even more precise.


    From now on, these explosives were being mass-produced, gradually replacing the original black powder. However, at this moment, Colin only had less than a ton of them¡ªabout eight large barrels.


    Three hundred kilograms of the new explosives were taken out by Colin as a ¡°greeting gift¡± for his first encounter with ¡°Terbidad,¡± showing his sincere intentions. These barrels were about the same size as the high-purity black powder barrels but were made of different materials. They looked more like oversized ¡°high-explosive grenades.¡±


    [You realize that lighting the fuse will cause them to explode at an accurate time.]


    [Although the hastily crafted metal barrels are not very smooth and their connections aren¡¯t perfect, you believe their flaws are within acceptable limits.]


    [The Shield of the Just Knight can withstand such an explosion!] S?a??h the ???el F?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    Despite having checked multiple times, Colin couldn¡¯t help but confirm once more to avoid any accidents. This time, the one assisting Colin was not Sanna but Russell, with everyone else withdrawing beyond five hundred meters to avoid accidentally drawing aggro.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go wake it up,¡± Russell said, moving forward.


    He was the only one with ¡°Blink.¡± Once ¡°Terbidard¡± was awakened, he would immediately blink back to Colin, giving Colin buffer and thinking time. As the primary target for ¡°Terbidard,¡± it would definitely attack here first. However, it was still uncertain whether ¡°Terbidard¡± would run directly over or use a ¡°Blink¡± ability similar to Russell¡¯s to follow him.


    These two movement types determined Colin¡¯s timing for lighting the fuse. Even a one-second error could significantly reduce the explosive power and effectiveness.


    Such a mistake would leave only one option: using human lives to trigger the explosives directly, a dangerous last resort.


    ¡°Maintain your pacing and timing to avoid any miscalculation.¡± Colin¡¯s voice was cold and emotionless, like an emotionless hunter.


    Simultaneously, his heartbeat gradually steadied, keeping him calm. In this state, the previously erratic hints also stabilized.


    ¡°Hunting Time¡± was activated.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Russell, having taken all necessary drugs, nodded.


    His six basic attributes had exceeded 5, so the mental interference wouldn¡¯t affect him much in the short term. Counting silently in his mind, Russell stepped forward to draw aggro.


    Despite the minimal mental interference, cold sweat began to seep from his body. This was unlike any battle he had experienced before, like walking on a tightrope over death. Any misstep could lead to a horrible end.


    It seemed like Colin and his team were used to such high-stakes gambits. Even though Russell had survived many life-and-death situations, he couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous.


    Step by step, Russell felt as though a volcano was building up molten lava ahead, ready to erupt at any moment.


    The final step! Thump!


    Russell¡¯s expression twisted as he clutched his chest; his heart suddenly throbbed with pain. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.


    At the same time, the antlered monster ¡°Terbidard,¡± composed of trees, flesh, and bones, awakened in the arms of the divine mother statue! It slowly sat up and shook its head, soon displaying extreme anger.


    ¡°Roar¡ª¡± A thunderous roar erupted from its mouth, sending a cloud of dust exploding outward, forming a dust wave several meters high. In that instant, Russell felt the air around him solidify, as if molten lava was surging.


    Glowing white runes flashed on the statue of the divine mother, and chains of light bound its limbs. However, due to long neglect, these restraints had weakened significantly, and a mere pull from them broke them apart.


    Seething with rage, ¡°Terbidard¡± suppressed its instinctual bloodlust, using its elongated tree limbs to wrench the statue¡¯s head off, venting its anger. At this moment, it resembled the beast from the dream, eternally tormented by steel nails, roaring like a wild animal with a thunderous heartbeat.


    Incapable of finding peace!


    The next second, Russell held his breath and blinked without hesitation, reappearing thirty meters away beside Colin.


    At the same moment, an oval-shaped rock, accompanied by a thunderous breaking sound, smashed into Russell¡¯s previous location. The statue¡¯s head buried itself into the ground. Both Russell and Colin breathed a deep sigh of relief. If the ground had been solid instead of soil, the shrapnel from the explosion could have severely injured or killed them!


    Despite this, the dust raised obscured their vision, making it hard to track ¡°Terbidard¡¯s¡± movements accurately.


    [You realize now is the time to light the fuse!]


    Seeing the hint, Colin lit the fuse without hesitation and cast ¡°The Shield of the Just Knight¡± on Russell. The next moment, they were swiftly drawn into the familiar dueling ground.


    As their figures blurred and disappeared, large tree roots burst from the ground, converging to form the enraged beast. At that moment, a bright orange-red explosion erupted on the ground, engulfing it.


    A mushroom cloud rose into the air. ¡°You guys come up with the craziest ideas,¡± Russell admired Colin and his team¡¯s ¡°wild tactics.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t have guns or cannons, so we do what we can,¡± Colin said calmly, his tone devoid of emotion.


    He scanned the blurry scene but didn¡¯t see the figure from before. Because it had been blown away.


    Not all lord-level mutants are as unyielding as the ¡°Mourning Watcher¡±; it had been protected by the ¡°Golden Ritual Robe¡±


    However, Colin knew it wasn¡¯t dead yet.


    [The damage isn¡¯t enough to kill it, but it has suffered significant damage, reducing its mental interference by fifty percent.]


    ¡°Fifty percent.¡± Colin wasn¡¯t too surprised and continued, ¡°Let¡¯s wait until they lure this monster away.¡±


    But the next second, Colin¡¯s voice cut off abruptly, as if frozen in place.


    [You realize ¡°Terbidard¡± seems about to die.]


    Impossible?! Colin¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief. Just moments ago, it was lively, and now it was about to die? This was more shocking than if it had remained unscathed!


    What on earth happened outside? Even with ¡°Hunting Time¡± active, Colin couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious, unsure what unexpected event had occurred.


    How could ¡°Terbidard¡± just die suddenly? What kind of joke is this?!

 Chapter 122: Mark of Light

    The outer ruins of the ¡°High Court.¡±A flaming figure crashed into the area like a comet, tumbling and knocking down several already unstable buildings along the way. It was none other than ¡°Terbidard,¡± who had just taken the brunt of the explosion.


    At this moment, flames engulfed its body, charred black flesh writhing and expanding as if regenerating. Without sustained attacks from enemies, these injuries would take only about ten minutes for it to recover to roughly ninety percent. In less than a few seconds, bits of smoking, fire-spewing burnt skin began to peel away, revealing tender, regenerating flesh beneath.


    ¡°Terbidard¡± planted its limbs on the ground, shaking off the flames like a wet dog. It braced itself on its hind legs, seemingly about to stand up and let out a roar of fury. But just as it opened its massive maw, the roar still unsounded, and its enormous body suddenly trembled violently. All its subsequent actions were abruptly halted.


    A black longsword had mysteriously pierced through its back, the blade passing through its abdomen, protruding from the front. The sword, a long, pitch-black blade, was nearly two meters long and entwined with the thorns of suffering. Though its length was enough to pierce through ¡°Terbidard,¡± the sword still appeared feeble compared to the colossal creature, seemingly on the brink of snapping under the immense muscle pressure.


    Yet, strangely, this did not happen. The sword possessed an eerie power, steadily draining its life force, paralyzing ¡°Terbidad¡± in place, trembling and unable to move.


    ¡°Pity, still can¡¯t sleep, huh¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t resist. You know only I can put you to rest¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. This might hurt a bit¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    Whispered words filled the air, and the area grew darker, with indescribable translucent shapes occasionally flitting past.


    ¡°Terbidard¡¯s¡± flesh quickly began to rot, emitting a noxious stench, festering, and oozing yellowish pus. Suddenly, chunks of its decaying, putrid flesh began falling off its bones.


    Plop, plop, plop¡­


    Within moments, the antlered beast was reduced to a bare, pale skeleton, standing like a dinosaur exhibit in a natural history museum. The blood-streaked bones still shivered, seemingly not completely dead, but within seconds, all remaining blood evaporated, leaving only white bones, which then began to disassemble and fall to the ground.


    Strangely, as the bones hit the ground, they sank through as if falling into water, vanishing completely.


    Simultaneously¡­


    [Quest Completed: ¡°The Sleepless Terbidard¡±!]


    ¡°¡­Well, this is¡­¡±


    Colin stood in the ¡°dueling ground,¡± looking at the quest list on the parchment scroll, unsure whether to feel surprised or pleased. The battle was over in under three minutes.


    It was clear that whatever killed it, it wasn¡¯t their doing.


    According to the plan, if it charged directly, the team would have to continue their assault after the first explosion, luring it into the bomb pit they¡¯d prepared, even if it cost them some lives. If it had teleported along with Russell, there would have been a high chance of minimizing casualties and detonating explosives as it rushed forward. At that point, with its mental interference weakened, Colin would release the manhole cover, allowing Number One to commence suppressive fire.


    But now¡­


    It just died suddenly.


    [You know that ¡°Terbidard¡± is now dead.]


    And that was it¡ªjust similar vague messages. This indicated its death involved some unknown factor. Colin didn¡¯t dwell on it. He completed the task but didn¡¯t immediately check the items. The sound of the duel starting echoed in their minds.


    Instead of having Russell surrender right away, Colin used the hint ability to assess whether the outside was safe.


    [Apart from being a bit hot, the outside is currently safe.]


    Frowning, Colin checked multiple times to ensure that exiting wouldn¡¯t lead to sudden death before deactivating ¡°The Shield of The Just Knight¡±


    The moment they returned to the outside world, they felt the ground give way beneath them, a sudden sensation of falling that stopped just as quickly as it started. The ground had been altered by the blast, creating a half-meter-deep crater, with some patches of scorched, molten soil still glowing faintly.


    Colin immediately scanned the surroundings, confirming that Sanna and the others hadn¡¯t initiated the subsequent phase of the plan. This proved that ¡°Terbidard¡¯s¡± death had nothing to do with their actions.


    ¡°What the¡­ this is unbelievable!¡±


    Colin took a deep breath, quickly surveying the scene and gathering information. ¡°Let¡¯s retreat for now¡­¡±


    With that, he dashed back to the hillside, utilizing the ¡°Hunting Time¡± effect. Sanna and the others regrouped at his call.


    ¡°Did that monster just get blown up?¡± Sanna asked curiously as she approached.


    Colin shook his head. ¡°Not sure. I just confirmed it died at the outskirts of the High Court ruins, but I have no idea how.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t the main issue. The main issue was¡­


    ¡°Did the hint just say the outskirts are safe?¡±


    Could that statement really be trusted?


    Colin shared this suspicion, leaving the group silent, unsure how to respond. Even Colin himself started wondering if his hint ability had malfunctioned from overuse.


    It was then that Li Chou, who had been silent in thought, raised a chilling possibility.


    ¡°What if the monster that tampered with the High Court ruins already escaped and is approaching us? That would explain why it¡¯s considered safe.¡±


    Startled by this, everyone immediately heightened their vigilance. Colin quickly utilized the hint ability to reassess the surroundings.


    Shortly after¡­ S~?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    [The area is currently safe.]


    Colin paused, then simply said, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see.¡±


    While the hint didn¡¯t always provide precise answers, Colin trusted it implicitly. For now, however, he kept that trust in check.


    After ten minutes passed without incident, the group let out a collective sigh of relief. Colin opened his backpack to inspect the items he had acquired earlier.


    ¡°Time to figure out some upgrades. Now that we have the ¡®Light Mark,¡¯ we¡¯ve also got Sanna¡¯s promotion material¡­¡±

 Chapter 124: The Turning Point of History and Determination

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep exploring.¡±Colin withdrew his gaze and led the team into the inner area of the ¡°High Court Ruins¡±¡­


    According to the information Colin had, this place was also safe.


    However, the closer they got to the light, the darker it seemed¡­


    Colin and his team gradually set up various explosives, inching forward bit by bit. After crossing an open-air plaza, they saw a massive ancient castle in the distance.


    Colin also noticed large footprints on the ground¡­


    They were each about a meter long, half a meter wide, resembling human footprints, leading outward.


    ¡°These familiar footprints¡­¡±


    Colin couldn¡¯t help but sigh, exhaling slowly as he led the team in the opposite direction of the footprints.


    Eventually, they reached a hall lined with numerous stone pillars¡­


    The hall was part of the castle.


    However, the front half had completely collapsed, while the rear half remained intact. Inside the hall, Colin saw layers upon layers of overlapping footprints¡­


    ¡°Is this where the ¡®Twisted Soul¡¯ guards?¡±


    After surveying the surroundings, Colin shone his lantern inside and saw many shattered bones¡­


    Some were humans, but most belonged to unidentified creatures¡­


    At the far end of the structure was a thick, iron double door, covered in rust, with carvings that had long turned into flakes of iron oxide.


    Colin shook his head and sighed, thinking about how these carvings often held important information.


    [You realize that pushing this door open will reveal the ¡°light.¡±]


    Colin squinted and led his team inside, instructing Li Chou to collect all the broken bones as they advanced toward the rusty iron door without incident.


    ¡°Pushing the door open could at least complete a task¡­¡±


    Colin remembered he still had a ¡°High Court Guard¡± quest, which included important items such as three recovery cards and a random blueprint.


    Suppressing his slightly excited feelings, Colin carefully inspected for ten minutes, ensuring there were no issues¡­


    The door was pushed open¡­


    The next second, blinding light burst out from behind the door, and once their eyes adjusted to the intense glare, the scene before them left them deeply shocked.


    A grand hall unfolded before them.


    The dome of the hall had collapsed, flanked by thick stone pillars. As they gazed forward, they saw a cracked, gray stone throne atop several gray stone steps.


    On the throne sat a blurred, humanoid figure of light, as if overlooking the visitors of the High Court¡­


    Colin and his team¡¯s pupils contracted, instinctively assuming defensive positions, but¡­ Nothing unexpected happened.


    Amidst their astonishment, they looked down and froze again.


    In the hall beneath the High Court, they noticed numerous mutated creatures, olive trees, wild beasts, humans, and even human-faced rats¡­


    Judging by their attire, they came from different eras, but they all shared one thing¡­


    They were all dead, leaving behind hollow corpses draped in gossamer light.


    These corpses were posed in some incomprehensible ¡°devout¡± manner, kneeling towards the light in the hall, expressing their fanaticism. And within this blinding light, all the gloom and fear within the hearts of those present dissipated¡­


    [You realize that when you choose to sit on the gray throne, the turning point of history will have arrived¡­]


    [Perhaps this will be your most crucial means to survive the terrifying countdown.]


    The turning point of history¡­ For the first time, Colin saw the ¡°hint¡± use such words.


    It was also the first time he realized that the usually vague ¡°hint¡± would explicitly mention the ¡°countdown.¡±


    Normally, it would beat around the bush. But just then, a new hint appeared again¡­


    [But you think you should return during the first hour of daylight tomorrow. You know you only have one chance.]


    ¡°Tomorrow morning¡­¡±


    Colin squinted slightly, feeling something indescribable, as though the ¡°prompt¡± had been guiding him here all along?


    At this moment, many things seemed terrifying upon reflection¡­


    If he truly sat on it¡­ What would happen?


    At that moment, Colin hesitated, clenching his fists¡­


    ¡°We¡¯ll come back tomorrow.¡±


    Colin¡¯s voice was hoarse as he spoke, leading the group to turn and leave. Minutes later, the team silently emerged outside¡­


    He barely used the ¡°hint¡± along the way.


    But nothing happened.


    The ¡°prompt¡± was correct¡­


    But¡­


    What if he sat on that ¡°gray throne¡±? s?a??h th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    The light figure¡­


    Colin felt a tightness in his chest.


    ¡°What happened?¡± Sanna asked softly. ¡°You seem under a lot of pressure.¡±


    The light radiating from her eased Colin¡¯s discomfort¡­


    Colin hesitated before finally shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±


    He didn¡¯t know what to say. Should he sit on that gray throne or not?


    And then, after a long silence, a voice from the system echoed in everyone¡¯s minds.


    [Detected that ¡°Fog Explorer¡± progress has reached 10%. The first-phase reward will now be settled.]


    ¡°Congratulations, You¡¯ve received the ¡®Explorer¡¯s Badge¡¯, nine hardened black bread, 30 fogpoints, and one all-attributes enhancement potion (permanent).¡±


    The heavy mood was interrupted by the sudden rewards, and Colin exhaled, ready to shift his thoughts¡­


    He opened his inventoryto check the new items.


    [All-Attributes Enhancement Potion: Increases all personal base stats by 0.5 upon use.]


    [¡®Explorer¡¯s Badge¡¯: While worn on the arm, grants the wearer one immunity to a fatal hit. It can be used three times; each use requires 100 fog points to repair (can only be used once every 24 hours).]


    ¡°This is a significant boost¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s eyes brightened. Immunity to death meant they couldn¡¯t die on the first strike¡­ Paired with recovery cards, they could be instantly healed to full health.


    Seeing these items, Colin felt there might be a chance¡­


    [You realize that this isn¡¯t enough to change anything¡­]


    Colin¡¯s mood suddenly worsened. As the countdown approached, he wondered¡ªwhat would happen when it ended?


    Suddenly, a heavy pressure descended¡­


    Night had fallen again.


    Under the indescribable weight, several hours passed. After sorting through his chaotic thoughts, Colin exhaled deeply. He spent some time communicating with the base and then took out a parchment scroll, releasing a broadcast message.


    ¡°All survivors, do not leave your territory within three hours before dawn tomorrow.¡±


    ¡°In addition, all higher-tier territory upgrade methods are being made public¡­¡±


    ¡°Materials required for Level 4 territories¡­¡±


    ¡°Level 2 war chariots¡­¡±


    The blood-red message instantly appeared in everyone¡¯s view.


    During the first few hours of the night, the chat channel was usually the most active; Colin¡¯s timing ensured almost everyone saw the message.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go out for the first three hours? Why? Isn¡¯t that just wasting time?¡±


    ¡°If the big shot says so, then that¡¯s it. I¡¯m staying put¡­¡±


    ¡°+1 to the comment above¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, I think I can upgrade to a Level 4 territory now¡ªthanks, Colin!¡±


    The chat channel flooded with messages, and soon, ¡°Congratulations on upgrading to a Level 4 territory¡± appeared in everyone¡¯s minds.


    But this time, aside from the material information being related to Colin, the rest had nothing to do with him¡­


    And going forward¡­ It might not involve him at all.


    Colin knew that something significant was bound to happen tomorrow¡ªsomething that could be called a ¡°turning point in history.¡±


    The night passed with unspoken tension, and the following morning, Colin led the group into the inner area of the High Court, just before the blinding light began to spread.


    Once they were prepared, they stepped into the light.


    It was then that the mutation occurred.

 Chapter 125: “Night� Falls

    ¡°Announcement: On Sunday! That is, within three hours on the morning of the day after tomorrow, try not to leave your territory. I received some inside information; the disaster is highly likely to strike the morning after tomorrow!¡±¡°I hope all survivors in every region can unite as soon as possible¡­¡±


    ¡°In addition, I will now reveal the upgrade requirements for all higher-level territories¡­¡±


    ¡°The materials needed for a Level 4 territory are¡­¡±


    ¡°Level 2 Chariot¡­¡±


    ¡°Level 2 Underground Fortress¡­¡±


    The blood-red message immediately appeared in everyone¡¯s view.


    The first few hours of the night were usually the most active time in the chat channel; it could be said that when Colin sent out this information, almost everyone saw it.


    ¡°The disaster is arriving early the day after tomorrow? Is this true? If it¡¯s wrong, we¡¯ll waste a lot of time¡­¡±


    ¡°Whatever the big shot says, that¡¯s what it is. Has he ever been wrong? I¡¯m not going out anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°+1 to the guy above¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, would the big shot lie to you for no reason?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I think I can upgrade to Level 4 territory now, thanks to Big Brother Colin¡­¡±


    The chat channel was flooded with messages shortly after Colin released the material details. The words ¡°Congratulations¡­ Upgraded to Level 4 Territory¡± appeared in everyone¡¯s minds. But this time, apart from the material information being related to Colin, everything else had nothing to do with him anymore¡­


    And¡­


    It might not have anything to do with him in the future either.


    Colin was very clear that something would definitely happen the day after tomorrow, something that could be called a ¡°turning point in history.¡±


    The night was long and uneasy, and by early the next morning, influenced by Colin¡¯s words, almost all lords began rapidly converting all resources into war capital and setting up corresponding combat layouts.


    There was no other way; now no one dared to ignore or take lightly the words of the one named ¡°Colin,¡± who topped the rankings. Especially after glimpsing the ¡°Night¡± a few days ago, they instinctively felt fear and had to prepare with even greater urgency.


    Although it seemed like the disaster was only moved forward by half a day, for the survivors, it was essentially like losing a whole day¡¯s time.


    Except for sleeping, chatting, and exchanging information, the night was almost useless for most people.


    Since they had one day less to prepare, they had to work twice as hard today to make up for it.


    In the world of endless fog, the foreseeable outcome of this day would be the emergence of one Level 4 territory, Level 2 war vehicles, and other advanced special constructs sprouting up like mushrooms after the rain.


    Due to the announcement of more advanced construction materials, the prices of various materials began to soar, almost doubling in general.


    This time, those survivors who lacked capabilities were forced to seek refuge with stronger survivors in their regions under immense pressure.


    Because of Colin¡¯s information release, their ¡°retreat¡± was cut off, and they had no choice but to seek alliances.


    This was exactly the scenario Colin wanted to see at the moment.


    Humanity must unite with all their might to find a chance to survive in these terrifying events that offered little hope.


    The time was too short¡ªless than seven days. Unlike Russell and his group, they couldn¡¯t even escape.


    They had no way out.


    Therefore, tomorrow would be the battle where Earth¡¯s civilization puts all its efforts into one decisive conflict!


    Victory means survival; defeat means extinction.


    At this moment, Colin led everyone back inside the High Court and to the glaringly bright door to continue researching the ¡°Light.¡±


    However, an hour passed, and the research remained as fruitless as ever.


    Colin was not discouraged.


    He had not been without gains. At least from Shana, he learned that the ¡°source of light¡± here emitted power that, although similar in essence to the ¡°sun¡± she worshipped, was not the same.


    It was too extreme!


    When exposed to this pure, bright light that rejected everything else, everyone but Colin would feel a surge of fanaticism in their hearts.


    This light seemed to have no ¡°healing¡± properties, only ¡°purification¡±¡ªpurification of everything.


    ¡°No wonder it¡¯s a super material that can boost you straight to Stage Five¡­¡±


    Colin mused.


    He recalled Russell mentioning that Stage Five special talents could simultaneously handle multiple lord-level aberrations, and in one-on-one situations, depending on the talent¡¯s direction, they might even be able to eliminate them instantly¡­


    However, in their generation, only one such individual appeared, and he was of the defensive support type.


    ¡°I wonder if this ¡®Light¡¯ leans more towards offensive or supportive measures¡­¡±


    Colin looked up at the stone throne, quietly pondering since the ¡°hint¡± didn¡¯t provide much clarity in this area.


    He had a rope tied around his waist, one hand behind his back, and his palm opening and closing once per second to signal the people behind him that he was okay. If his hand stopped, Sanna would immediately pull him out of the hall to prevent any accidents.


    Meanwhile, Sanna gazed at Colin in the hall with a worried look in her eyes, but what she couldn¡¯t understand was why the light didn¡¯t affect Colin¡­


    Even when she stared at the stone throne for too long, she would feel some effects, but Mr. Colin was completely unaffected¡­


    Why was that?


    Colin also didn¡¯t know why.


    After some more exploration without further results, Colin decided to abandon his research here.


    ¡°I still need to study the ¡®ghost wall¡¯ near the High Court to see if I can extract that technique¡­¡±


    Colin muttered as he glanced at the hazy areas near the High Court.


    Entering the High Court from anywhere but the main gate led to a ¡°ghost wall,¡± preventing people from reaching their desired locations as expected.


    Colin had briefly experimented with this yesterday, and while it wasn¡¯t particularly dangerous, anyone trying to walk straight ahead would inexplicably end up back outside.


    Yesterday¡¯s events kept him busy, so he didn¡¯t have time to explore, but now, since there was nothing more of value inside the High Court, Colin planned to strip the ¡°ghost wall¡± technology down to its core if possible.


    This phenomenon also worked against mutants, and using it near their territory would ensure that most monsters would only approach from a single direction rather than all sides.


    That would be far preferable to being surrounded from all directions.


    With a radiant lantern in hand, Colin led his team toward the hazy area, constantly triggering hints.


    Before long, Colin focused on a patch of seemingly disturbed ground and walked toward it.


    However, no matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t reach it¡­


    [You realize that when you grasp the ¡°source of light,¡± you will be able to uncover its secrets¡­]


    ¡°Oh, come on¡­ I¡¯ve been looking for you just to gain some extra power for tomorrow¡­¡±


    Colin felt slightly exasperated.


    Shaking his head, he led his team back to study the architecture within and around the hall.


    It was clear that while the outer structures had a style somewhat similar to the inner ones, the inner and outer areas of the High Court were distinctly different in design.


    The inner area appeared more cohesive, while the outer sections resembled ¡°high-quality imitations¡± built in different eras.


    Of course, these insights came from the ¡°hints.¡±


    Looking at the inner region of the High Court, Colin¡¯s mind was awash with thoughts.


    ¡°The light that descended from the sky back then included not just the ¡®source of light¡¯ itself, but also this whole area?¡±


    The key was that an entire area fell from the sky without shattering, showing only signs of impact¡­


    Putting aside where it fell from, even based on descriptions alone, it must have dropped from tens or even hundreds of kilometers high¡­


    The impact that left such a massive crater had undoubtedly surpassed the destructive power of many nuclear explosions¡­


    Yet, the structures inside still remained intact.


    The quality of this architecture was beyond imagination¡­


    ¡°Indeed, mysterious world artifacts defy common sense¡­¡±


    Colin shook his head, putting aside further speculation¡­


    Since exploring the High Court¡¯s inner region didn¡¯t seem to advance his historical mission progress bar, Colin stopped delving into it after three fruitless hours.


    ¡°Dr. Colin¡± resumed his role of ¡°consulting doctor,¡± helping the strange characters around him fulfill their ¡°special talent¡± wishes.


    Soon¡­


    Night fell once more.


    As the night deepened with an increasingly heavy and oppressive atmosphere, everyone returned to their rooms.


    After gathering some information in the chat channel, Colin saw that things were just as he had expected.


    Nearly every region has achieved some form of unification and alliance today.


    Whether through alliances, dominance, or other forms of cooperation, all personnel in each region had come together under Colin¡¯s guidance.


    All of this was done in preparation to fight against the impending doom.


    ¡°Incredible.¡±


    Standing behind Colin, Russell sighed.


    In the early and mid-stages of their generation, most people wouldn¡¯t even consider forming alliances; meeting without stabbing each other could already be considered kind.


    Forming alliances like this was nearly impossible.


    Even when they did manage to band together, distrust and scheming were rampant.


    ¡°Dog-eat-dog¡± incidents were common.


    In Colin¡¯s era, however, with just a few words, he had managed to get most regions to form unified alliances¡ªsomething that would have been unthinkable before.


    After all¡­


    Who could truly trust anyone else?


    But somehow, after escaping civilization, Russell always felt that something was off about the people of his generation.


    They were chaotic¡­


    There was an indescribable sense of disorder.


    Division, unrest, suspicion, and distrust pervaded everyone, almost defining the entire civilization¡¯s history.


    If not for being forced into a last-ditch effort, they might never have united¡­


    Just when they escaped with the treasure map, Russell and the others opened their hearts and realized that none of them were truly evil at their core. In fact, they were all ¡°good people¡± in a sense¡­ But for some reason¡­ Despite not being inherently evil, they had raised their blades against their own kind, with Russell himself having killed at least a couple of survivors¡­


    When they first arrived together, there was laughter and conversation, but it took only a few days for suspicion to set in. Out of the dozens in Russell¡¯s area, he was the only one still alive. Thinking back on it now¡­ He couldn¡¯t understand.


    They had ample resources, no significant threats, no urgent crises¡­ ¡°Why did we, after meeting each other, choose to strike without hesitation?¡± Russell couldn¡¯t help but feel lost. In the early and middle stages of their generation, every encounter with another person began from the presumption of guilt¡­ They seemed to assume that strangers would inevitably harm them, so they had to act first. Even in the later stages, trust among them was rare¡­


    At that time, trust within their civilization only existed in the ¡°world channel¡±¡­ You could only trust those you couldn¡¯t see¡­ But in Colin¡¯s generation, despite having even less¡ªharsher conditions, extreme food scarcity, and immense survival pressure¡­ They received only one black bread as a daily task reward¡­ Under such circumstances, cannibalistic events should have been more likely.


    However, things turned out quite the opposite¡­ When people in Colin¡¯s generation met, they didn¡¯t immediately turn on each other; sometimes, they could even collaborate and help one another. Despite the extreme poverty, with two loaves of bread barely enough for one person, why didn¡¯t they fight? Why did they choose to unite in such life-threatening food shortages? The regional chat was even filled with a kind of ¡°goodness.¡±


    Why was this the case? Russell became increasingly perplexed¡­ He even felt the urge to return to the disaster-stricken land to find out what really happened. Before the calamity struck, they had already fallen apart¡­ In the early days when the special talents began to collapse, they couldn¡¯t band together, and by the time they managed to unite and resist, it was too late.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Li Chou patted Russell on the shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, nothing¡­¡± Russell hadn¡¯t intended to say anything, but after thinking it over, he decided to speak up. He called over Dr. Colin, who was ¡°on call¡± nearby, and explained his unusual observations.


    After an hour of discussion, Colin summarized simply, ¡°It¡¯s an abnormal societal atmosphere¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, an abnormal societal atmosphere¡­¡± Russell nodded in agreement. Before the ¡°crossing,¡± their society wasn¡¯t as bad, but after the ¡°crossing,¡± even with abundant resources, everyone seemed to have become vicious towards others in a short time. The whole society carried the underlying belief that ¡°others are hell.¡±


    After further discussion with Russell, it was concluded that due to some influence, perhaps Russ¡¯s or someone else¡¯s, the atmosphere had been turned away from cannibalism.


    ¡°If the talk back then had revolved around cannibalism, we might have gone down that road too¡­¡±


    Colin recalled that the discussions on both the world and regional channels were filled with bleak topics and a depressive atmosphere. It wasn¡¯t until he introduced the lantern and led initiatives like trading water that things started to change. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t perfect, but it wasn¡¯t terrible either. Caution remained, but at least people didn¡¯t judge each other guilty at first sight.


    [You realize that, thanks to your efforts, such atrocities didn¡¯t occur within your group.]


    [You are seen by some as a ¡°savior,¡± by others as a ¡°bastard,¡± but are widely respected as ¡°Mr. Colin.¡±]


    Colin filtered out the insults and scratched his chin. ¡°It seems we really didn¡¯t go down that path¡­¡±


    Using his insights, Colin confirmed that they had avoided that problem and decided to keep his lingering doubts to himself. By now, the night had come. Even if something was trying to incite division, there wasn¡¯t enough time left.


    As the night wore on, things remained unnaturally quiet. Despite the tension, nothing happened. Compared to the disturbances of previous nights¡ªknocks on the door, glimpses from the window¡ªthis eerie calm made Colin feel even more uneasy. It¡¯s the unknown that¡¯s truly terrifying, not the things that have already happened and can be dealt with.


    As the last hour of the night approached, Colin, who had barely slept, used his ¡°world horn¡± one last time. This time, he didn¡¯t announce any information¡ªhe had already given everything he had. He had drained all his knowledge and done everything he could, reaching his absolute limit. In the final hour before the disaster, Colin used the red font of ¡°punishment¡± to send a brief blessing: ¡°May we meet again after the disaster.¡±


    Colin didn¡¯t specify whether ¡°after the disaster¡± meant later tonight or some other time, but he knew everyone would assume it meant later tonight, as he had said so yesterday¡­ Of course, if the ¡°punishment¡± turned out to be all that came, it would be easier to handle since he hadn¡¯t set a specific time, preserving his credibility somewhat¡­


    As the bright red text was sent, the chat channel, which had been dull and lifeless all day, suddenly came alive.


    ¡°May we meet again after the disaster!¡±


    ¡°Bless everyone, hope we can still chat like this then, keep fighting!¡±


    ¡°Stop talking like we¡¯re gonna die, relax!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m XXX, wishing you all the best¡­¡±


    ¡°Whoa, aren¡¯t you a celebrity¡­ still alive, huh?¡±


    ¡°Careful not to use up tomorrow¡¯s horn, it¡¯s almost dawn.¡±


    Messages of blessings filled the chat, lifting the heavy atmosphere, and everyone genuinely wished each other well. Shortly after, as the oppressive tension gradually eased, Colin realized¡­ Dawn had arrived.


    At this moment, Colin looked towards the high court and began moving again. With about an hour of ¡°final preparation time¡± left, he would soon set out to sit on the stone throne. He had handed over all unnecessary items, including the ¡°manhole cover,¡± to Sanna and others¡­ He kept only the parchment scroll and some mysterious objects, transferring everything else¡­


    Because the fusion required some time, during which he could do nothing. With nerves tightly wound, Colin made his last contact with the outside world before leading his team towards the grand hall with a strong religious style. Not long after, he arrived once more at the open doors, and with Sanna¡¯s help, securely tied the ropes and stepped inside.


    This time, he would not stop until he reached the highest position. And at that moment, a sense of calm washed over him; he was no longer as nervous. As he moved about ten meters forward,


    [You realize that taking another step forward will bring about the disaster that affects everyone¡­]


    So it really was ¡°Beware the Night¡±¡­


    Colin¡¯s steps briefly paused but he did not hesitate to move forward. This time, they would face the disaster actively, rather than passively waiting for the countdown to end. At that moment, Colin felt a special force eagerly merging into his body. He instinctively looked up at the throne and the glowing entity above it¡­ But suddenly, a deep fear and unease enveloped him, as if some unseen presence was watching him.


    Colin took a deep breath to steady himself and continued up the path toward the stone throne without running, jumping, or slowing down. He passed by countless kneeling figures¡ªthousands, maybe tens of thousands of corpses lining both sides of the path, leaving only the central road untouched. Colin alone walked this path, as it was considered a severe desecration for anyone else to do so. But only he could walk this path, ensuring no anomalies occurred.


    Everything proceeded silently, as if following some unspoken design. Finally, the surroundings opened up, and Colin reached the base of the stone steps. He ascended them step by step, feeling strangely at peace as he approached the radiant form atop the gray stone throne. This glow ¡°sat¡± on the throne, ¡°gazing¡± down.


    [You realize that a pivotal moment in history has arrived.]


    Colin chuckled quietly, feeling strange calmness. Approaching the throne, his ¡°intuition¡± surged, giving him a vague understanding of many things. Yet this understanding was blurry, as if he grasped some of it but not all¡­ After a brief pause, Colin turned around as if guided by instinct, took a step back, and sat on the throne, resting his hands on the cracked stone arms.


    The next second, an invisible shockwave burst out, instantly disintegrating all the corpses in the hall. The ¡°Source of Light¡± was forcibly drawn into Colin¡¯s body, merging with him¡­ It tried to escape, but it was futile. Almost immediately, Colin¡¯s focus was completely consumed by the fusion, leaving him unable to think clearly. Strange, snail-like tendrils sprouted from his body, reaching out to grasp the light, pulling it into him.


    And in that moment¡­ Blood-red words appeared vividly in Colin¡¯s mind.


    [Detected abnormal behavior by survivor Colin. ¡°Punishment¡± is imminent. Countdown initiated!]


    Punishment? Colin¡¯s brow furrowed; he could feel something even more terrifying was about to happen!


    [Ten¡­]


    [Nine¡­]


    Almost as soon as the countdown warning began, Colin¡¯s vision blurred, as if everything before him was pixelated.


    Suddenly, his heart clenched, and his sight froze. From the sharp edges of some structures in the great hall, strange ¡°smoke¡± started spewing out, twisting and morphing in midair to form a mental entity of indistinct shape.


    It was a creature resembling a slender dog with horrifying exposed fangs, a single crimson eye, and sharp claws.


    An ¡°inspiration¡± suddenly burst in Colin¡¯s mind. Following this inspiration, Colin instantly understood the eerie being before him and realized that it was the source of the ¡°judgment.¡± He understood why this eye felt so familiar!


    ¡°¡­¡®Hound!¡¯¡± Colin muttered as he stared at the creature.


    Though it vaguely resembled a hound, its actual form had nothing to do with dogs; its appearance stemmed from the hunger and predatory nature inherent to its spiritual essence. It awakened a primal fear rooted in human genes, making it appear like a hunting dog eyeing its prey, creating this image in the mind.


    The human eye couldn¡¯t truly observe it; what allowed Colin to ¡°see¡± it was a fear-born hallucination from his own soul.


    And now, the ¡°Hounds¡± weren¡¯t just one but dozens of them, in various sizes! Any one of them possessed the terrifying power to kill a ¡°Lord-class Mutant!¡±


    Colin knew that even having a piece torn from any part of the body by these creatures would instantly kill a regular person, leaving no trace of life behind. Because of their eye, they would first target the victim¡¯s head.


    It seemed that they had been tracking Colin along some trajectory long before this, yet for reasons unknown, these terrifying mental entities had arrived six days late! Had Colin not fused with ¡°Light,¡± they would have arrived even later.


    But now, the ¡°Hounds¡± had finally caught sight of their prey, and they immediately cast their predatory gazes upon him.


    In the next second, Colin felt powerful dizziness and a sudden weakness throughout his body. His eyelids grew as heavy as lead.


    They had launched some kind of unknown mental attack on him!


    But¡­


    What truly horrified Colin wasn¡¯t these suddenly appearing Hounds¡­


    It was something else¡­


    [You realize you cannot let these ¡®Hounds¡¯ delay for too long; another true terror is swiftly approaching!]


    Another thing¡­ the Night?


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, both at the same time!¡±


    Colin realized that the immediate threat before him had to be eliminated immediately, or he would have no chance against the ¡°Night!¡±


    He could resolve this current ¡°disaster¡± at some cost¡­


    But this also meant almost giving up any chance of successfully ¡°ascending.¡±


    But he couldn¡¯t afford to worry about that now!


    Gritting his teeth, Colin lightly tapped the armrest with his left hand, casting a light that enveloped Shana and the others on the periphery. With great effort, he raised his right hand from the stone throne, preparing to forcibly unleash a power he barely understood, something even he didn¡¯t know the name of.


    At that moment, two bloodstained eyeballs unknowingly rolled out of his [backpack].


    As the eyeballs fell to the ground, the entire space within the great hall visibly solidified.


    Splat¡­


    They hit the floor, their gray pupils coincidentally facing the horrific spiritual entities that had invaded from the system.


    ¡°Hahahahahahaha¡­¡±


    A mad, ear-piercing, and contemptuous laugh erupted from the eyeballs. The entire murky space rippled as if on the verge of shattering.


    The sound waves burst forth from the eyeballs like waves, repeatedly crashing against the gray world, shaking it as though it were experiencing a massive earthquake.


    Even the black mist-formed spiritual entities were severely affected.


    The ¡°Hounds¡± were disintegrating!


    Thankfully, Colin, seated on the gray stone throne, was not the primary target of the laughter. Though the sound gave him a headache, it didn¡¯t cause him significant harm¡­ just slight disarray of the Light.


    At this moment, both the attackers and defenders were affected, with all actions disrupted by the sudden appearance of the eyeballs!


    But just then, the laughter abruptly ceased, and the two eyeballs suddenly melted and merged, forming a strange, unknown, chaotic mist.


    In the next second, dozens of swollen, bluish-black tentacles burst out from the chaos, grabbing at the Hounds suspended midair by the mad laughter.


    The Hounds, already frozen, couldn¡¯t dodge at all. In an instant, they were ensnared by the slimy, grotesque tentacles, covered in toothless mouths, crimson eyes, protruding veins, and sharp blood-red spikes.


    Even the intangible spiritual entities couldn¡¯t escape once grasped by these tentacles. They couldn¡¯t even struggle, being slowly dragged into the chaos.


    After that, the spiritual entities felt themselves falling into an endless void, their ¡°ears¡± filled with the sounds of drums, flutes, and indescribable howls.


    Soon, they vanished forever.


    In less than three seconds, Colin realized that the judgment that had plagued him for six days had ended¡ªending almost comically!


    Coming to his senses, Colin looked in horror at the ¡°chaos¡± sprawled on the ground, fearing it would turn its tentacles toward him!


    ¡°What is this thing?!¡±


    Colin¡¯s heart pounded. He remembered that these two eyeballs came from the ¡°Fallen Noble¡± task!


    He realized¡­


    Perhaps he had deliberately ignored their danger at the time¡­


    But Colin quickly discovered his fear was unfounded.


    After bringing a fate worse than death to those spiritual entities, the chaos formed by the eyeballs promptly evaporated, disappearing without a trace, as if it had never existed!


    The entire sequence of events lasted barely three seconds!


    But things didn¡¯t stop there.


    Almost simultaneously with the eyeballs¡¯ disappearance, another impending terror burst forth!


    In that instant, every survivor¡¯s vision darkened, followed by an overwhelming pressure descending from the sky!


    The night had fallen early!


    An invisible pressure blanketed the entire world in just a moment!


    At the same time, amid a heart-pounding sensation that felt like impending death, a line of writhing blood-red text exploded within the minds of all humanity:


    [Beware of the Night! Beware of the Night! Beware of the Night!]


    However, within less than a second, this line was forcibly erased from everyone¡¯s minds by some terrifying power!


    At that moment, everyone felt the crushing weight of a mountain, making any movement impossible¡ªeven heartbeats became laborious! S?a??h th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    If not for the fact that their diseases had been cured at the moment of descent, many might have died from heart attacks right then.


    If anyone dared to look up at that moment¡ªwhether indoors or outdoors, obstructed or not, anywhere in the world¡ªthey would see the last terrifying scene of their lives.


    Above the sky, a massive black entity resembling a dark moon was descending.


    If the planet beneath Colin¡¯s feet were an ¡°egg,¡± and the gray fog represented the ¡°shell¡± barrier, then this formless, writhing darkness resembled a horrifying giant face pressed against the thin ¡°shell,¡± protruding from the outside, ready to break through at any moment¡­


    The ¡°Night¡± had arrived!

 Chapter 126: Tides

    Boom!Amidst the gray fog, an invisible, loud noise suddenly erupted and rapidly spread outward.


    The slow-flowing gray mist began to boil furiously at this moment! The invasion of the ¡°night¡± was like a red-hot iron ingot being thrown into water, triggering a violent reaction in the gray fog, with the two sides completely incompatible! S~?a??h the ??v?l_Fir?.?et website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    As the gray fog boiled, all the survivors felt their shoulders lighten, and the overwhelming, terrifying pressure lessened significantly.


    ¡°I thought I was going to die!¡±


    This was almost everyone¡¯s first thought as they regained their mobility.


    The next moment, as if realizing something, both those outside and inside the buildings quickly took out ¡°rare polluted blood¡± and filled their lanterns. In this moment, on a night that should have been ¡°daylight,¡± billions of lights were rapidly ignited!


    Soon after, nearly everyone realized that the first thing affected during the recent abnormal change was¡­


    ¡°Look, the gray fog is boiling!¡±


    ¡°It seems like the gray fog has thinned a lot¡­¡±


    ¡°Everyone, be careful! The countdown has really ended early! Prepare for disaster!¡±


    Messages scrolled rapidly in the chat channel, but it didn¡¯t take long for the constant flow of information to come to an abrupt halt¡­


    Because¡­


    At this moment, the survivors suddenly realized that the chat channel had gone gray and was unusable!


    And more bad news was delivered at this time.


    ¡°Damn it! Talent recruitment isn¡¯t working either!¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve all been isolated!¡±


    ¡°The only thing still usable on the parchment scroll is the trading market¡­¡±


    ¡°Hurry and buy whatever valuable items you can, especially those ¡®mysterious items¡¯; if you¡¯re late, they¡¯ll be snatched up!¡±


    ¡°Get rid of anything useless; see if you can trade for some mist points to ensure we have the funds to repair cars and houses¡­¡±


    ¡°Phew, luckily Mr. Colin told us beforehand not to go out¡­¡±


    ¡°So what do we do now? What will happen tonight¡­?¡±


    After nightfall, aside from the boiling gray fog, nothing seemed to happen. But everyone knew that this was only temporary¡­


    One minute, two minutes, three minutes¡­


    Suddenly, after about ten minutes of calm, someone in a fourth-level territory shouted in alarm, ¡°Mutants! It¡¯s mutants! They¡¯re coming over!¡±


    Everyone in the fourth-level territory froze at the words.


    They looked over, and sure enough, not too far away, they saw a few mutants approaching.


    Not many¡­


    But¡­ this was not good news.


    Mutants had never attacked ¡°territories¡± before¡­


    Once back in the territory, no matter how fiercely they were pursued, mutants would give up, as if they suddenly couldn¡¯t see their targets anymore. Just recently, people even joked that as long as they blocked the door right, they could single-handedly kill a lord-level mutant!


    But now¡­


    They had started attacking!


    ¡­


    Meanwhile, in the underground area of overlapping spaces, at the end of the ¡°light,¡± the ruins of the High Court.


    On the gray stone throne, Colin barely raised his head to look at the darkness outside the High Court, sensing a large number of unsettling auras surging.


    Soon, he saw many terrifying creatures rushing from the dim distance, varying in size but mostly hideous and unbearable to look at.


    ¡°Mutants¡­¡± Colin murmured.


    At this moment, he was bound to the stone throne, stabilizing the chaotic ¡°source of light¡± from the recent event¡­


    He had realized something¡­


    Although nothing had truly started yet¡­


    The outcome of civilization was still uncertain¡­ But his fate had already been laid out¡­


    This fusion would not succeed easily, and he would pay an unbearable price.


    All he could do was reduce that price as much as possible, bringing it down to a level he could bear¡ªone that would let him survive. Whether he could gain immense power was no longer a consideration.


    Feeling the horror of the ¡°night¡± more acutely than anyone else, a trace of despair welled up in Colin¡¯s heart. But as soon as this feeling surfaced, Colin ruthlessly suppressed it. He no longer had time to be distracted; he needed to absorb as much of the ¡°source of light¡± as possible while he could¡­


    As he absorbed, the light inside the grand hall condensed inward, no longer unbearable as it had been moments before.


    ¡°The hall is now accessible. Buy me some time.¡± Colin¡¯s voice came from above the gray stone throne.


    The group, having just emerged from the protection of the pure light screen, had no idea what had just happened and glanced back.


    They saw the man they served sitting on the gray throne, eyes closed at some unknown point, his elbow resting on the armrest, a hand propping up his face as if in some kind of slumber.


    On him, a mass of light continuously floated, flickering and writhing, screaming silently, trying to ¡°escape¡± from his body. But some force seemed to be gradually pulling it into Colin¡¯s body bit by bit.


    If everything happened normally, with a complete fusion with Colin, not even he knew what would happen next. But unfortunately¡­


    This could no longer happen. His outcome was bound to be a failure.


    He knew only that he had to absorb this power as much as he could before the influence deepened, in order to deal with this ¡°night incident¡± and strive to survive!


    ¡­


    After Colin¡¯s words fell, Sanna and the others immediately began preparations, entering the ruined hall without a dome. The ¡°manhole cover¡± was tossed to the entrance by Sanna, who had Li Chou open it, and then pulled out the hundreds of people inside¡­


    Just as they completed their preparations, the monsters arrived¡­


    ¡°Suppress these mutants!¡± Number One shouted. With the number of monsters still low, they did not plan to use artillery.


    Behind him, the ¡°new¡± subordinates, though somewhat intimidated by their first encounter with the monsters, showed no fear, quickly splitting into teams to assist Number One in clearing the mutants.


    One hour, two hours¡­


    Time passed quickly, and as it did, a growing sense of dread filled the air, the distant view becoming blurred, like being trapped in a dream¡­ And the number of mutants increased.


    Now, hundreds to thousands of monsters roared and howled, surging like a tide from all directions toward the ruined High Court. It wouldn¡¯t be long before these loathsome creatures reached and destroyed everything here!


    Fortunately, this area had the special ¡°ghost wall¡± restriction, causing the monsters to only approach from certain directions¡­ Under the suppression of firepower, everything was still manageable.


    It was unclear how much time had passed¡­ The number of monsters had clearly exceeded a thousand. They surged forward like a crimson ¡°sandstorm¡±! Within the ¡°sandstorm,¡± the abominable flesh ran or crawled, more violent than ever.


    As they charged in groups, shaking the entire area, a piercing light suddenly cut through the night sky, exploding into the ¡°sandstorm.¡±


    Boom!


    A section of aberrations was blasted to pieces in a violent explosion. Blood, bones, and limbs splattered everywhere.


    But in the next second, more aberrations, screeching strangely, charged out, covering the entire area.


    Boom, boom, boom, boom¡ª


    More shells fired from the cannons, arcing through the air, tearing into the ¡°tide¡± with ear-piercing sounds and erupting with deafening force that shook the ground. Within just a few quick bombardments, the once impenetrable ¡°tide¡± showed clear thinning, with many mutants turning to dust under the artillery barrage before they could reach the High Court¡­


    But this didn¡¯t mean everything would end soon, for this was just the beginning¡­ Everyone could feel the terror still flooding in.


    Finally, after tens of minutes of intense bombardment, some stronger mutants broke through and reached the High Court. These monsters were almost all elite mutants.


    ¡°Keep firing! We¡¯ll deal with these things; we must buy more time for Lord Colin.¡± After Sanna spoke, her body burst with bright yet soft light, and she quickly cast multiple blessings on everyone, including herself.


    ¡°About 6-7 times strength¡­¡±


    After receiving the blessings, Russell clenched his fist, gauging his power. This strength was enough for him to handle the ¡°stragglers¡± and ensure no breaches behind.


    But then, a white figure dashed out at a speed almost impossible to see with the naked eye, overtaking him. Russell froze. What just happened?


    He soon saw that the priestess, who had always been ¡°protected¡± beside Colin, had appeared at the front line. She had, at some point, chained her Bible shut and was now swinging her arm, striking down the elite monsters with precision. Or using violent methods to directly kill the elite mutants on the spot!


    This left Russell, who had been preparing to deal with the strange creatures, slowing to a halt after a couple of steps: ¡°Aren¡¯t you a priest?¡±


    Boom!


    Sanna didn¡¯t respond immediately, crushing a mutant¡¯s head in one hand, blood splattering her face before evaporating under the purification of holy light. Those mutants that had broken through here fell in staggered steps, soaked in blood and unable to move further¡­


    Above her head, a barrage of artillery shells shot out, streaking across the sky in arcs of light, purging and reaping the lives of each mutant.


    Seconds later.


    With everything swiftly dealt with, she turned her head, her clear lake-blue eyes meeting Russell¡¯s gaze. ¡°I¡¯ve picked up a bit of combat skills. Is there a problem?¡±


    ¡­No problem at all. Russell quickly shook his head, feeling the same mix of emotions that Colin once had.


    The brief exchange quickly passed, leaving them no time to speak further as more and more monsters swarmed in¡­


    Even Sanna was beginning to struggle.

 Chapter 127: War

    As time passed, the attacks intensified, like a suffocating downpour that made it almost impossible to breathe. Shells whistled through the air in arcs, crashing into the ground ahead and triggering horrific explosions. The entire battlefield was filled with shouts and explosions, and the choking smell of gunpowder and blood permeated the smoky air.Time crawled by.


    Sanna and the others had suffered various injuries, and some had even died. But the number of monsters¡­ seemed endless, showing no signs of dwindling, as if they hadn¡¯t lost a single combatant. Only the thick layer of ¡°meat paste¡± on the ground served as proof that their efforts were not in vain.


    ¡°If only we had a ¡®High-Energy Plasma Tower¡¯¡­¡± Russell shook his head, trying to rein in his wandering thoughts while catching his breath and frowning. ¡°Where are all these mutants coming from? Why are there so many? They¡¯re impossible to kill¡­¡±


    ¡°Their numbers are suspicious! There¡¯s definitely something wrong!¡±


    The sheer quantity of mutants were absurd. While there were many suffering people in this world, they were scattered across every corner, not concentrated in a single area like this¡ªunless this region had been a massive battlefield in the past. But considering the improvised weapons¡ªhoes and sticks rather than military-issue arms¡ªit seemed unlikely.


    Russell speculated that something must be wrong with these suffering people. If they didn¡¯t figure out the root cause, no matter how many they killed, they would never be able to stop them.


    But what was the problem?


    Hearing his words, Li Chou, who was at a loss, glanced back at Colin on the gray stone throne¡­ Though the light shadow had fused with him somewhat, and the struggles had lessened, Colin was clearly still asleep.


    ¡°When the boss wakes up, he¡¯ll figure it out. Of course, if we can, let¡¯s try to handle it ourselves¡­¡± Li Chou finished speaking, spitting a mouthful of blood. He¡¯d been struck in the ribs by a mutant earlier, but luckily his armor had absorbed most of the impact, leaving only some cracked bones. After downing a bottle of red potion, he felt much better.


    ¡°I wonder what¡¯s going on in other areas. Are they facing the same problems as us?¡± Li Chou couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Since the ¡°Beware of the Night¡± warning appeared a few hours ago, all communication had been down. The only information they had was from their immediate area, thanks to the private trade function between friends. They received explosives and handwritten battle reports that kept them updated on the situation at their base.


    But outside their region, everything was unknown. Everyone felt isolated, trapped on their own islands, completely cut off from one another.


    There wasn¡¯t much time to dwell on this, though. Staring at the battlefield, Sanna uttered a phrase that made everyone¡¯s faces change.


    ¡°They¡­ they¡¯re starting to revive.¡±


    In a Level 4 territory, a low voice echoed from within a fortress-like structure, plunging the atmosphere into a heavy silence. Nearly ten hours into the battle, everything had grown increasingly difficult. The number of mutants had grown from a handful to hundreds, then thousands. Soon, the previously slain mutants were resurrecting one after another.


    It was foreseeable that the number of attacking mutants would reach the tens of thousands.


    Despite the Level 4 territory¡¯s sturdy walls, over two thousand servants, and various weapons at their disposal, they were safe for the moment. However, a concerning trend was emerging that filled them with despair. The mutants¡¯ strength was escalating, from regular mutants to stronger ones, and then to elite mutants. The question loomed: would a Lord-level mutant appear next?


    The thought weighed heavily on everyone present, making it hard to even breathe. Regular and elite mutants were manageable, but a Lord-level mutant? This creature, often referred to as a ¡°minor miracle¡± for its overwhelming power¡ªcould they possibly survive if it appeared?


    Despite all their preparations, it was now clear that they hadn¡¯t prepared enough. This endless disaster had no apparent end in sight.


    The owner of the Level 4 territory was Gao Jin, a man about 1.8 meters tall, with a rugged face and a medium build. At the moment, he sat in his chair, his expression grim. Though they were fine for now, what about later?


    Just then, a pair of warm hands wrapped around him from behind, followed by a gentle voice: ¡°Gao Cheng, don¡¯t worry. No matter what, I will protect you.¡±


    The woman was beautiful, dressed in a black hooded robe, with striking purple hair and eyes. Her embrace eased Gao Cheng¡¯s anxiety considerably. She smiled, kissed his cheek with a light ¡°mwah,¡± and whispered, ¡°Gao Cheng, I want to have a child with you someday¡­¡±


    Gao Cheng¡¯s face flushed with embarrassment at her words, and he gently unwrapped her arms. ¡°Vera, this isn¡¯t the time for that¡­¡±


    He sighed internally. Vera was exceptional in every way, but she was just too¡­ passionate. And her wish¡ªwell, it wasn¡¯t so easy to fulfill.


    ¡°I¡¯m just looking forward to a future with you,¡± Vera said, leaning into him, unconcerned about the others watching. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll always protect you. I won¡¯t lose control¡­ We should have one, no, several children.¡±


    Under her influence, no one seemed to notice anything unusual. As a Stage 2 ¡°Illusory Witch,¡± Vera possessed powers that allowed her to manipulate perceptions effortlessly. Unlike the support-oriented Sanna, Vera specialized in assassination and offensive tactics. Against anything short of a Lord-level mutant, she was invincible.


    ¡°Alright, alright¡­¡± Gao Cheng dismissed her lightly, then turned to the others. ¡°Have any of you noticed anything strange about the mutants¡¯ numbers?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s definitely odd¡­¡± someone replied. ¡°After our sweeps and Colin¡¯s, there shouldn¡¯t be this many mutantss left on the island¡­¡±


    Another group had gathered on the opposite side of the island, a fair distance from Colin¡¯s territory. They had only realized who their ¡°neighbor¡± was around the third or fourth day. At the time, Gao Cheng wasn¡¯t sure whether to consider them lucky or not; Colin¡¯s overwhelming strength meant they might lose the chance to grow on their own.


    Fortunately, Colin hadn¡¯t forced them into submission, and Gao Cheng had no intention of joining him. Through sulfur mines discovered by the coast and some clever trading, they had grown somewhat in power. Now they had a Level 4 territory, nine war chariots, two thousand servants, a 90%-loyalty Level 2 special talent, over sixty survivors, and several mysterious artifacts.


    Though they weren¡¯t as powerful as Colin¡¯s faction, they still held some sway on the global stage.


    However¡­


    ¡°If a Lord-class mutant shows up, we¡¯ll execute the plan and retreat to Colin¡¯s base¡­¡± Gao Cheng declared. Facing a Lord-level mutant, they had little hope of survival, even with the explosives they had traded from Colin. They realized now just how irrationally powerful these creatures were; even a few tons of explosives wouldn¡¯t be enough.


    Amid Gao Cheng¡¯s instructions, a deafening crash rang out from outside, like something had been breached. The hearts of everyone inside tightened. s?a??h th? N?v?lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°What happened?¡±


    Gao Cheng quickly looked toward the source of the noise and saw that a section of his Level 4 territory had been broken through, with numerous mutants pouring inside. Thankfully, no Lord-level mutants were visible¡­


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Gao Cheng reassured the group. ¡°We can fix this quickly.¡±


    The servants stationed inside immediately mounted a counterattack against the invading mutants, incurring some casualties but killing most of them. However, a handful of stronger elite mutants remained beyond the capabilities of the Level 2 and 3 servant.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of them,¡± Vera whispered to Gao Cheng with a smile.


    ¡°Yeah, but hold on a moment¡­¡± Gao Cheng nodded, taking a deep breath as he looked around, making a difficult decision. ¡°Soon, we¡¯re abandoning this place and heading to Colin¡¯s.¡±


    Upon hearing this, the others were momentarily stunned but remained silent. Some felt dejected, others relieved.


    Vera, however, looked surprised. ¡°Are you giving up on your dream of becoming a powerful lord?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I was too arrogant. We should have joined forces from the start,¡± Gao Cheng said, his gaze flickering with regret.


    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll support whatever you decide.¡± Vera smiled, turning towards the window. Yet, as she moved away, Gao Cheng couldn¡¯t shake an inexplicable unease. He reached out to call her back, but before he could act, Vera had already vanished.


    Without her presence, every moment felt like an eternity. The breach in the walls had been repaired, and only the elite abominations inside the territory remained as a threat. Yet Gao Cheng¡¯s anxiety grew; it had been ten minutes already.


    Unable to bear it any longer, Gao Cheng downed a glass of water and barked orders: ¡°Prepare to evacuate! Some servants will cover our retreat. We¡¯re leaving now!¡±


    Ignoring the puzzled looks from the others, Gao Cheng rushed outside, making his way toward the breached area, flanked by a few Level 3 servants. Finally, he spotted Vera¡¯s hooded figure near the breach, feeling a sense of relief. He hurried over.


    Vera had just finished killing the last of the ¡°Knight of Suffering,¡± a type of elite mutant. Chains extended from her, pinning the creature in place. Seeing this, Gao Cheng¡¯s unease eased, and he rushed forward.


    At this moment, Vera also noticed the approaching Gao Cheng. After fighting continuously for over ten minutes, a smile appeared on her slightly pale face.


    ¡°Why are you here? Missed me?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re preparing to retreat, heading over to Mr. Colin¡¯s side¡­¡±


    This time, Gao Cheng didn¡¯t argue and simply nodded in agreement. However, for some reason, he suddenly felt the urge to hug Vera.


    The sudden move caught Vera off guard, but she then stood there with her eyes closed, happily waiting for his arms to embrace her.


    But¡­


    Just then, Gao Cheng saw Vera¡¯s expression change dramatically. Before he could get close, she suddenly pushed him away with great force.


    As a Level 2 special talent, Vera¡¯s strength was immense, and she easily pushed him several meters away.


    But¡­ why?


    In mid-air, before Gao Cheng could question why Vera had done that, his gaze froze. With a horrifying burst of energy, Vera exploded before his eyes, her shattered limbs flying in all directions.


    ¡°Ah!¡±


    A scream of pain erupted. Gao Cheng fell heavily to the ground but seemed numb, staring at the scene in front of him. He watched the blood, shattered bones, organs, and broken limbs falling around him.


    A fragment of a skull landed with a thud, and the once-beautiful purple eye stared at him, seemingly urging something¡­


    But¡­


    Gao Cheng knelt on the spot, staring at the scene, his entire being in a daze, feeling as though all color had drained from the world.


    Just then, a figure exuding a powerful aura emerged from the remains.


    ¡°A Lord-level Mutant! Why¡­¡±


    Gao Cheng broke free from his stupor, his eyes filled with hatred. A transparent barrier covered him, shielding him from the powerful mental influence.


    This was a highly protective, mysterious item. But it could only save one person.


    However¡­ It no longer mattered.


    Ten meters ahead of him, a massive, terrifying figure stepped forward. This Lord-level Mutant was several meters tall, wearing a pointed metal hat wrapped in thorny vines, and clad in armor. It held a ragged longsword, and thick, bloody flesh bulged through the gaps in its armor.


    ¡°Why is there a Lord-level mutant here¡­¡± Gao Cheng muttered to himself. A Lord-level mutant¡¯s presence was overwhelmingly strong, impossible to hide. If one were here, they would have sensed it immediately¡­


    If he had known such a monster was around, he would never have sent Vera out.


    His confusion lingered briefly, then he realized what was happening¡ªthis monster must be related to the elite mutant Vera had slain earlier, those ¡°Knights of Suffering¡± that resembled the Lord-level mutant before him!


    But he had no more energy to explore this connection.


    He knew that, locked in this proximity by such a creature, his chances of survival were gone. Based on the available information, the monster would not seek out other targets before he was dead.


    So why not¡­ buy some time?


    In a daze, Gao Cheng walked forward, his mind chaotic, staring down at the pieces of Vera. A second later, the ¡°Knight of Suffering¡± swung its massive sword down.


    The protective barrier Gao Cheng wore cracked slightly, and he coughed up blood as though struck by a heavy blow. Yet he pressed on, unwavering.


    Another slash came down. The cracks widened, and under the immense pressure, multiple bones in his body broke. Every step was agonizingly difficult.


    When he finally reached Vera¡¯s remains, he could no longer stand, his chest heaving as he spat out blood. Struggling, he reached out, crawling to grab hold of Vera¡¯s severed hand, staring at her dimmed purple eye.


    Blood gushed out of him, but he wouldn¡¯t let go. He wanted to say something¡­ but the intense physical strain made it impossible to form words or even coherent thoughts.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡­¡±


    With a sharp crack, the protective item shattered, and a bloated foot stomped down, crushing Gao Cheng¡¯s head.


    The hug left unfinished, the words left unsaid¡­ The body, full of regret, twitched violently a few times after the head was destroyed, then fell still.


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s been two hours, and there¡¯s no sign of them¡­¡±


    Li Hang withdrew his gaze from the secondary war chariot¡¯s telescope, his deep voice echoing in the temporary command room.


    Two hours ago, they had received a paper message from the other side, stating they were fleeing in this direction. Even though they were uncertain of the exact location, considering the island¡¯s distance, they should have arrived within an hour and a half.


    But now, almost two and a half hours had passed, and there was still no sign of them.


    ¡°Is there any response yet?¡± someone asked.


    ¡°No, and judging by the current situation, they might have encountered a Lord-level mutant¡­¡±


    The atmosphere thickened, suffocating like the deep sea, making it hard to breathe. After such a long delay, the outcome of those on the other side was becoming clear¡­


    The Tier 4 territory over there had been breached. A territory slightly weaker than theirs had been overwhelmed¡ªwhat about their own?


    Doubts surfaced, for although Lord-level mutants were indeed formidable, they shouldn¡¯t prevent all communication.


    The intense mental interference from such a creature was detectable from afar, allowing ample time to prepare.


    Before they could ponder further, a bloodstained note was transmitted, breaking the room¡¯s tense silence.


    ¡°Information from the Underground High Court!¡±


    Hearing this, everyone perked up instantly.


    ¡°Is Mr. Colin awake?¡± someone urgently asked the ¡°communicator.¡±


    ¡°No, they warn us to be cautious; these monsters¡­ may ¡®revive¡¯¡­¡±


    As his words fell, the atmosphere grew even more somber. They had just noticed this too. The monsters killed hours earlier were gradually coming back to life, rising from the scattered ¡°meat paste¡± at an accelerating pace as the ¡°night¡± continued¡­


    These were monsters that couldn¡¯t be truly killed. And more were continuously arriving, amassing¡­


    Like a ticking time bomb, they would reach a critical point where they would be unstoppable.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be too discouraged; at least we¡¯re still holding on¡­¡±


    Li Hang tried to lift everyone¡¯s spirits and looked out the thick glass window.


    Outside, thirty-six combat vehicles, over a hundred ¡°Lamp Bearers,¡± and nearly five thousand people formed a defense line that even these mutants couldn¡¯t breach in a short time.


    The sounds of artillery were incessant, and under the concentrated, overwhelming firepower, no group of threatening Aberrations had been able to get close to their position so far. Stray groups of tens of Aberrations were quickly dispatched at the territory¡¯s front.


    However, this wasn¡¯t their territory; it was¡­ a nitrate mining site.


    All of Colin¡¯s external forces had been relocated to this location.


    After receiving news of Colin¡¯s deep slumber, Li Hang, Rogue, and others had jointly made a bold decision¡ªabandon all territories and concentrate their forces outside the bombed-open nitrate mine¡­


    And then, they made their preparations.


    ¡°It looks like we made the right bet¡­¡±


    Everyone understood clearly that only by relying on the nitrate mine could their firepower and ammunition supplies be guaranteed.


    The defense lines were set up in five layers: the outermost trench, combat vehicles, the fourth line of gunners and melee fighters, the third line of standby personnel and command posts, the second line containing the temporary ¡°explosives factory¡±¡­


    And the final line, inside the continually excavated mining area¡­


    Because the decision was made early, they had time to prepare, and the large surrounding area seemed free of ¡°gray fog.¡±


    This was because additional ¡°lanterns¡± were sealed in iron boxes, filled with blood, and buried three to four meters underground, making the gray fog in this area ¡°disappear.¡±


    Thus, they could see much further, allowing them to better position themselves against the unknown horrors.


    At the same time, they didn¡¯t have to worry too much about the lanterns being damaged in combat.


    ¡°Have you noticed something?¡± Li Hang said, frowning as he looked at the scene outside the window. ¡°The number of mutants is increasingly off, and the distance seems blurred¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed. We¡¯ve traversed nearly the entire island these past days, familiarizing ourselves with all the areas. There¡¯s no place that could hide so many mutant¡­¡±


    Someone responded. Their own observations and the ¡°previous generation¡¯s¡± information confirmed that this game didn¡¯t ¡°spawn¡± monsters.


    This suggested that something was fundamentally wrong with the sheer numbers of mutants.


    But what exactly was causing this situation?


    ¡°What if,¡± one lord suddenly suggested, ¡°these creatures are merely illusions? What if they only exist if we believe they do?¡±


    He thought it was possible that everything¡ªevery monster¡ªwas fake, nonexistent¡­


    ¡°Illusions, huh¡­¡± Li Hang chuckled softly.


    But even if they were illusions, what could they do? Abandon their defenses and let the monsters through? Would they dare take that gamble?


    The discussion continued for over ten minutes, but no conclusion was reached.


    Then, one of the lords suddenly proposed his idea.

 Chapter 128: Great Miracle

    ¡°Is this the ¡®Great Miracle¡¯? Do you remember the message Mr. Colin sent back? ¡®Resurrection¡¯ is the ability of the seventh miracle, ¡®The Undying.¡¯ I suspect that ¡®resurrection¡¯ is influencing these ordinary mutants as part of the ¡®Great Miracle.''¡±¡°Indeed, some minor information indicates that the ¡®Great Miracle¡¯ can influence ordinary aberrations, allowing them to carry its properties¡­¡±


    ¡°An unknown ¡®Great Miracle¡¯? No, let¡¯s not limit it to just one¡­¡±


    Li Hang followed the train of thought and said, ¡°Given the current situation of ¡®The Coming of Night,¡¯ this influence is likely global, and it¡¯s very possible that everyone is facing the same problems we are¡­¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, what should we do? How can we cut off the ¡®Great Miracle¡¯s¡¯ influence on ordinary mutants?¡±


    Many ideas were proposed and then narrowed down, with temporary plans being put in place.


    ¡°Hold on, how much ammunition do we have left?¡± Li Hang asked, turning his head. After receiving a number, he pondered, ¡°Tell them to slow their fire rate; let small groups of mutants come closer¡­


    ¡°Clear out the black powder stock; I have a feeling it will become less effective as we move forward¡­


    ¡°Also, ensure that Mr. Colin and his group receive their powder supplies¡­¡±


    Since the integration process, their primary gunpowder has been completely updated, boasting far greater stability and explosive power than black powder, with the only drawback being slightly slower production. At this stage, it was almost without flaws.


    At this point, Number Two, who had been relatively quiet, added, ¡°Have the third-level servants keep a close watch on the presence of lord-level mutants¡­¡±


    There had been no sight of lord-level mutants yet, but they knew it was only a matter of time. From the most ordinary, even unranked mutants to the ¡°standard¡± and ¡°elite¡± ones, they could guess that as the night continued, the mutants¡¯ influence would deepen.


    At some point, even the lord-level aberrations that hadn¡¯t moved in ages would start to act.


    ¡°Yes!¡± The order was quickly passed down and put into action.


    After it was executed:


    Da-da-da¡­


    Amidst the hair-raising sound of footsteps, hundreds of mutants broke through the artillery barrage and approached the area.


    Boom! Boom! Boom!


    As soon as they neared, dozens of cannons, which had been waiting, fired mercilessly, blasting them away¡­


    In the darkened world, the roar of a thousand cannons lit up the sky, and the constant explosions created an atmosphere filled with the sense of an impending apocalypse.


    But those in the midst of it did not think so.


    Li Hang quickly assessed the situation in his mind.


    Under these conditions, the number of mutants didn¡¯t matter; even a lord-level mutant could be fought off. They had stored vast amounts of explosives over the past few days, leaving little to worry about in the short term.


    Li Hang took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. He knew that a lord-level mutant would inevitably appear tonight!


    However, just then, a disturbing aura suddenly emanated from a certain direction.


    In a continuous metallic scraping sound, more than a dozen figures clad in armor, wielding long swords, and wearing thorn-crowned helmets charged forward!


    They were the mutants from Silvermoon Bay¡ª¡°The People of Suffering¡ªThe Knights of Suffering!¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t they already killed? How are they still alive?¡± Li Hang stared in disbelief at the scene before him. He distinctly remembered these creatures being slain days ago.


    Monsters that were killed days ago could resurrect?


    There was no time to think further as they charged forward like a pack of wolves!


    ¡°Increase the firepower! Destroy them instantly if possible!¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    Several idle tanks aimed their cannons, and in a dense barrage of explosions, the ¡°Knights of Suffering¡± were steadily reduced in number. However, with each fallen knight, the remaining ones grew stronger.


    When only one knight was left on the battlefield¡­


    An overwhelming, terrifying aura erupted!


    ¡°Lord-level mutant!¡± Li Hang gritted his teeth, realizing that these ¡°Knights of Suffering¡± possessed such a dangerous ability.


    He slapped himself hard to regain his composure.


    ¡°This is the real deal¡ªthe Undying affected by the seventh miracle, able to instantly regenerate from any damage. Coupled with their inherent characteristics, damn it, we underestimated them!¡±


    The remaining ¡°lord-level mutant¡± gathered itself and charged toward them with explosive speed, tearing through the air with a deafening roar!


    It wouldn¡¯t be long before it reached their position, wreaking havoc with unstoppable force!


    But just as it charged, three chariots suddenly rushed forward¡­


    Each chariot carried several tons of explosives¡­


    Without hesitation, they rammed into the ¡°lord-level mutant.¡± In the fierce collision, the leading chariot was nearly split in two. Everyone inside died instantly from exposure to the creature¡¯s presence.


    Yet at that moment, another chariot moved up, bracing the first from behind¡­


    A deadlock ensued!


    With the arrival of the third chariot, the mutant was pushed inch by inch into the horde of chariots.


    In the next instant, a terrifying shockwave swept across the ground, and with a deafening explosion, a mushroom cloud rose.


    Within the churning crimson-black fog, everything was utterly obliterated¡­ S~?a??h the N???lFire.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    It was successfully contained outside the ¡°safe line¡±!


    However, at that moment¡­


    Everyone felt an intense mental disturbance; their minds were thrown into disarray¡­


    A staggering figure emerged from the blast zone.


    It survived?!


    The crowd was in turmoil, grappling with overwhelming emotions that varied depending on their physical state, growing increasingly extreme!


    Strong mental interference!


    The passive mental impact unique to lord-level mutants!


    Any rational life form entering its influence would instantly be overwhelmed by an avalanche of thoughts and emotions turning singular and extreme. Whether anger or fear, they would ultimately lose reason!


    And this was just one of its basic, passive abilities!


    But to everyone¡¯s surprise, the mental interference dissipated almost as quickly as it emerged¡­


    They were stunned to see the knight take only a few steps before collapsing as if dead.


    No time to celebrate; a sinking feeling overcame them all.


    From the knight¡¯s body, dozens of hands suddenly stretched out¡­


    Like worms breaking through the skin of a corpse¡­


    Thirteen ¡°Knights of Suffering¡± crawled out of the body.


    Exactly thirteen¡­


    The ¡°lord-level mutant¡± disintegrated into ashes after all of them emerged¡­


    ¡°Find a way to control these monsters!¡± Li Hang realized that killing them would only cause them to regroup into a new ¡°lord-level mutant.¡±


    Kill, regroup, kill, split¡­


    At that moment, he understood why just a few ¡°Knights of Suffering¡± could kill a powerful ¡°Frost Witch¡±!


    These ¡°Knights of Suffering¡± were simply unkillable!


    And when thinking of the ¡°Witch¡¯s Head¡±¡­


    His breath grew heavy.


    It had yet to appear¡­


    Due to their lack of information on lord-level aberrations, they had paid the price of three tanks and three Lampbearer squads.


    ¡°No wonder every time we purge Silvermoon Bay, the aura of a lord-level mutant suddenly appears¡­¡± Li Hang finally understood the reason behind it.


    They couldn¡¯t observe the area closely, as any bombardment would immediately trigger the aura of lord-level mutants.


    When attempting close observation, the simultaneous presence of two lord-level powers and attacks from unknown means would cause casualties.


    They only knew of two lord-level aberrations in Silvermoon Bay¡ªone was the ¡°Witch¡¯s Head,¡± and the other was unknown.


    It turned out to be these ¡°Knights of Suffering¡±!


    ¡°I¡¯ll take on this task.¡± Number Two stepped forward.


    Li Hang opened his mouth but said nothing in the end; Number Two was indeed the most capable one here.


    He patted Number Two¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Be careful. If you die, I won¡¯t be able to explain.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m still waiting for the Lord to cook¡­¡± He grinned.


    That was the synthetic porridge¡­ Li Hang nodded, and after a few minutes of simple planning, everyone watched Number Two and his Lampbearer squads enter the most perilous battlefield.


    ¡°Cover him, bomb the excess mutants in the rear!¡±


    The plan was effectively executed.


    With minimal casualties, they managed to suppress the ¡°hat-wearing¡± elite mutants.


    However¡­


    The night was still long.


    And just as they had imagined, mutant swarms were ravaging every corner of the world. They were vast in number and now possessed immortality.


    This meant that tonight¡¯s mutants would only multiply the more they were killed.


    Many noticed irregularities in the mutants¡¯ numbers but couldn¡¯t find a fundamental solution. All survivors were fighting desperately, using every resource to fend off wave after wave of attacks.


    But as they cleared one hurdle after another, new mutants would resurrect, and new monsters would emerge¡­


    Frustration, oppression, and fear smothered everyone.


    A crushing sense of despair weighed them down like a tangible force, suffocating them.


    System functionalities had failed.


    The trade market was practically dead, utterly useless. No one would sell anything now¡­


    No more supplies¡­


    No more help¡­


    At this moment¡­


    Human civilization had been reduced to isolated islands.


    On each island, only despair remained¡­


    One by one, lights were extinguished in terror.


    With a thunderous crash¡­


    A third-tier territory was breached¡­


    By the seventh hour of this isolated, relentless war, the lord-level mutant finally appeared on the battlefield.


    The third-tier territory was dissolving, irradiated by an unknown force, and melting away.


    Like wax under heat.


    ¡°Somebody help me, anyone¡­¡± The last survivor pleaded in despair¡­


    The last survivor desperately pleaded for help¡­ praying that someone, anyone, would come to his aid. Half of his body had already melted into the ground, merging with the waxy pool formed from the melted remains of tables, chairs, servants, and other survivors¡­


    Yet, even in this state, he clung fiercely to life¡­ His slowly dissolving eyes brimmed with an intense longing to live¡­


    But on this night¡­ there were no miracles.

 Chapter 129: The Seventh Miracle, The Pain Bearer

    ¡¾This world is slowly being dragged into the dreamscape of ¡®Night.¡¯ You know that when that moment comes, nothing can be undone¡­¡¿¡¾Current fusion progress: 47%¡­¡¿


    ¡¾You realize that some special lord-level mutants are beginning to be affected, and they are starting to leave their ¡®domains¡¯¡­¡¿


    Sigh¡­


    Colin let out a sigh and opened his eyes wearily. He looked exhausted, as if he had expended a great deal of energy. At this moment, he felt emotionally drained; his eyes swept over his surroundings without emotion, and in an instant, he grasped many reasons behind it all.


    ¡¾You know that the resurrection of the aberrations is due to the Seventh Miracle, ¡®The Pain Bearer,¡¯ but it does not have the capability to influence the entire world¡­¡¿


    ¡¾Perhaps all of this is related to some third-party influence; all that is needed is to sever the connection between them¡­¡¿


    So it¡¯s not the ¡°Undying¡± but the ¡°Pain Bearer¡±? It seems that this is its true name¡­ To bear¡­


    Colin¡¯s mind raced at an unprecedented speed, and he quickly devised a plan¡ªan almost insane plan! Currently, his fusion with ¡°Light¡± was less than halfway complete.


    But¡­


    As the whole world was being pulled deeper into the ¡°dreamscape¡± by ¡°Night,¡± the influence of the ¡°dreamscape¡± was causing lord-level aberrations to enter the fray. Now, he had no choice but to end the fusion early¡­


    Colin reached out and grasped, forming a ball of light in his hand. After a brief hesitation, he pressed it into his chest. His entire body stiffened.


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s face twisted uncontrollably in pain. The sudden and accelerated fusion made him feel like he was about to explode, stretched to his limits by the overwhelming power. Colin¡¯s skin at that moment resembled a beautiful but cracked porcelain.


    Without hesitation, he used a recovery card, but¡­ The effect was not great. The restored body almost immediately began cracking again, but it at least stabilized his condition.


    After using another recovery card, he could barely endure the powerful force and start to move. Then, without using more recovery cards, he knew he had reached his limit.


    Next, Colin took out a corroded shield and aimed at a mutant, pulling them close without a word.


    Ropes, fate coins, and various other items were used¡­


    Colin then lit the ¡°Dream Candle¡± aimed at the mutant He intended to enter the ¡°Nightmare of Night¡± through the mutant¡¯s dream, reaching the ¡°Root,¡± and directly severing the terrifying influences!


    The next second, as green flames ignited, he found himself plunged into darkness.


    ¡¾You discover that the dream of the ¡°Dream Candle¡± has forcibly equated dream and reality!¡¿


    ¡¾If you die here, you will truly die.¡¿


    This was the expected result!


    Colin didn¡¯t dwell on it, quickly utilizing the ¡°The Shield of the Justice Knight¡± to find the weakest passive trait, and instantly, from the infinite, writhing darkness, he identified the weakest presence.


    The Seventh Miracle, ¡°The Pain Bearer¡±!


    It was being forcibly expanded by the ¡°Night,¡± granting all mutants immortality! At this moment, Colin realized that all it would take was one complete, unreserved burst of ¡°Light¡± in that direction to end this¡­


    However, just as Colin was about to raise his head, his ¡°Knot¡± exploded, and his luck points dropped to zero. In a fleeting moment, with a loud ¡°crack,¡± darkness consumed the area.


    In the dream, everything seemed to revert to its original ¡°calm,¡± with only the endlessly writhing darkness remaining.


    ***


    In the ruins of High Court, Sannaa and the others were the first to sense something was wrong as the light in their vision suddenly dimmed. They turned around and saw a figure seated on the gray stone throne, shrouded in faint light, but it was impossible to see his expression. He seemed lifeless, as if engulfed in deathly stillness.


    ¡°B-Boss, he¡­¡± Li Chou¡¯s eyes widened, a chill ran through his body, and a ridiculous thought entered his mind. S?a??h the ?ov?l?ir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°He¡¯s still alive, trying his best. Let¡¯s not give up¡­¡± Sanna lied for the first time.


    ¡°Y-Yeah, the Boss will be fine¡­¡± Li Chou turned his head, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing. ¡°I¡¯ve just been fighting for too long; my head¡¯s a bit foggy.¡±


    ¡°Another wave of monsters is coming,¡± Russell said.


    As they turned back to face the battle, crimson blood suddenly flowed from the stone throne, spreading in all directions, trickling down the steps. The amount of blood seemed to reach the limit a human body could expel. If it all came from one person, then without a doubt, that person would become nothing more than a dried corpse.


    Above them, the sky grew darker.


    At this moment¡­ Everything seemed to be moving toward the most dangerous, irreversible direction.


    From just a few mutants at the beginning to dozens, it had now escalated to a point where almost every human outpost faced tens of thousands of mutants. Even with level four territories and numerous servants, it was difficult but not impossible. But what truly drove people to collapse and despair was the increasing number of lord-level mutants leaving their ¡°domains.¡±


    At this moment, the battle, already endless, became exceptionally grueling¡­


    Gradually¡­


    An hour, two hours¡­ now, over a dozen hours¡­


    The fight grew increasingly hopeless. In the endless battle, one by one, the flames representing human life flickered out, and the world dimmed further. With a deafening crash, another level-four domain was breached; several lord-level aberrations tore through the defenses, and many people died in a short time.


    A city that had stood alone in the darkness for over a dozen hours finally fell.


    Within the city, a man clung to a blood-stained battle flag, on which simple drawings of suns were depicted.


    Brilliant light emanated from the flag, forming a strong light shield about thirty square meters in size. Inside the shield, besides the man struggling to hold on, were several survivors gritting their teeth in desperation, along with a few remaining servants.


    When multiple terrifying lord-level mutants approached, they all felt overwhelming pressure and intense despair.


    ¡°We¡¯re finished¡­¡± someone croaked.


    The man holding the blood-stained, white-glowing flag spoke. Three lord-level mutants¡ªthis flag¡¯s protection was nowhere near enough to withstand such a battle.


    As his words fell, some survivors under the light wept bitterly, utterly broken, while others swung their weapons in numb defiance, as if they hadn¡¯t heard anything.


    But with a cracking sound, the light barrier shattered, and a black arrow pierced through it, shooting straight at the man. A servant leaped to block it, but his body exploded into a shower of blood in an instant. The arrow didn¡¯t stop, piercing the man¡¯s neck and severing his head from his body.


    In an instant, the place dimmed. With a thud, the man¡¯s severed head fell to the ground and rolled a few times. The flag fell into the blood, soaking up more blood and dimming. But perhaps due to some ¡°luck,¡± the man¡¯s rolling head stopped on an open parchment scroll.


    A scroll that was now completely useless.


    ¡°No, not entirely useless¡­¡±


    At that moment, he seemed to remember something very important.

 Chapter 130: Passing The Flame

    The man¡¯s lingering willpower seemed to awaken at this moment, his dilated pupils converging once more. With all his strength, he moved his eyes toward the parchment. Using his last bit of consciousness, he accessed the trading market¡­[Aid from¡­]


    [Item Description: 76 pieces of hardened black bread, 97 potatoes, 5 injured Level 3 servants, ¡°Bloodstained Holy Triumph Banner,¡± ¡°Penance Monk¡¯s Pendant¡±¡­]


    [Quantity: Multiple items.]


    [Please enter your desired price.]


    [None needed.]


    [Would you like to add a note?]


    [Note: Hang in there, just hold on a bit longer.]


    [Edited successfully. Would you like to send it?]


    [Yes.]


    [Sent successfully.]


    Finally, darkness enveloped his vision, and he remembered what had happened back then¡­ It was on the first day, during the hungriest, most helpless, and most desperate moment¡­ A man named Colin had lit a lamp for him. He thought that if that day ever came, he would do the same¡­


    This was a promise he had made to Colin. Now that the ¡°future¡± had arrived, he would fulfill his promise by lighting a lamp for others, offering them a glimmer of hope. As for despair¡­ it would remain here with him to die.


    His pupils fully dilated, and as his eyes, which could no longer see, glimpsed the words [Sent successfully], his eyelids slowly closed¡­


    ¡°Honorable Mr. Colin, I¡­ did not break my word.¡±


    ¡­


    At the same time, a message appeared in everyone¡¯s minds.


    [The trading market will temporarily convert to the ¡°gift¡± function, accessible within your consciousness.]


    The blood-red system text flashed through everyone¡¯s minds!


    The next second¡­


    [Aid from Nodeng.]


    [Item Description: 4 injured Level 3 servants, 1 injured Level 2 servant, ¡°Decaying Wooden Crossbow,¡± ¡°Karani¡¯s Blade,¡± ¡°Futora¡¯s Ring,¡± ¡°Thorn Ring,¡± ¡°Olive Branch Ring¡±¡­]


    [Quantity: Multiple items.]


    [Price: None needed.]


    [Note: I will fight until the last moment of human civilization! For the everlasting glory of humanity!]


    ¡­


    [Aid from Victor.]


    [Item Description: 104 injured Level 3 servants, 21 injured Level 2 servants, ¡°Shattered Bloodthirsty Cross Sword,¡± 47 ¡°Steel Hand Cannons,¡± 1479 ¡°Special Hand Cannon Bullets¡±¡­]


    [Quantity: Multiple items.]


    [Price: None needed.]


    [Note: Truly, this is humanity¡¯s darkest hour, but it will also be our most united and least lonely moment. Humanity is not an island. Hang in there; I stand with you all.]


    ¡­


    [Aid from Wang Xiong.]


    [Item Description: 2 injured Level 3 servants, 57 injured Level 1 servants, ¡°Broken Source Stone Powered Exoskeleton Armor,¡± ¡°Plasma Heat Fusion Chainsaw Greatsword,¡± ¡°Source Stone Crystal¡±¡­]


    [Quantity: Multiple items.]


    [Price: None needed.]


    [Note: There has never been a savior, nor gods or immortals to rely on. The only ones who can save us are ourselves, and it will always only be ourselves!]


    ¡­


    [Aid from Mei Chuan Sangyi.]


    [Item Description: 7 injured Level 3 servants, 9 injured Level 2 servants, ¡°Silver Rose Musket,¡± ¡°Tattered and Filthy Hunter Attire,¡± ¡°Damaged Zealot¡¯s Shield,¡± ¡°Restoration Card¡±¡­]


    [Quantity: Multiple items.]


    [Price: None needed.]


    [Note: Perhaps my voice cannot reach you, but survive! I know it¡¯s not easy, but hold on a bit longer!]


    ¡­


    [Note: I know you need a helping hand. Stay strong!]


    You have accepted the aid from¡­


    Would you like to thank XXX for their aid?


    [Yes!]


    [Sorry, this message cannot be delivered. Serial number 498521 (Xiazai) has died.]


    ¡­


    [Note: I have faced the same predicament as you. No matter what, keep going!]


    You have accepted the aid from¡­


    Would you like to thank XXX for their aid?


    [Yes!]


    [Sorry, this message cannot be delivered. Serial number 483451 has died.]


    ¡­


    [Note: I will extend a helping hand to you; you are not fighting alone!]


    You have accepted the aid from¡­


    Would you like to thank XXX for their aid?


    [Yes!]


    [Sorry, this message cannot be delivered. Serial number¡­ has died.]


    ¡­


    [Note: I know you¡¯ve been trying so hard, but please, try a little more!]


    You have accepted the aid from¡­


    Would you like to thank XXX for their aid?


    [Yes!]


    [Sorry, this message cannot be delivered. Serial number¡­ has died.]


    ¡­


    [Note: We are not dead! We stand with you! Fight on! Never stop until victory!]


    You have accepted the aid from¡­


    Would you like to thank XXX for their aid?


    [Yes!]


    [Sorry, this message cannot be delivered. Serial number¡­ has died.]


    ¡­


    [Note: I really did my best, so you have to keep fighting too!]


    ¡­


    [Note: I can¡¯t reverse my death, but I know you need help!]


    ¡­


    [Note: Hang on a little longer; please don¡¯t give up. We are standing behind you!]


    ¡­


    [Hint: I empathize with your plight. I know you need help!]


    ¡­


    [Note: We are not a species that simply submits. Show your courage!]


    ¡­


    [Note: Stay strong! We have not lost, and even if we die, we will stand!]


    ¡­


    [Note: Survive, and witness the great victory that humanity will achieve!]


    ¡­


    [Note: Don¡¯t give up!]


    ¡­


    [Note: Support has arrived! Smash them hard! Show them who they¡¯re up against!]


    ¡­


    [Note: Humanity will prevail! The fallen salute you!]


    ¡­


    [Sorry, this message cannot be delivered¡­]


    [Sorry, this message cannot be delivered¡­]


    [Sorry, this message cannot be delivered¡­]


    ¡­


    More and more ¡°gifts¡± appeared in the trading market¡ªhundreds of thousands, millions, tens of millions. More and more people ¡°returned¡± to the battlefield in another way. S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    This was not just a single force; it was a torrent, a flood that supplied the vital organs of civilization with lifeblood! Amid this torrent, despair was shared, and hope sprouted anew¡­ The battle suddenly seemed more manageable. With the abundance of gifts, even against lord-level mutants, they could now stand their ground.


    But the cost was that behind every gift was a sacrifice. Yet humanity would convey its spirit, pass on hope, and sustain civilization through these sacrifices! The war continued, long and unyielding, with no end in sight to this relentless struggle. But after receiving each gift, they felt as if an indomitable soul stood beside them. Those souls roared with defiance; they hadn¡¯t surrendered¡ªthey were fighting alongside them!


    If darkness could not be eradicated, then sacrifice and resistance would expand the boundaries of hope!


    At this moment, no one was fighting alone.


    This battle would see no compromise!


    Everyone stood tall again in the midst of darkness and despair, their spines straightened, knees unbent. Supporting them was the name of this fragile but resilient species: ¡°Humanity.¡±


    Tonight, they fought for humanity!

 Chapter 131: The Great Battle

    ¡°Reinforcements! Reinforcements have arrived!¡±Amidst the ruins of High Court, Li Chou, eyes bloodshot, shouted loudly.


    As his voice faded, dozens of figures materialized around him, accompanied by a flood of powerful equipment and various supplies¡­


    As soon as these servants appeared, they directed their enraged gazes towards the masses of mutants surging in from the periphery. Their chests were filled with fury!


    These were the beings that had killed their lord! But they didn¡¯t act recklessly; instead, they followed Li Chou¡¯s orders, solely focused on victory!


    At that moment, a blood-soaked red banner was handed to Sanna. She stared at the familiar sun emblem on the flag, her gaze momentarily stunned.


    She could feel the ¡°anger¡± within the banner, sensing the unyielding spirits within it!


    Sanna, with hands covered in small cuts and blood, gripped the flag tightly.


    The next moment, with a sharp clang, she drove the flagpole into the ground, planting it firmly into the earth.


    Bright, gentle, and protective light burst forth from the banner, forming a shimmering barrier. But that was not all the ¡°Holy Triumpant Banner¡± could do! Its true power lay in its oath of blessing!


    ¡°In the name of Sanna Helaca, I forge an oath with the ¡®Light¡¯¡­¡±


    Despite her extreme fatigue, Sanna clung to the flagpole, summoning its true power with her will. ¡°¡­to bring victory to Colin¡­¡±


    But before she could finish her words, a heavy force suddenly crashed upon her.


    Blood trickled from her facial features, her chest felt crushed, and she spat out dark red blood.


    Her breathing weakened, and she felt increasingly drained. Her dirt-streaked face turned visibly pale¡­


    Yet she paid no heed to her injuries. She turned to glance at the now dimming light on the gray stone throne, her blue eyes reflecting the blood on the steps and throne. S~?a??h the N0v?lFire(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    There was no sign of life left there¡­


    ¡°Lord Colin, what are you going through?¡±


    Just as Sanna¡¯s thoughts began to form, an ominous, writhing, and terrifying ¡°aura of night¡± surged into the area, interrupting her shock.


    It was a thread of darkness, no larger than a strand of hair, seemingly insignificant yet impossible to ignore, even at such a distance.


    Though invisible to the eye, its sheer terror made it manifest in the minds of those present.


    This was the aura of ¡°Night,¡± seeping through the gray mist to this place, as Colin ventured into the ¡°Nightmare of Darkness,¡± and the entity found this place, channeling its power here.


    At this moment, the ¡°strand of black hair¡± writhed and expanded, forming a ¡°black hole¡± barely larger than half a fingernail by sight.


    But in perception, it was infinitely vast, devouring all light and obscuring the entire world before them.


    The next second¡­


    A dreadful aura engulfed the entire underground area.


    One after another, terrifying beings were expelled from the ¡°black hole.¡±


    Each figure was suffocatingly fearsome.


    These were¡­


    Lord-level mutants!


    Leaning on the blood-red battle flag, Sanna faced the overwhelming enemies with clenched teeth.


    She would not retreat!


    Bathed in the light, no one at her side felt fear, even though they had exhausted their explosives!


    Even if faced with lord-level mutants¡­


    Even if they were about to confront endless terror with their own bodies, they did not waver, not even showing much fear.


    Sanna stood resolute at the front, gazing at the endless sea of enemies with unwavering determination.


    Holding the battle flag firmly, she was prepared to fight for Colin¡¯s survival, even if only for one more second¡­


    Just then, an unexpected voice suddenly rang out.


    ¡°Friends, leave this to us.¡±


    The voice echoed in everyone¡¯s minds.


    As they stared in astonishment, the ground shook from the distant white fog. A horde of ¡°living olive trees,¡± large and small, charged forward, emerging from the ¡°Land of Withered Olives¡± as reinforcements!


    Behind them, within the thick fog, a colossal olive tree as towering as a mountain began to emerge, each step shaking the earth.


    This was a giant olive tree transformed by ¡°Miracle¡±¡ªKimino!


    Now, the ¡°Miracle¡± embodied as a tree, stared at the infinite darkness, releasing masses of black, thorny vines gleaming with metallic light.


    The thorns wrapped around the writhing darkness, binding it tightly in the sky.


    The transmission was interrupted.


    Many lord-level mutants that had been mid-transferred into the dark corridor were frozen behind the darkness, unable to descend or return.


    And with that, he too fell silent.


    Both sides were locked in a stalemate.


    Despite the large-scale teleportation being halted, the ground forces were still unbalanced¡­


    At that moment, a petite figure emerged from the shadows beside Kimino, letting out a piercing, crazed howl without hesitation.


    Clatter, clatter¡­


    The sound of bones clashing echoed from the shadows.


    In the next moment, a gigantic beast, now reduced to nothing but bone, crawled out of the shadows, antlers still adorning its head.


    The figure seemed to speak to it briefly, and it immediately charged at the fearsome lord-level mutants.


    The sound of women¡¯s mournful weeping echoed through the mountains as the torrent of living olive trees collided with the tidal wave of aberrants, a clash of red and black.


    But it was not enough¡­


    ¡°The Lord has prepared a seat for every loyal and brave soul!¡±


    In High Court, amidst a sudden blaze of light, Number One held up a lantern high, its glow piercing through the smoke and illuminating every steadfast face.


    ¡°Now is the time to shed the blood of the heretics!¡±


    ¡°For the glory of the Lord!¡±


    With a deafening roar, the human army, formed of countless ¡°gifts,¡± tens of thousands strong, charged onto the battlefield with swords, axes, hammers, and mysterious relics, joining this frenzied battle!


    Thus, in the vast, epic, and destined-to-be bloody battle of the long struggle between humanity and the ¡°Night,¡± the war erupted in front of High Court!


    Humans, living olive trees, mutants, and various dark, corrupted life forms mixed into a colossal, life-consuming grinder. As the grinder turned, countless lives were torn apart, and blood soaked the earth, seeping deep into its cracks. Amid the frenzied chaos, the entire battlefield descended into unparalleled madness¡­


    At this moment, every side continued to pour their forces into the blood-soaked grinder.


    Though this battle may not decide the ultimate fate of the war, if these forces were to break through the line and raise their blades against the man on the gray stone throne, humanity would lose all hope.


    Meanwhile, having recovered, Sanna took a deep breath, staring at the massive grinder less than a thousand meters away. She painfully lifted her scarred body and hoisted the ¡°Holy Triumphant Banner¡± high, once again declaring:


    ¡°In the name of Sanna Helaca, I forge an oath with the ¡®Light,¡¯ to bring victory to this battlefield!¡±


    She spun the banner in her hands, unfurling it before plunging it back into the ground with all her might.


    A grand, pure aura emanated from the banner.


    Her pale gold hair, usually tied in a bun, now unraveled, flowing wildly as it turned white strand by strand.


    The next moment, the bloodstains on the battle flag flaked off like rust, revealing a sacred light, like a newborn sun rising, bathing the battlefield in healing radiance and bestowing a holy blessing upon every warrior.


    The blessing, paid for by Sannaa¡¯s life force, was palpable.


    Every human on their side gained strength, wounds healed rapidly, and movements became swifter¡­


    Yet both sides knew that the true turning point of this battle wasn¡¯t here¡­


    It lay in another place that seemed devoid of hope.


    The ¡°Nightmare of Darkness¡±¡­

 Chapter 132: Who Is Fanning The Flames?

    In the dream-like realm of creeping darkness, where silence reigned and shadows squirmed, a faint breath suddenly broke through the stillness. In this deathly quiet, the sound of breathing was deafening, and in the darkness, a figure stood trembling. It was Colin.The moment he entered ¡°Nightmare of Darkness,¡± he was struck by a near-fatal, high-dimensional assault that suppressed even the light within him. Yet perhaps due to some stroke of ¡°luck,¡± all his defensive measures failed instantly, but he did not die; he survived by sheer chance.


    Colin continually tried to ignite the light within him, as if tightening his body to resist the bone-chilling cold outside, drawing strength to counter the oppressive darkness. Fortunately, the devastating initial blow did not repeat, either due to timing or some unseen restriction. Struggling against the pressure, Colin¡¯s mind slowly regained its clarity. He had no sense of time; it felt both like an instant and an eternity.


    Clearly, Colin was in dire straits. The immense pressure bent his body, preventing him from standing upright, and his head seemed forcibly pinned, unable to lift. Every so often, popping sounds echoed¡ªhis blood vessels rupturing under pressure. Blood spurted from various parts of his body, some staining his clothes, others vanishing into the dark surroundings.


    The pressure intensified; his bones began to crack under the force, bending his back even more. The rapid blood loss sapped his strength, and the dark, squirming tendrils seemed to whisper strange words, telling him that if he would just kneel and chant the name of some higher being, seeking forgiveness, he would be spared.


    To hell with forgiveness!


    A recovery card was consumed, temporarily restoring Colin¡¯s body, allowing him to straighten slightly before the suppression resumed. He kept consuming his recovery cards¡ªone after another¡ªto fight back the crushing force, each one giving him just a bit more time to stand taller and lift his head.


    But as he spent his last recovery card, only his head remained still. Just one more lift would unleash explosive power and sever the connection between darkness and reality. Yet, at that critical moment, Colin felt a sharp presence behind him¡ªan even deeper darkness descending from above.


    Within that darkness lurked an unimaginably vast will, causing a paralyzing dread. The terrifying entity had found a way to exert more influence over this world, sending tendrils of its power creeping in. Slimy, shapeless appendages wrapped around Colin¡¯s body, tightening around his neck. He felt the cold, slick movement against his skin, his limbs bound as if trapped in a quagmire. The suffocating sensation soon turned to pain; his body squeezed, blood sprayed, bones shattered, and his form twisted grotesquely as if crushed by a giant hand.


    Colin¡¯s spirit was fraught with despair, bitterness, and helplessness. He sensed that soon he would become nothing more than dust within this dark place¡ªa mere nutrient for the land. Yet suddenly, the surrounding space-time slightly warped, disrupting the flow of this nightmare.


    In his mind, a mocking laughter echoed, followed by an influx of unfamiliar information as unseen restraints began to crack. A voice, or something beyond voice, forced its way into his consciousness:


    ¡°You are too weak. Give up now. A little extra wisdom won¡¯t save you or them; it will only cause more suffering for those weak and innocent lives.¡±


    ¡°Your abilities are insignificant. You aren¡¯t even worthy of looking upon us, let alone leading those weaker than yourself.¡±


    ¡°To us, you are no different from rats and dust.¡±


    ¡°For you, this world is too bleak. Leave, walk away, and no one will care. They don¡¯t care about a rat that flees in disgrace.¡±


    ¡°If you show the right attitude, you can be saved and earn the right to survive¡­¡±


    ¡°As for the things smaller than dust, we have no interest either, but they will eventually die from this accidental contact with us, returning to their dust-like essence, just like the bugs they casually crush underfoot¡­¡±


    ¡°For those bugs, death is the true mercy and homecoming¡­¡±


    ¡°You lack the ability to bring your envisioned future to this time and place. This is not your stage, and it has no room for you.¡±


    ¡°Leave. Do not concern yourself with those small, weak lives doomed to die in darkness. Selfishness is the nature of all things¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s spirit felt like it was being torn into dozens of pieces, each fragment absorbing the dreadful whispers from unknown origins. They weren¡¯t ordinary ¡°sounds,¡± but another kind of forcibly comprehended information, tearing and shattering his already fragile soul and mind.


    But inexplicably, hearing this mockery, a searing rage erupted from within Colin, burning through every fragment of his soul. The fire merged the pieces back together, reforging his identity in pure anger, stripping away all impurities. The shackles on his soul burned away!


    ¡°Not everyone will die in the darkness!¡±


    Colin opened his eyes again. Darkness still filled his sight, but he struggled fiercely, trying to break free from the soft bindings. Blood sprayed from his skin, muscles tugged against broken bones¡ªsome pierced through his flesh, others into his organs. His body contorted painfully, standing yet sinking lower, each motion bringing unbearable pain. But Colin had no energy to spare on the agony.


    The insidious whispers returned.


    ¡°Everyone is dead; only darkness remains outside. Your struggle is meaningless. Admit it, humanity has failed.¡±


    Deny.


    ¡°You fight desperately, yet selfish individuals waste resources. You may have saved those you despise the most. Don¡¯t you think giving up now would be the best choice?¡±


    Deny. S?a?ch* Th? ?0velF?re.n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°The things you try to save are filled with ignorance, selfishness, and greed, lacking any redeemable value. Your actions are pointless¡­¡±


    ¡°Seeing only humanity¡¯s flaws is your problem, not mine! I will always believe that human nature has a light bright enough to pierce the darkness!¡±


    In the struggle, a simple yellow metal coin slipped from Colin¡¯s hand.


    Betting it all! I request¡­


    ¡°All or nothing!¡±

 Chapter 133: Win Until Everything Ends

    The yellow coin snatched from Russell emitted a faint glow mid-air, forming cracks before disintegrating into dust¡­ At that very moment, a strange disturbance from destiny rippled through the darkness, making Colin feel an abrupt lightness, as if all his bindings had loosened.Simultaneously, an overwhelming, torrential will surged into Colin¡¯s mind from an unknown source. It was a spiritual force formed from the intense dying wishes of countless deceased survivors¡ªContinuation!


    Relentless continuation by any means necessary!


    The ¡°Destiny Coin¡± connected these fierce wills to Colin¡¯s brain through unknown channels, propping up his spine. In that instant, Colin was momentarily dazed, as if he saw one flickering light after another struggling to stay lit in the darkness!


    Behind him lay countless lights of the world¡­ He couldn¡¯t die! At least, not now!


    The flood-like will revived in Colin¡¯s mind, supporting his depleted spirit and soul, and granting his body a tangible power!


    Willpower is strength!


    In the darkness filled with fear and despair, Colin slowly began to stand up. However, the peculiar phenomenon of frozen space-time was erased by the darkness, and the hopeless gloom surged back, engulfing Colin in an instant.


    But!


    Colin had already raised his head, staring at the sky. His chapped lips trembled, and he spoke hoarsely.


    ¡°Let¡­ there¡­ be¡­ light!¡±


    In an instant, pure white light burst forth from Colin, shattering all the chains binding him. The intense, blinding light that repelled everything pierced the darkness, expanding like a newborn star rising amidst the gloom. The entire ¡°dreamscape¡± shook violently, as writhing darkness dissolved in the blinding light.


    The ¡°light¡± was so extreme, it tolerated no impurity under its illumination, allowing no secrets to exist. Even the darkness infused with a certain ¡°great will¡± halted before Colin.


    Within the radiant glow, the amorphous, writhing darkness became blurred, then transparent, and finally dissipated¡­ At that moment, the true form of this ¡°dreamscape¡± was revealed, and from the corner of his eye, Colin saw that he still stood before the throne, in a place bathed in light. Yet, he was alone.


    For this was still the ¡°dream.¡± Above the dream, pure darkness continued to writhe¡­


    Under Colin¡¯s gaze, an invisible connection emerged in the light-filled air. Invisible threads extended from the boundless darkness above, linking to a distant figure on the ground and spreading its ¡°miracle¡± across the world through unknown means. As the light touched them, the threads disintegrated and evaporated.


    In that moment, the link between the ¡°Night¡± and this place was severed! The darkness above began to blur, as though being pushed out of this world by a special and magnificent force, finally vanishing completely¡­


    But it wasn¡¯t over yet. The intense light spread along the dreamscape, piercing through its layers and shining into reality. Just as the ¡°Night¡± had done, Colin reflected the dream onto reality, bringing light into every life affected by the ¡°Night,¡± erupting from the deepest recesses of their subconscious to guide them out of this nightmare.


    Finally.


    Just before the arrival of the seventh dawn, a burst of white light exploded from the deepest parts of everyone¡¯s minds, and the darkness that had shrouded the world began to fade.


    In that moment, the survivors who had endured more than ten hours of darkness and despair finally saw ¡°hope¡± again. A tangible, unshakable hope!


    The infinite light that connected all life within the ¡°dream¡± burst forth, bestowing an unprecedented, world-encompassing ¡°blessing¡± upon all living beings. ¡°Let there be light!¡± The faint voice echoed in everyone¡¯s minds.


    Amidst the gray fog, every human body suddenly grew taller by several inches, and pure light emanated from their skin. The sudden ¡°transformation¡± left everyone stunned. But in the next moment, a message composed of white light appeared in their minds, and expressions of extreme joy spread across their faces.


    [Divine Light Revelation]


    [For the next hour, the blessed will receive the following effects¡­]


    [¡°Tenfold All-Attribute Enhancement¡±]


    [¡°Immunity to All Mental Attacks¡±]


    [¡°Immunity to All Negative Effects¡±]


    [¡°Immunity to Madness¡±]


    [¡°Guardian of Light¡±]


    [¡°Keen Insight¡±]


    [¡°Super Intuition¡±]


    [¡­]


    Pain was nullified. Despair was driven away.


    Not only that, but more good news followed: the countless abominations also began to glow, but with entirely opposite effects. Their numbers dwindled! They were no longer unkillable! Their attributes were weakened by at least half!


    ¡°Kill them! Avenge our comrades!¡±


    ¡°Slaughter these monsters!¡±


    ¡°Soon, I¡¯ll wipe out all the mutants!¡±


    One burst of radiant light after another erupted within the mist, accompanied by deafening battle cries. In this moment, humanity¡¯s full-scale counterattack against the evil creatures was unyielding!


    Quickly, survivors on one ¡°island¡± after another stabilized their current battle conditions and began hunting down the lord-level abominations! Despite the powerful blessing, the lord-level abominations¡¯ formidable attributes and skills remained daunting.


    But they had no choice but to face them, to hunt them like moths drawn to flames! One hour! They had only one hour!


    In this hour, if they failed to achieve significant victories, they would once again face insurmountable terror and despair afterward. For better survival, everyone had to confront these horrific creatures with even greater resolve.


    Amid this moment of humanity¡¯s full-scale counterattack, in the dreamscape, the light-forged figure standing before the throne wavered and collapsed to the ground. Colin¡¯s body was riddled with cracks; beneath the porcelain fractures were deep red flesh and blood that gushed out, turning him into a figure soaked in blood.


    But he couldn¡¯t care about that. Grasping his head, Colin writhed on the ground, his face contorted with pain¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s those eyes¡­¡±


    Colin gritted his teeth, recognizing the problem. The night had receded, but another presence wasn¡¯t ready to let him go easily¡­


    Colin felt his brain being twisted and churned as if someone was gripping it tightly, his nerves malfunctioning, and his muscles spasming uncontrollably. Swollen lumps appeared on his scalp, writhing like cancerous growths, bringing unimaginable pain¡­


    Just then, a finger pierced his temple. Colin clenched his teeth, and light surged along his finger into his brain, igniting it. The lumps quivered and lost their vitality, deflating¡­


    Soon, foul black water, mixed with the stench of blood, oozed from his temple, dripping onto the ground. Colin twisted his finger inside, manually ¡°disinfecting¡± his brain to expel the black water.


    As the searing, twisted pain quickly faded, the contortion on his face eased, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel a hint of relief.


    I¡¯m so high right now¡­


    Shifting his focus, Colin propped himself up with one hand on the ground, while the other continued purging his brain, gasping for breath. Finally, as the last of the black water drained, he pulled his finger from his brain with a pop¡­


    The wound, with a hole revealing fresh brain matter, sprouted tendrils of flesh, wriggling to heal. Intense exhaustion and emptiness surged from within¡­


    But¡­ S?a?ch* Th? N?v?lFir?(.)n?t website on G??gl? to access chapters of n?vels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Now¡­ now is not the time to rest¡­¡±


    Struggling to rise from the blood pool, Colin was still unclear about what had happened outside, but he vaguely knew that several abominations remained on the island. He had to eliminate them before his strength waned.


    As he rose, more fractures appeared on his body, causing Colin to cough up blood¡­ Staring at the blood mixed with black water, he squinted, recalling the murmurs. There was critical information within.


    At the very least, Colin realized that the ¡°Night¡± wasn¡¯t targeting humans but something else. However, the specifics remained unknown. Unraveling the purpose of these entities wouldn¡¯t be easy, as it might lead to a hopeless trap.


    Colin didn¡¯t dwell on the information gained from the ¡°murmurs¡± because he sensed that doing so could create another dangerous link with the enemy. Without sufficient strength, all such information had to be sealed, or Colin risked falling into despair again.


    In addition, during this ¡°dream,¡± Colin finally gained some understanding of the system¡¯s current state. A grim understanding.


    It was certain that the ¡°hints¡± had little to do with the system. However, too many hidden forces were involved in this event, and Colin had no extra time to sort it all out. Shaking his head and organizing his thoughts, Colin exhaled deeply, stood slowly, and reaffirmed his resolve.


    ¡°I will win, keep winning, and win until everything ends.¡±


    Then, his figure blurred, departing the ¡°dreamscape¡± and returning to reality.

 Chapter 134: Return

    In reality, Colin¡¯s body remained in the same sleeping posture, with his elbow propped against his cheek, seated on the gray throne. His body, however, was covered in terrifying, web-like scars. These scars resembled cracked earth, with the edges of each fissured piece of skin curling up, exposing raw flesh and blood vessels beneath.As Colin¡¯s consciousness gradually returned from the ¡°dream,¡± his fingers, resting on the gray stone throne, clenched, and he felt a sharp, tearing pain.


    It hurts¡­


    Colin¡¯s eyes remained tightly shut as his body trembled. He immediately began to repair his body. Threads of ¡°light¡± pulled his wounds together and stitched them shut. In less than three seconds, all the cracked, upturned wounds were healed, leaving only white marks, similar to stretch marks, where they had closed.


    About a minute later, once Colin felt his body could bear the strain of his powers, he opened his eyes. In his gaze, a brilliant light like a burning star was forming, radiating an unbearable brightness.


    ¡°What is that¡­¡±


    Upon opening his eyes, Colin immediately saw the massive olive tree, towering like a mountain. He quickly recognized the familiar aura emanating from it.


    ¡°Kimino?¡±


    Colin quickly realized that the enormous olive tree had lost all its vitality. Compared to its half-dead appearance in the ¡°Withered Olive Land,¡± it now seemed completely lifeless. Judging by the battle marks, it must have been on their side.


    ¡°But why is it here? No, this is¡­ this is¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s mind raced, his eyes glowing as if piercing through the white fog. He saw the ¡°Withered olive Land¡± and the cave¡­ ¡°Kimino¡± is still standing guard over the woman dear to his heart. S~ea??h the NovelFire .net website on G00gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    So what is this in front of me?


    ¡¾This is still an embodiment of the ¡°Miracle¡±¡­¡¿


    Colin frowned. Did this mean that Kimino possessed two parts of the ¡°Miracle¡±? One forever accompanied Engracia, while the other had come to the battlefield.


    Before Colin could think further, he noticed a female figure kneeling at the temple¡¯s entrance, holding a flag that continuously emitted light. The figure knelt on one knee, completely still, and her breath was nearly gone.


    Colin¡¯s heart clenched. Without regard for his still-healing body, he stood up and took a step toward the figure. In the next second, he appeared beside the woman, her golden hair streaked with white.


    ¡°Sannaa¡­¡±


    Colin placed a hand on her shoulder, his breath slightly uneven, but he felt a wave of relief. She was still alive. However, the situation was dire. Her body was nearly drained, kept alive only by a force holding her from death. That force was the blessing Colin had bestowed in the dream. The effects of increased attributes, immunity to negative emotions, and more were still at work. After all, she too had been influenced by the dream.


    At that moment, Sanna¡¯s body stiffened, realizing someone was near. She tried to lift her head. She still held onto the last of her strength, prepared to unleash it as soon as the enemy reached her, leaving no room for retreat.


    However, before she could use that strength, Colin pressed her shoulder gently.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move, rest for a while. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    The last bit of strength Shana had was the key to her survival. If she used it¡ªeven to speak¡ªit could lead to an irreversible collapse, like a final flicker before death. So, before she could respond, Colin raised his hand. Bright chains of light coalesced from the air and wrapped around her repeatedly, forming a cocoon of light around her.


    After ensuring Sanna¡¯s life was no longer in danger, Colin finally let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Boss¡­¡±


    A weak voice came from outside the door. Colin turned and saw Li Chou, covered in blood, leaning against the doorway. Both his legs were gone from the knees down, as if they had been sliced off by something sharp and flat. However, the wounds had been hastily bandaged, stopping further blood loss.


    Not far from him lay Russell, apparently gravely injured and unconscious. Of the four men and one woman they had rescued from the dungeon, only one man and one woman were present. The whereabouts of the other two were unknown¡ªperhaps they would never be seen again.


    ¡°I was ambushed, but luckily, I¡¯m still alive¡­¡±


    Perhaps due to the rush of adrenaline, Li Chou felt little pain despite the empty space below his waist. Everything was still within the realm of bearable.


    Colin said softly, ¡°I¡¯ve used up my recovery cards, but once I get more in the future, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯re restored to your original state¡­¡±


    ¡°Thank you, boss,¡± Li Chou grinned weakly.


    It was at that moment that Colin noticed something behind Li Chou. Beyond the doorway lay what looked like another world¡ªone stained red with blood. No matter how far he looked, the ground was covered in corpses, and blood had soaked the earth inch by inch.


    The nauseating stench of blood filled the mountains along the path Colin had traveled. Everywhere he looked, there was only unsettling crimson. The temple¡¯s doorway seemed to divide two worlds: one inside, one outside, with the enemies kept at bay beyond the threshold.


    It was clear they had paid a heavy price to achieve this.


    But¡­ beyond that, Colin also saw in the mountains a large number of enslaved people, blessed by the ¡°Divine Light Revelation,¡± cleaning up the aftermath.


    ¡°How are there so many servants? Many of them are¡­ unclaimed?¡±


    Colin was momentarily stunned, unsure of what had changed in the world during his time in the ¡°Nightmare.¡± His sense of time felt distorted, even now not fully recovered.


    However, as he looked over at the scene, familiar information appeared in his mind:


    ¡¾You realize that, in the final hours of this prolonged war, those in despair, under certain psychological influences, spontaneously engaged in a ¡°gift-giving¡±¡­¡¿


    ¡¾Supplies flowed like kindling, and the dying used their lives to sustain the living, lighting a flame for others¡­¡¿


    ¡¾Through countless sacrifices, human civilization survived this event, and the night passed¡­¡¿


    Colin quickly understood what these words meant and why, in the dream, he had faintly sensed a large gathering of humans. He opened his mouth, unsure how to express himself, feeling only a deep heaviness in his heart.


    At that moment, Li Chou seemed to want to say something, but Colin stopped him.


    ¡°I already know what happened. Leave the rest to me.¡±


    He slowly stood up. His wounds occasionally split open as he moved, but they didn¡¯t hinder his actions. There were more pressing matters to attend to.


    The ordinary mutants no longer posed much of a threat, but the remaining active lord-level mutants were still dangerous.


    ¡¾You realize you now possess the power to eliminate all the mutants on the island.¡¿


    ¡¾However, this power is not permanent. After bestowing the ¡°Divine Light Revelation¡± blessing on everyone, you have paid a heavy price¡­¡¿


    ¡¾If you don¡¯t repair your body within the next seventeen minutes, you will enter a state of ¡°exhaustion¡± that is unimaginable and excruciating for most.¡¿


    ¡°Exhaustion¡±¡­


    Colin¡¯s gaze shifted to the thousands of figures still fighting in the blood-soaked mountains, and he silently asked himself, ¡°After I enter this state, will I¡­ die?¡±

 Chapter 135: Gift and Cost

    ¡¾You realize, this may not lead to death, but it will be unbearably painful¡­¡¿¡°What¡¯s the point of saying that if I won¡¯t die? Anyway, it¡¯s a temporary ¡®cheat,¡¯ might as well use it while I can¡­¡±


    Colin, having developed considerable trust in the ¡°hints,¡± had no more hesitation. He slowly extended his hand, gathering an exceptionally pure ball of light in his palm. Before long, he gently lifted the glowing orb upwards.


    As it ascended, the golf-ball-sized sphere of light began to absorb the surrounding rays, becoming more concentrated. After about ten seconds, it reached the topmost part of this underground world.


    Avaroklair¡­ (??)1°¢ÆÅ¿ËÁÒ I honestly don¡¯t know what it is, I didn¡¯t find the author¡¯s note sea??h the novel(F~)ire.net website on G00gle to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Colin stared at the tiny speck of light, now compressed to the size of a grain of rice, high in the sky. As soon as his thoughts settled, the next moment, nearly everyone felt the sky darken, followed by an explosion of brilliance, akin to the rising of the sun.


    Starting from the temple at Colin¡¯s feet, the light spread out like a fan, rapidly illuminating the surroundings. Wherever it touched became as bright as daylight, with no shadows in sight.


    In no time, the entire underground world seemed to be bathed in light. Wherever the light reached, Colin could sense everything.


    At the same time, on the blood-soaked battlefield in the mountains, almost everyone felt the presence of the light. Some looked up, their pupils shrinking into pinpoints as they gazed at the blinding ¡°sun¡± above, unsure of what was happening.


    But no matter, slaying the monsters was more important¡­


    Though uncertain of the details, many felt that their strikes with their axes had become more forceful! Some even sensed a growing fervor within them.


    Somewhere, a voice cried out, ¡°Praise the Sun!¡± Soon, the cry echoed through the forests¡ªloud, reverberating chants of ¡°Praise the Sun!¡±


    ¡°Maybe I overdid it a bit¡­¡± Colin muttered, rubbing his chin.


    Through a fuzzy ¡°perception,¡± he received an image in his mind¡ªa view from above. He ¡°saw¡± thousands upon thousands of people raising their axes high, chanting ¡°Praise the Sun¡± as they charged at the nearby aberrations. The white-glowing army of servants was slowly but surely pushing back the tide of blood.


    ¡°And those who are wounded¡­¡± Colin pointed his finger.


    Instantly, a metallic clanking sound rang out from the sky, and hundreds of chains shot from the radiant orb, descending to the ground and wrapping around the severely injured, keeping them in a state of suspended animation, preserving their lives.


    Most of these were servants gained through the ¡°gift,¡± their masters having died in the darkness, leaving them behind¡­


    If Colin had the ability, he would save as many as he could, not giving up on anyone lightly. He understood that without this ¡°gift,¡± he wouldn¡¯t even be alive.


    ¡°Urging me to surrender in the ¡®dream,¡¯ but stabbing me in reality? Ha, surrendering would have led to certain death¡­¡± Colin shook his head and stopped dwelling on it. Using the light permeating the underground, he started locating the remaining lord-level aberrations, aiming to settle the final threats on the island.


    Soon, he made some discoveries.


    ¡°This feels like a radar¡­ I found five large areas, each about several hundred square meters. One is underground, and four are outside. The signals from the ones outside are weaker, probably due to the distance, but they should all be lord-level aberrations.¡±


    With his targets identified, Colin didn¡¯t hesitate any longer. He took a small breath, stepped forward, and instantly transformed into a streak of light, vanishing from the spot¡­


    Meanwhile, deep in the mountains, a three-meter-tall pale stone statue was carrying an even larger stone slab on its back, relentlessly attacking the people around it.


    ¡°Mutant¡ªBlasphemous Statue.¡±


    This was a very unusual aberration, its body entirely sculpted from stone. Its face appeared to have been disfigured by some sharp weapon, with dark red blood oozing from the cracks, revealing writhing flesh inside. The human-carved parts of its body were rather lean, but on its back, it carried a thick, rectangular stone slab, covered with depictions of thorny vines.


    The white stone slab was far larger than its own body¡ªtwo meters wide, four meters long¡ªmaking it look like some kind of bizarre ¡°snail.¡±


    Even under the influence of the radiant light, its strength remained formidable. Every time it punched, the closest person would be mysteriously crushed into pulp. It seemed that as soon as it raised its hand, some special spatial distortion occurred, making its attacks unavoidable.


    Surrounding it were hundreds of servants who had come through the ¡°gift.¡± They encircled it, fearlessly launching attack after attack¡­ but with little success.


    Every blow directed at its body was deflected onto the massive stone slab on its back, making it impossible to break through its defenses!


    At that moment, the ¡°Blasphemous Statue¡± raised its fist once more, preparing to crush a servant wielding a crucial mystical item. If the servant were struck down, the battle might spiral out of control¡­ No one could afford for him to die.


    Seeing this, many held their breath.


    But just as it seemed all hope was lost, a servant missing an arm and wielding a wooden wheel gritted his teeth and charged forward, hoping to sacrifice himself to ensure stability on the battlefield.


    Yet, as he prepared for death, it did not come.


    A sudden burst of light froze the ¡°Blasphemous Statue¡± in place.


    What just happened?


    The servant glanced up, confused, and saw a glowing figure standing atop the slab on the back of the lord-level mutant. From the figure¡¯s right hand, dozens of chains of light extended, binding the aberration¡¯s limbs like reins, preventing it from attacking.


    ¡°My lord¡­¡±


    Tears welled in the eyes of the servant, who had narrowly escaped death. He immediately recognized Colin.


    The Lord had finally awakened!


    Many of the nearby servants, unbound by the ¡°gift,¡± were stunned by this display.


    ¡°How can there be such a vast difference between lords?¡± one servant murmured, astonished.


    ¡°Is this truly a lord?¡± another whispered in disbelief.


    In the battles they had fought, they had never seen a lord like Colin, descending like a god from the heavens¡­


    But the only response was a resounding ¡°Praise the Sun!¡± from the crowd.


    More joined in, chanting louder and louder¡ª¡±Praise the Sun!¡±


    The servant found himself swept up in it too, praising the sun without even knowing why.


    Colin quickly understood the cause. Overwhelmed by the proximity to him and the immense light¡¯s blessing, these ordinary people could hardly resist. He needed to get them away as soon as possible.


    He gave a small nod in response and glanced at the servant.


    The servant, who wanted to shout ¡°Praise the Lord¡± instead of ¡°Praise the Sun,¡± immediately got the message and hoarsely yelled, ¡°Retreat, everyone retreat! Leave this to the Lord!¡±


    It was only then that the crowd noticed the ¡°sun¡± hanging high above, illuminating the underground as if it were day. The mountains echoed with chants of ¡°Praise the Sun¡± and the sound of axes cutting through enemies.


    Following orders, the crowd quickly withdrew.


    1


    °¢ÆÅ¿ËÁÒ I honestly don¡¯t know what it is, I didn¡¯t find the author¡¯s note

 Chapter 136: Distinguishing Friend From Foe

    *Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack¡­*The Lord-level mutant in the form of a statue stiffly twisted its neck, slowly turning its head as if trying to attack Colin, who stood on its back. But¡­ The moment it saw Colin, a terrifying psychic shock erupted instantly, causing the stone head of the aberration to explode.


    ¡°Who told you to look at me?¡±


    Colin¡¯s gaze was cold. With his significantly enhanced attributes, his psychic abilities had also been greatly boosted, enough to deal substantial and ¡°unignorable¡± damage to these Lord-level aberrations.


    ¡¾You realize that most of the damage inflicted on it can be transferred to the stone slab beneath your feet. Perhaps leading it into deep water would be a good strategy¡­¡¿


    ¡¾However, given your current state, this method seems unnecessary¡­¡¿


    ¡¾Just crush it!¡¿


    ¡°Too violent. Is that really the best approach?¡±


    Though Colin said this, his body moved honestly as he lifted his foot and stomped down. Like a mountain crashing down, an overwhelming force pressed down on the mutant statue, embedding it deep into the ground.


    Dust flew, and the sound was like thunder.


    The figure beneath could not withstand such a heavy blow, crushed down with its own stone slab, pressing it further into the ground.


    The temporary ¡°gifted¡± army was left in deep shock by this sight.


    Without paying them any attention, Colin still sensed movement under the stone slab, like worms squirming.


    *Boom! Boom! Boom!*


    With another violent stomp, no cracks appeared on the stone slab, but blood continuously seeped out from underneath¡­


    ¡°The ¡®hint¡¯ suggested throwing it into deep water to reduce the stone slab¡¯s effectiveness with water pressure, then attacking the main body to deal real damage¡­ Well, tossing it into the sea at a depth of several thousand meters would probably crush it.¡± Colin lifted his foot again.


    Under this brutal and savage stomping, the Lord-level mutant known as the ¡°Blasphemous Statue¡± grew weaker and weaker, until finally, it was stomped to death.


    ¡°This turtle shell is really tough. Another rare treasure¡­¡± Glancing at the stone slab beneath his feet, Colin didn¡¯t immediately claim his spoils. Instead, he shifted his gaze towards Kimino not far away, and the large remnants of the ¡°Living Olive Trees¡±¡­


    Squinting his eyes, Colin resumed the thoughts that had been interrupted earlier. After a brief but quick analysis, he vaguely understood why Kimino had appeared. It could be seen as a ¡°gift,¡± a gift from the indigenous people of this world.


    Colin was certain that all the ¡°Living Olive Trees¡± on this battlefield were controlled by Kimino. It had nothing to do with the will of the trees themselves. They were inherently simple guardians, lacking the mind to offer help in such a dire situation. They must have been influenced.


    Given that all the ¡°Living Olive Trees¡± shared a similar emotion, it was easy to conclude¡­


    They were under Kimino¡¯s control.


    ¡°This means that Kimino still retained some rationality at that time. It seems he didn¡¯t want us to fail in our battle. But what benefit does helping us bring him?¡± Colin pondered.


    He wasn¡¯t being overly suspicious but knew that simple ¡°goodwill¡± wouldn¡¯t be enough for Kimino to maintain his sanity¡­ Sea?ch* The N?velFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Most people can be moved, but as a ¡°lord,¡± Colin could not, nor was he allowed to be easily swayed. He had to understand the reasons behind such events, or he risked falling into another trap that could lead to more deaths¡­


    It was already a miracle for Kimino to maintain rationality after becoming a mutant.


    In this world¡¯s past age of suffering, strong emotions and obsessions could bring about miracles. So what kind of belief had produced this miracle in Kimino?


    Simple goodwill?


    No, that wasn¡¯t enough.


    Colin understood that while ¡°goodwill¡± might be enough to trigger a miracle, it had nothing to do with someone like Kimino¡­


    Thinking in another direction, aside from the influence of ¡°Engracia,¡± there was someone else who could have affected Kimino¡­


    ¡¾Perhaps you can find out why they didn¡¯t want you to fail by looking into what the priest attempted to do in his later years¡­¡¿


    Indeed¡­ Colin had a sense of realization, continuing his thoughts.


    ¡°The priest was rejected by the entire Church of Suffering in his later years, but he was still followed and revered by the common people¡­¡±


    ¡°Looking at it simply, it was a struggle for power. But he hadn¡¯t read enough history to understand how important the ¡®gentry¡¯ or noble class was during that time. He didn¡¯t know how to form alliances. Ordinary people have no power and probably didn¡¯t even realize they were being exploited¡­¡±


    ¡°No one in any history book ever shouted, ¡®The heavens are dead, the Yellow Heaven shall rise,¡¯ or questioned whether nobles and emperors had divine bloodlines.¡±


    ¡°Ordinary people lack the awareness to revolt. They might even betray him in the end. Otherwise, it¡¯s hard to explain how he was fine one moment and suddenly surrounded and attacked¡­¡±


    ¡°But now, this isn¡¯t just about betrayal. What he wanted to do was likely more than just turning against his family. He probably also betrayed the entire upper class¡ªthe ¡®nobility,¡¯ ¡®church,¡¯ and ¡®royalty¡¯ ¡ª who appeared to get along on the surface but were secretly fighting viciously. Tch, these factions actually united against him¡­¡±


    Colin recalled the ¡°Fallen Nobles.¡± There were almost no ¡°Church of Suffering¡± symbols there, and those that existed had been destroyed in rage, showing how bad the relationship was.


    ¡°This also means the priest¡¯s actions made him an enemy of the old upper class. No one who followed him came from noble birth, but his reputation was too big to kill him, so they just exiled him¡­¡±


    ¡°Does this mean our existence somehow fulfills the priest¡¯s dying wish?¡±


    ¡°But what exactly is it?¡±


    Colin pondered but couldn¡¯t find a clear answer. However, one thing was certain.


    All those who tread the extreme path of ¡°suffering¡± to trigger miracles are destined to become enemies of Colin and humanity¡­


    From this perspective, the priest and his followers were in the same situation as Colin and his group.


    They were enemies of the church. They might not be friends, but the current situation suggested their goals aligned. That is, to oppose the Church of Suffering.


    Out of nowhere, a thought crossed Colin¡¯s mind as he looked at the massive olive tree remnants: ¡°Does he believe the Church of Suffering still survives and needs someone to overthrow it? Whatever¡­ That¡¯s not really important.¡±


    After roughly understanding why Kimino appeared, Colin didn¡¯t waste any more energy pondering it.


    At this moment, there were still four lord-level aberrations yet to be dealt with. After waiting for about a minute and stabilizing the conditions of the most critical patients, Colin reached out to the ¡°sun¡± in the sky. Grabbing the sun in his hand, his figure transformed into a streak of light and vanished from the scene.

 Chapter 137: Execution of the Witchs Head

    On Crow Mountain, shrouded in gray fog, small particles of light emerged from the air, coalescing into Colin¡¯s figure. The moment he appeared, the gray fog spread outward, forming a ¡°safe zone¡± about 30 meters in diameter.After stepping out, Colin glanced back. Behind him lay a ¡°basin¡± surrounded by mountains, covered in a strange, ominous pale fog. The gray fog and the pale fog seemed to coexist without interference.


    ¡°After passing through the underground tunnel beneath Crow Mountain, we reach this place¡ªthe so-called ¡®Underground Region¡¯¡­¡±


    Colin didn¡¯t dwell on it. Holding a lantern, he looked around at the 30-meter-wide ¡°safe zone.¡± A thought crossed his mind: ¡°This light creates a ¡®safe zone,¡¯ but the rare blood only covers a radius of 15 meters¡­ I can confirm that ¡®light¡¯ is the second thing besides tainted blood that repels the gray mist.¡±


    Even though Colin could walk through the gray mist without the lantern, he chose not to discard it.


    Compared to the unstable light surrounding him, the flame of the lantern was more reliable. Otherwise, a misstep could land him in the mist, leading to instant death. The stronger he became, the more he felt an awe of the gray fog.


    Yet, Colin still couldn¡¯t understand why the gray fog didn¡¯t affect the mutated native creatures but only the ¡°outsiders¡± like him.


    ¡°Things I can¡¯t comprehend¡­ I¡¯ll ignore for now.¡±


    Shaking his head, Colin stretched out his right hand toward the front, palm open.


    The small point of light flew back into the sky, dissolving the mist before it like sunlight dispels darkness. Seconds later, it soared thousands of meters into the sky, radiating a scorching brilliance like the sun. In that moment, the entire island lit up as though it were daytime, with no trace of mist.


    The gray fog vanished¡­


    As Colin took in this world, shrouded in deathly silence for who knows how long, his gaze sharpened.


    The area was eerily quiet. All the mutants had been affected by the Night¡¯s power and had launched attacks, leaving the surroundings unprecedentedly clean¡­


    At the edge of his vision, Colin spotted the vast, endless sea.


    After a brief sensing, he pinpointed the locations of a few mutants.


    ¡°Let¡¯s deal with the most troublesome one first.¡±


    Without hesitation, Colin made his decision and headed toward the largest foggy area.


    In the next moment, Colin¡¯s figure emerged from the shimmering light at Silvermoon Bay.


    The sea was calm, with barely any waves. Scanning the shore, his gaze quickly landed on an ancient sailboat stranded among the rocks near the coast.


    Just then, an abnormal wind suddenly blew from the direction of the shipwreck. Wherever the wind passed, seawater froze, and the ground was covered in frost. The cold wind rushed toward Colin, but as it neared the 10-meter radius around him, its effect ceased. However, everything beyond that radius seemed to plunge into a bitterly cold winter in an instant.


    At that moment, Colin¡¯s expression changed slightly as he felt a sharp pain shoot up from the soles of his feet. Simultaneously, small mounds of sand rose around him as if something was about to emerge from the ground. Colin soon saw them¡ªblack strands of hair wriggling and filled with a terrifying sense of resentment.


    They covered the ground within 10 meters of him¡­ densely packed.


    ¡°Hair?¡± Colin muttered in surprise, watching the strands crawl out from the sand and slither toward him.


    A malevolent resentment emanating from the hair seemed to warp and suppress the light around him.


    He could feel some strands piercing the soles of his feet, trying to burrow into his body. Sea??h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Remaining calm, Colin lifted his foot, tearing the hair out of his soles, and then stomped down.


    With a burst of light, everything was purified and vaporized.


    Without lingering, Colin strode toward the shipwreck, transforming into a beam of light and entering the dilapidated vessel. Guided by intuition and clues, he found himself in a special room entirely encased in black iron.


    Suspended from chains in the center of the room was a circular mirror, bound by ¡°Thorns of Suffering¡± in an X-shaped pattern. Inside the mirror was a decayed woman¡¯s head¡­


    The head was grotesquely rotted, with milky, clouded eyes, no nose, just two gaping holes, and decayed skin that exposed the teeth beneath¡­


    At that moment, half of it protruded from the mirror as if trying to escape, but it was firmly restrained.


    ¡°Mutant¡ªThe Witch¡¯s Head.¡±


    If not for the ¡°Twisted Soul,¡± Colin would never have imagined that this grotesque, nauseating creature was once the kind-hearted, beautiful witch he had seen in a dream.


    This solidified Colin¡¯s resolve to overthrow the ¡°Church of Suffering.¡±


    Even though the head hadn¡¯t fully escaped, its abnormally foul-smelling hair was slithering out of the mirror and creeping into the surroundings.


    Upon entering, Colin immediately felt a bone-chilling cold. In the rundown, decaying cabin, he saw black strands of hair squeezing through the gaps in the wooden boards and iron walls.


    Hair slithered from the ceiling, the floor, and in every direction, filling the tiny room, which groaned under the pressure.


    In the intense, twisted resentment filling the space, it seemed the room had become a different world.


    Colin gazed calmly at the scene before him and said, ¡°Let there be light.¡±


    At his words, a pure, extreme light, utterly repelling all else, burst forth in the room, causing everything to tremble.


    The filthy, corrupted hair evaporated in an instant¡­


    The Witch¡¯s Head froze, trying to retreat into the mirror to avoid Colin¡¯s attack. But a glowing hand reached into the mirror, grabbing hold of its head like a ball. With his left hand gripping the mirror¡¯s edge and his right hand pulling, Colin slowly dragged the head out of the mirror, despite immense resistance.


    Some strands of hair, tough as steel, coiled around his arm, causing his light to flicker and break off into tiny fragments.


    ¡°Among all the lord-level lords I¡¯ve fought, I declare you the strongest.¡±


    Colin mused internally, recognizing that the witch had been at least at Tier Three, if not stronger, in her previous life.


    Perhaps even Tier Four!


    After triggering a miracle and transforming into a mutated Lord after death, her strength had grown explosively. She was, by far, the strongest Lord Colin had encountered.


    With a fierce grip, Colin¡¯s fingers pierced the Witch¡¯s Head, sinking into her brain.


    As his fingers touched the rotting brain tissue, his eyes flashed, and he unleashed a ¡°mental spike,¡± causing the head to stiffen.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you home,¡± he said, and light surged through his hand into her brain.


    In an instant, the room fell silent.


    Moments later, the rotting head of the witch tumbled out of the mirror, hitting the floor and rolling a few times.

 Chapter 138: Knight of Suffering

    ¡°The first phase of ¡®The Homesick Witch¡¯ is done. Next, I need to find out if there¡¯s any way to obtain information on the ¡®Witch¡¯s Forest.¡¯ I¡¯m really interested in the rewards for those tasks¡­¡±Colin took a deep breath and bent down to pick up the witch¡¯s head. After placing it in his backpack, he glanced at another vague area illuminated by the surrounding light.


    In the next moment, his figure transformed into a streak of light again.


    Before long, outside the saltpeter mine, a streak of light flashed from afar.


    Colin¡¯s body materialized from the tip of his toes, from transparency to solidity, emerging from the void. He stepped onto the damp ground, his foot sinking into a sticky ¡°puddle¡± full of blood, fragments of organs, and other gruesome mixtures.


    At the same time, a faint warm breeze brushed against him, carrying the smells of charred flesh, rotting meat, and acrid smoke, all mingling unpleasantly.


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Colin didn¡¯t pay attention to what was beneath his feet or the foul odors. Instead, his gaze fell ahead, momentarily dazed by the sight¡­


    A four-meter-high ¡°wall¡± made of corpses¡ªa combination of flesh and blood¡ªstood like a dam around the entrance to the saltpeter mine.


    The silence here was deafening, with barely any sound beyond the occasional, irritating wails of mutants. It seemed the area had fallen, and no one had survived to receive the ¡°gifts¡± that were promised. Behind the ravaged defense line, made of battered war chariots, there was no sign of life¡­


    Colin¡¯s eyes shifted to the dismembered body of a lord-level mutant not far away. Nearby, faint fires continued to smolder, releasing black smoke, and among the wreckage, shattered lanterns and human remains scattered like watermelon fragments.


    It was clear that a desperate and costly battle had been fought to hold off these lord-level mutants, but the eerie quietness now made Colin feel uneasy.


    Holding a defensive position at the saltpeter mine meant abandoning the mobility of the war chariots, giving up the advantage of solid walls. The fight would have been much more difficult.


    He and the others had discussed this plan in that fateful conversation: if the territory was breached, they would use the war chariots to escape and survive. The saltpeter mine was always a secondary concern¡ªstaying here meant fighting under extreme disadvantages. S§×arch* The N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    But in order to maintain ammunition supplies, they had held out to the bitter end. Colin noticed several piles of mutated corpses bound together with the ¡°Thorns of Suffering¡± to prevent them from regenerating.


    This strategy had been effective.


    Still, seeing dozens¡ªif not hundreds¡ªof these corpse piles left Colin momentarily stunned. He couldn¡¯t begin to fathom the kind of battles they must have endured to achieve this.


    He took a deep breath and felt some relief, sensing a large group of people moving quickly nearby, fighting off the mutants that followed them. His intuition triggered involuntarily, providing him with some clarity.


    [From the traces, you realize that after the lord-level mutants intervened in the battle, a portion of the defenders chose to retreat underground, using the war chariots to block the entrance¡­]


    [Another group chose to drive undamaged chariots, abandoning the defensive position to escape¡­]


    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­¡±


    Colin exhaled, seeing a sealed mine entrance blocked by war chariots and clear signs of movement away from the battlefield. This meant many had survived. As long as they were alive, that was all that mattered. He didn¡¯t care how they survived¡ªhe only wanted to see more of them make it through.


    ¡°Escape must¡¯ve happened after the gifts were given. Many of them are probably still alive and might even return here soon¡­¡±


    Colin silently offered his best wishes.


    ¡°There are lord-level mutants here, but where?¡± He scanned the area, and suddenly, from a pile of corpses, a mutated knight wielding a longsword and wearing a pointed hat began to crawl out.


    ¡°Mutant¡ªCitizen of Suffering¡ªKnight of Suffering.¡±


    [You realize its life force is incredibly unique, as though it¡¯s been blessed, making it extremely difficult to kill for good.]


    ¡°The Blessing of the Seventh Miracle, ¡®The Pain Bearer¡¯¡­¡± Colin narrowed his eyes, recalling the faint sense of this ¡°Great Miracle¡± from his dreams¡­


    He could feel its presence within the knight, recognizing it as a true ¡°immortal.¡±


    The message continued:


    [When they¡¯re reduced to a single entity, they will fuse into a lord-level mutant, but after a certain time, they will split again¡­]


    [Perhaps severing their unknown connection and using more violent methods to destroy them at their final stage of fusion could result in their permanent death.]


    ¡°More violent methods¡­¡±


    Colin murmured as he observed the knight. Unlike ordinary resurrecting mutants, this one was truly immortal, and there seemed to be many more of its kind. Russell¡¯s generation had already encountered similar ¡°expeditionary forces,¡± but Colin hadn¡¯t expected to run into one so close.


    Just then, the pointed-hat knight turned its bloodshot, ferocious eyes toward Colin the moment it crawled out. But before it could strike, chains of light shot from the void, piercing its brain and killing it instantly. Colin didn¡¯t hesitate, methodically eliminating other pointed-hat knights trapped by war chariots or buried under corpse piles.


    Suddenly, a powerful surge of energy erupted as a war chariot buried beneath a heap of corpses was violently thrown aside. Blood and dismembered limbs flew through the air, and in the next second, a figure launched itself toward Colin with a loud sonic boom. But just as it leaped into the air, aiming to slash at him, the broken sword in its hand came within three meters of Colin¡¯s forehead.


    Everything froze.


    Somehow, dozens of glowing chains had emerged from the light, binding the creature, and rendering it completely motionless. Its wrists, joints, knees, neck, and even its pointed hat were all tightly bound, making it resemble a statue. Thanks to Li Chou, Colin had learned a bit about the ¡°art¡± of binding.


    ¡°You lord-level mutants are terrifying. A moment of carelessness, and you cause unthinkable disaster.¡± Colin gazed calmly at the immobilized creature as he took two steps forward, now standing right in front of it.


    The chains trembled slightly as the creature struggled, growling in a low, disturbing tone.


    Colin¡¯s eyes shifted toward its bloodied, flesh-covered longsword.


    In an instant, another chain of light shot forth from the void, piercing through the creature¡¯s mouth and silencing its growls. Ignoring its murderous glare, Colin lifted one foot, swinging it slowly toward the creature¡¯s side in a horizontal kick.


    The speed wasn¡¯t fast, but the large motion caused Colin¡¯s body to become covered in tiny cracks, as though he might shatter at any moment.


    ¡°Have you ever been kicked by the speed of light?¡± As he finished speaking, Colin suddenly accelerated, channeling all the light into his leg.


    Amid a burst of blinding radiance¡­


    A new periodic table of elements appeared.

 Chapter 7: If You Really Cant Hold It

    ¡¾Stiff Black Bread1 + Grade 3 Water = Sweet Venison Porridge*1 (a potful, great for replenishing energy and vitality!)¡¿¡°As expected, black bread needs to be used on the crafting table to be edible. Even without the venison, it can be made into porridge, which is far better than bread alone. Otherwise, I might end up starving in my own house¡­¡±


    Colin muttered to himself, aware that many people¡¯s fates might have already been sealed on the first day.


    Without overthinking, he looked at his two subordinates, whose eyes were practically glowing with hunger. He served each of them a bowl first.


    ¡°Fifteen minutes to eat, then we will continue exploring.¡± The two servants burst into tears as they held the steaming, fragrant venison porridge served by their lord.


    In their blurry memories, as slaves, they had to work all day to earn a morsel of barely edible food, often receiving moldy, sour, and dirt-ridden bread in return.


    Before this, the two servants had expected Colin to give them the stiff black bread. Even though it was as hard as a rock, it was still a rare delicacy to them because it wasn¡¯t moldy or foul-smelling and possibly even free of sand and dirt.


    To their surprise, Colin gave them porridge instead of a bowl of ¡°rice porridge¡± with barely any grains. Moreover, it contained meat!


    Sipping the sweet meat porridge, the aroma and vitality filled their hearts instantly, making them appreciate the beauty of life for the first time. As they drank, their eyes reddened and moistened, and they felt an urge to cry.


    Their hearts were filled with gratitude and emotion.


    ¡­After about three minutes, Colin observed their personal information, ensuring there were no adverse effects like ¡¾Poisoned¡¿ or ¡¾Unconscious¡¿, before he felt safe to drink the thick porridge himself.


    He couldn¡¯t understand why a ¡°Penitent Priest ¨C Suffering Citizen¡± would drop venison, but it didn¡¯t stop him from eating it. He just had to be cautious.


    At this moment, the two servants spoke hoarsely, ¡°My lord, you are truly a good man.¡±


    Their words came from the heart and were unrelated to the system.


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Colin, feeling a bit guilty, looked at the remaining porridge in the pot.


    After each of them had a bowl, there was about half a bowl left in the pot. Colin remembered something and looked at the second servant, noticing a hand-length, one-centimeter-deep wound on his arm:


    ¡°You were injured for me. Since there¡¯s only half a bowl left, you should have it all to heal faster.¡± Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Earlier, when Colin had fallen into a ¡°state of mental confusion,¡± the ¡°Mutant¡± had attacked him, but the second servant had blocked the attacks. Though Colin had done most of the killing later, without the servant¡¯s protection, he might have been seriously injured.


    As a result, the second servant¡¯s arm sustained some injuries.


    Colin believed in fair reward and punishment, so he didn¡¯t hesitate to be generous.


    ¡°My lord, how can this be? Fighting and dying for you is a servant¡¯s duty. The priority should be your strength¡­¡±


    The second servant tried to refuse but, under Colin¡¯s stern gaze, tearfully ate the ¡°three¡± bowls.


    ¡°I wonder how the other survivors are doing now.¡±


    Colin wasn¡¯t used to eating without something to look at, so he took out a leather scroll of unknown origin and started browsing the regional chat channel while enjoying his delicious venison porridge.


    ¡°I¡¯m so hungry, my throat is parched. I¡¯m begging for food. I¡¯ll do anything for something to eat. Sob, sob¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t help. Nobody knows how to light a lamp, so we can¡¯t explore outside, let alone share food.¡±


    ¡°Sigh, even if someone knew, they wouldn¡¯t say it. This is a survival game with a thousand people per region. No one is that kind-hearted.¡±


    ¡°If you really can¡¯t hold it, you can eat your servants. They won¡¯t resist¡­¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re living beings! How can you eat them? What if¡­ what if¡­¡±


    ¡°What if you get infected with the virus?¡±


    ¡°Just don¡¯t eat the brains¡­¡±


    ¡°But, are your servants female? It sounds like you¡¯re a girl, or you wouldn¡¯t have female servants¡­ Sigh, more useless knowledge.¡±


    ¡°Girls, huh? Not interested.¡±


    ¡°Eat them. Don¡¯t hesitate. If you don¡¯t, you¡¯ll starve like someone in the world chat who died of hunger. Survive one more day, everyone. Good luck¡­¡±


    ¡°Stop bluffing and encouraging cannibalism! First-day hunger won¡¯t kill you. Everyone¡¯s stamina is the same. It¡¯s after tonight that starvation could happen¡­¡±


    ¡°I want black bread. I want water¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Shut up.¡±


    ¡­


    Talking about cannibalism again¡­ Colin¡¯s stomach churned.


    Who started this trend? The chat channel was a mess.


    However, Colin knew most people were just bragging. If they stayed indoors, their stamina wouldn¡¯t deplete severely. Surviving until the evening shouldn¡¯t be a problem. Therefore, most people wouldn¡¯t resort to such extremes. As for the minority who might, Colin had no idea.


    ¡°Speaking of which, since this is a global game, even if only a tiny fraction of the billions of people figure out how to light lamps, there should be at least over ten thousand who know. Out of those, is there really no one willing to share the method? Or would they face warnings or¡­ erasure if they did?¡±


    Colin furrowed his brows, deep in thought, but he couldn¡¯t find any answers without hints.


    Never mind, he decided to drink his porridge to calm himself.


    After finishing his porridge in one gulp, Colin opened his ¡¾inventory¡¿ to check his latest haul.


    He could have reviewed his loot while eating porridge, but considering it might contain human flesh, he avoided doing so. After all, he wasn¡¯t a med student with a strong stomach capable of dissecting while eating.


    Normally, Colin might not even dare to kill a chicken.


    Unexpectedly, the chat channel wasn¡¯t much better than the backpack.


    ¡°¡®Foul Bones¡¯ and ¡®Rotten Meat Chunks¡¯ are almost useless¡­¡±


    Colin noted that these items, unlike the venison, came from the ¡°Penitent Priest.¡± The hints suggested that the bones could be ground into fertilizer and the meat chunks, when cooked, could be eaten like venison, though they might cause stomach discomfort¡­


    The problem was that the ¡°Penitent Priest¡± had clearly been human. How could he eat that?


    Using human bone meal as fertilizer was even more extreme than using manure.


    Still, Colin didn¡¯t discard them. If he ever reached a desperate situation¡­

 Chapter 9: The Gift of the Survivor

    ¡¾Foul Tainted Blood 4ml?¡¿¡¾Moderately Rotten Flesh*1


    ¡¾Decayed Bones*1?¡¿


    The battle ended within a minute.


    Colin suddenly felt that these smaller mutants, less than 1.5 meters tall, with hardly any flesh on them and their bodies mostly exposed with blood-veined white bones, were the more typical mutants. They had no additional names beyond just ¡°mutant.¡±


    The ¡°Penitent Priest¡± they encountered earlier must have been a named elite monster, likely a special one.


    Though small mutants were easy to handle, their loot was meager. They were visibly poor.


    ¡°Now it really feels like a game,¡± Colin muttered.


    They increased their pace again. The regular mutants were slow, and Colin had no intention of fighting them unless absolutely necessary.


    Unless they bore the ¡°Thorns of Suffering,¡± Colin wouldn¡¯t stop and waste time on them.


    After a few more minutes, Colin¡¯s brow furrowed.


    He saw blood. Human blood.


    ¡°So, other survivors have found a way to light their lamps.¡±


    Colin slowed down.


    He noticed traces indicating that other survivors had passed through. The footprints were messy and hurried, with blood droplets at each step. The blood was dark red and had not hardened much. It was still sticky to the touch. S~ea??h the NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Although Colin couldn¡¯t visually distinguish human blood from animal blood¡­


    The hints confirmed it was human blood. This indicated that the survivor passed here not long before Colin arrived.


    Crucially, Colin noticed that both parties seemed to be heading in the same direction.


    In less than ten minutes, they would reach Father Kaidish¡¯s church, the mission site.


    If¡­


    This guy got there first and brought peace (physically) to the children before Colin¡­


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be good news.¡±


    Colin quickened his pace.


    The blood trail was long and had soaked into the soil. The bleeding was substantial.


    ¡°If all this blood came from one person, they¡¯re probably dead by now.¡±


    Just as Colin was wondering whether the person was dead or alive, he got his answer.


    Not ten meters ahead, a figure lay against a dead tree, motionless.


    A female corpse.


    Her expression¡­


    She had no expression. Her head was missing.


    Blood flowed from the gaping neck wound onto the ground, soaking the soil in a bloody patch.


    Her dull dress was stained red and torn in many places, making it unclear if it was from monsters or from her frantic escape, caught by branches and rocks.


    ¡°She gave up resisting and lay here waiting to die. She died about twenty minutes ago¡­¡±


    After the initial shock, Colin quickly calmed down. Despite the smell of blood making him uncomfortable, his mind started working.


    He bent down, covering his mouth and nose with his sleeve, and squatted by the body, examining every detail. Despite his discomfort, he had to be thorough for the sake of his own survival.


    First, her blood was bright red, with no signs of poisoning, indicating she didn¡¯t die from toxins. Second, her current state showed no signs of struggle, more like she gave up running and chose to wait for death.


    If she had fought against the creature that killed her, it wouldn¡¯t have left her lying neatly and with her clothes tidied.


    Her leg wounds and swollen, twisted ankle were clear signs she couldn¡¯t run anymore.


    Colin speculated that she sat under the tree, tidied her ragged dress, and then¡­


    She had her head ripped off like picking a mushroom.


    Due to severe blood loss, her blood didn¡¯t spurt far¡­


    Colin¡¯s gaze shifted to a footprint about two meters from the body.


    The footprint was a meter long, half a meter wide, and human-like¡­


    But no human has footprints that large.


    The footprints were spaced a few meters apart, and luckily, the creature left with her head after killing her.


    ¡¾The owner of the footprints is at least five meters tall. You can¡¯t comprehend what kind of creature this is, but you know that provoking it is almost certain death.¡¿


    No kidding¡­ Colin dismissed the hint from observing the footprint.


    There were no signs of her servants, who had most likely been used to block her retreat and were now likely dead.


    ¡°What should we do now, Lord?¡±


    Servant One whispered, obviously disturbed by the scene and the massive footprint.


    Colin did not immediately respond.


    A ¡°Pick Up¡± option appeared in front of him.


    It showed 43ml of Foul Tainted Blood, indicating she wasn¡¯t killed by the gray mist and had stored most of her blood before dying.


    This revealed her choice.


    ¡°If I get the chance, I¡¯ll kill it for you!¡±


    Colin whispered, then accepted her ¡°gift.¡±


    Dead people were gone; the living had to continue to live.


    Seeing the blood-soaked corpse reminded Colin that this was a life-and-death game.


    Those who couldn¡¯t keep up would be abandoned, becoming nameless corpses in the wilderness, unmarked and forgotten.


    Colin felt a complex mix of emotions.


    After taking all her belongings, he handed her lantern and axe to Number Two.


    The lantern couldn¡¯t be stored in the inventory, and although the axe didn¡¯t boost stats, it was better than a broken stick.


    Colin stood up, saluted the woman, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s move on.


    ¡°The creature that killed her should have left, and the church is nearby.


    ¡°Since we¡¯re here, it makes no sense not to try¡­¡±


    The Suffering Church was close. He didn¡¯t want to give up.


    Soon, Colin could vaguely see the church built in the forest through the mist.

 Chapter 18: Close The Door, It Cant Get In

    Ultimately, Colin decided not to pick up the wooden chairs. Although, as a dedicated scavenger, he usually never missed anything that looked like trash but might be useful, he felt uneasy recalling the little girl¡¯s final words.¡°It¡¯s coming? Who is ¡®it¡¯?¡±


    Colin remembered that Father Kaidish¡¯s soul image had mentioned something similar. Initially, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention, thinking it was far from him, but the little girl¡¯s sudden disappearance and her words brought back memories of the female survivor.


    This ¡°it¡± could very well be the ¡°Bigfoot¡± monster. If it were, he would surely be doomed.


    Colin¡¯s mind wandered, but as he neared the main door, he froze, halting abruptly. The next second, he heard a distant footstep outside.


    The footsteps were faint, as if coming from a considerable distance, but the word ¡°heavy¡± involuntarily came to mind.


    It couldn¡¯t be this coincidental¡­ Colin¡¯s gaze tightened as he sensed a tingling, ominous feeling seeping through the door.


    ¡°Lord, the sound seems far off and the steps are slow. Should I take the lantern and lead it away?¡± Servant Two asked resolutely.


    He realized how terrifying the source of the sound was and wanted to buy time for the lord to escape.


    ¡°No.¡± Colin shook his head, not out of kindness but because he knew they wouldn¡¯t escape. None of them could.


    They needed another plan.


    Gritting his teeth, Colin gave up opening the door and quickly said, ¡°Let¡¯s go upstairs!¡±


    Meanwhile, the footsteps outside grew closer, each step heavy and distinct due to the creature¡¯s massive body.


    As they reached the second floor, Colin was about to look out the hallway window when he had a sudden realization.


    ¡°You two, take the lanterns downstairs and bolt the door. It shouldn¡¯t be able to get in for a while!¡±


    After the little girl vanished, the downstairs door lost its seal. If left open, the creature would likely break through.


    Colin speculated that the previous monster stayed away because of the ¡°Wailer¡± inside the church. Without its presence, the monster didn¡¯t attack.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    The two servants took the lanterns obtained from the female survivor and went downstairs.


    Colin peeked through a slightly open window, looking into the thick white fog, towards the sound.


    Soon, a prompt appeared in his mind.


    ¡¾Although you haven¡¯t seen the monster, the heavy footsteps and terrifying aura clearly indicate that the creature outside is a lord-level mutant!¡¿


    ¡¾It is hunting living creatures in the forest. You don¡¯t have means to confront it directly!¡¿


    ¡¾Against it, you are powerless!¡¿


    A lord-level mutant¡­ I¡¯m just an ordinary little hunter¡­


    Colin felt a wave of helplessness. He really needed to check the calendar before going out next time.


    Just then, footsteps echoed in the hallway, and the two servants returned.


    ¡°The door is bolted, Lord!¡±


    Colin nodded, extinguishing their lanterns¡¯ blood. Before he could speak, a massive, deformed, tumor-covered foot suddenly appeared in the fog outside the window.


    With a loud thud, Colin shut the window before he could fully see it, not daring to look further. He even suppressed the urge to observe it for hints, knowing it was a suicidal act.


    Lord-level mutants could negatively affect ordinary people just by being seen. They could even kill with a glance.


    So Colin didn¡¯t look.


    The next second, a loud thud came from the main door. Dust fell inside the church as the creature banged on the door.


    They were now separated by only a door.


    Colin immediately retreated with the others, leaving the window.


    ¡°Has it stopped?¡±


    After moving away, Colin noticed the banging had ceased. Surprisingly, after one hit, the monster became quiet.


    Colin moved to the staircase and looked down. The tightly closed door revealed nothing, but a glance through the bottom gap confirmed something was outside. Colin knew the door, though sturdy-looking, wouldn¡¯t hold for long.


    For some reason, the creature didn¡¯t seem to want to break through.


    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s wary of the church¡­¡± sea??h th§× N?velFire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Colin speculated, waiting a few minutes on the staircase. Confirming the monster wasn¡¯t acting, he led the two downstairs towards the hall¡¯s back.


    He wanted to check the underground passage beneath the pulpit as a possible escape route. If there was a way out, it had to be there.


    Colin removed his shoes, stepping barefoot to minimize noise and avoid provoking the monster outside.


    Soon, they reached the statue. Colin held the lantern, avoiding past mistakes. He kept his shadow within the light, staying vigilant.


    The two servants cleared the basement entrance. It was about a meter square, with stairs leading into darkness.


    A prompt appeared.


    ¡¾You sense this entrance doesn¡¯t lead to an ordinary basement but a dangerous area.¡¿


    ¡¾Judging by its direction, you think it leads to Crow Mountain, possibly hiding an unknown treasure related to the deceased Father Kaidish.¡¿


    ¡¾However, you feel that, in your current need for rest, it¡¯s not the right time to explore.¡¿


    ¡¾You believe it¡¯s a death trap.¡¿


    Feeling the prompt, Colin¡¯s body grew cold. This was the first time the hint was so direct.


    Entering would mean certain death.

 Chapter 27: Cant Hear! Cant Hear At All!

    ¡°You have obtained ¡®Servant¡¯ *1.¡± ¡°You have obtained ¡®Servant¡¯ *1.¡± ¡­ The notifications kept refreshing, finally stopping after sixteen times.


    Colin sat behind the table, watching figures materialize around him, marveling at the magic.


    ¡°Greetings to the new Lord,¡± the servants said in hoarse and weak voices. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Colin nodded, but before he could say anything, several servants collapsed.


    What the¡­


    Colin was stunned and quickly checked their status panels. The status bar showed ¡°Severe Hunger,¡± with their satiety value at just 1! Additionally, there were numerous debuffs like ¡°Dizziness¡± and ¡°Near Shock.¡±


    In less than ten minutes, Colin could see this person starving to death right here!


    Those selling servants were mostly on the brink of starvation themselves, unable to feed others. So, when Colin bought them, their hunger was at its limit, making even standing a challenge.


    ¡°Feed them quickly!¡±


    Immediately, Colin used the crafting table to make some oatmeal porridge with a bit of meat and had Number One and Number Two serve it. After a frantic period, the servants finally recovered.


    Seeing this, Colin breathed a sigh of relief. He didn¡¯t want his recruits to die before they could be of use. That would be too unlucky.


    ¡°Thank you, Lord, for saving our lives!¡±


    The revived servants expressed their thanks as their eyes and faces were filled with gratitude. To save these worthless individuals, the new Lord used such luxurious and delicious food.


    Like the previous Number One and Number Two, they were used to hard, sour black bread filled with grit. Tasting this new food made their jaws ache slightly. They even tasted meat in the porridge! Meat! A luxury their previous master couldn¡¯t afford.


    After giving them a ten-minute rest, seeing their status mostly recovered, Number Two smiled and said, ¡°As long as you work hard for the Lord and follow him, you can have this porridge every day!


    ¡°The Lord is fair and just. If you perform well, the Lord will reward you with meat!¡±


    ¡°R-really?¡± one servant asked, immediately feeling scared for questioning the Lord¡¯s deputy.


    Number Two was about to say something, but Colin raised his hand to stop him.


    Colin leaned forward, elbows on the table, hands crossed under his chin. He recalled a survivor¡¯s words from the chat channel and decided to borrow them.


    ¡°I¡¯m not one for long speeches or fancy words. I¡¯m a simple person: you work for me, help me, and I provide you with food and good treatment.


    ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t sacrifice you needlessly. I value life, both mine and others¡¯. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord,¡± the dozen servants mumbled, their voices disorganized and low.


    Colin frowned. Did he recruit a bunch of elderly folks on a bus?


    Number One stepped forward, back straight, eyes glaring. ¡°From today, you are the first batch of followers under Lord Colin! I am Number One, and that is Number Two! We are your friendly big brothers!


    ¡°I¡¯ll repeat the Lord¡¯s words! Work for the Lord, and he¡¯ll give you food and good treatment. If you have questions, ask us. I¡¯ll give you three seconds! Three! Two! One!


    ¡°Good, it seems like there are no issues!


    ¡°Now, I¡¯ll repeat! Do you understand? If so, say: Yes, Lord!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± The response was slightly better.


    They all looked fearfully at the thunderous voice of Number One. Though also servants, they saw he was twice as strong as them, with bulging muscles and a blood-stained cartwheel behind him, as if he could kill them with a punch!


    But seeing Colin¡¯s lack of response, Number One frowned. He knew the Lord wanted more: spirit, determination, and strength!


    ¡°Not loud enough! I can¡¯t hear you! Are you mute? Speak up! Again!¡±


    Number One roared.


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear! I can¡¯t hear at all! Did you just eat? Even dogs bark louder! Again!¡±


    Hands on hips, eyes glaring, his imposing manner even surprised Colin. He thought Number One was quite talented. Servants could be trained to any height, and Colin had some ideas.


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± The voices grew louder.


    But still, it wasn¡¯t enough. Their crooked stance was unacceptable, and Colin didn¡¯t see the ¡°Inspired¡± status appear.


    ¡°I can¡¯t hear! I can¡¯t hear at all! Again! So quiet, and you want to work for the Lord? And you, straighten your back, stand like me!¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s lunch is meat porridge, but if you don¡¯t speak up or stand straight, everyone will go hungry!¡±


    Number One shouted.


    Being a servant himself, he knew the greatest fear: hunger. Beating and scolding were useless; only hunger truly scared them!


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡± Hearing about hunger, everyone panicked, blood rushing to their faces, shouting loudly.


    The food Colin gave only sustained their lives; they were still essentially starving, just not severely.


    ¡°Good,¡± Colin took over, clapping his hands. Seeing the ¡°Inspired¡± status appear, he approved. Only then would they not be scared by the fog during exploration.


    Seeing their empty hands, Colin exchanged some materials from the trading market.


    [Iron Block*1 + Wood*1 + Correct Posture = Axe]


    Colin quickly synthesized a dozen axes, a shovel, and some other tools, distributing them.


    Soon, all nineteen had an axe each.


    The Fog Axe Gang, should I do an axe dance? Colin mused.


    He looked at the group, ¡°Number One, Number Two, assign the teams. I¡¯ll prepare. Before we leave, I¡¯ll ensure you¡¯re all full. Don¡¯t disappoint me!¡±


    ¡°Yes, Lord!¡±


    Actually, there¡¯s no need for this¡­ Colin smiled awkwardly yet politely.


    He then opened the parchment and checked the regional channel for new messages. Being prepared was essential for surviving in the mist. After all, hints weren¡¯t omnipotent.

 Chapter 30: Is This a Healer? Probably

    A one-hit kill! Colin felt the monster beneath him struggle a few times before dying. The power of ¡°Hunting Time¡± combined with ¡°Mutant Scholar¡± meant that as long as the monster wasn¡¯t stronger than Colin, he could kill it instantly.¡°Thank you, Lord!¡± the saved servants quickly said. Colin nodded in response and then looked at the remaining monsters. Since he had started, he might as well finish them off.


    In less than ten minutes, Colin had defeated all the monsters.


    ¡°Congratulations! You have obtained 7ml of Foul Tainted Blood.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    A total of over 130 ml of blood. To his surprise, Colin also got a ¡°Twisted Soul.¡±


    ¡°Huh? I seem to have gotten something good!¡± Colin was surprised to find a special recruitment card in his inventory.


    [Special Talent Recruitment Card: Can recruit a person with special abilities. There is a certain chance of failure.]


    [Note: The initial loyalty of the person is 50%. They will follow your orders but cannot be treated violently. If their loyalty falls below 30%, they might leave at any time.]


    ¡°It can fail? Well, I shouldn¡¯t be that unlucky. But their loyalty isn¡¯t absolute like ordinary servants.¡± Colin read the description and decided to use the card on the spot, curious about what kind of special talent it would bring.


    After using the card, Colin saw white light particles appear before him, quickly gathering and transforming. A small female figure emerged.


    She was a petite woman wearing a white clerical robe, standing about 1.6 meters tall, with blonde hair, blue eyes, a delicate face, and holding a book with a golden sun emblem.


    Seeing Colin, she drew a circle on her chest and bowed slightly, her voice gentle: ¡°I am Sanna Helaca, a Priestess of Holy Light. You may call me Sanna, my lord.¡±


    ¡°Hello, Miss Sanna. You can call me Lord or Colin,¡± Colin replied while checking her personal information.


    [Priestess of Holy Light: Sanna Helaca.]


    Identity: Priestess of Holy Light from the Church of Eternal Sun. Description: Loving, gentle, brings healing light. Strength: Stage One. Status: Hungry. Satiety: 22 (1-20 Extremely Hungry, 21-40 Hungry, 41-60 Normal, 61-80 Full, 81-100 Very Satisfied) Strength: 2.9 (1 for a normal human) Endurance: 2.3 (1 for a normal human) Stamina: 2.1 (1 for a normal human) Spirit: 1.8 (1 for a normal mage) Intelligence: 1.5 (Magic-enhanced, unrelated to general wisdom) Mana: 500/500 Skills: ¡°Strong and Fit,¡± ¡°Meteor Hammer,¡± ¡°Sweep Kick,¡± ¡°Straight Punch,¡± ¡°Abdominal Strike,¡± ¡°Enhanced Knockback,¡± ¡°Crippling Strike,¡± ¡°Blessing of Courage,¡± ¡°Holy Light Healing,¡± ¡­


    ¡°Uh, Miss Sanna, your attributes and skills seem a bit off¡­¡± Colin glanced at the slender, delicate-looking girl and couldn¡¯t help but comment. The skill list, sorted by strength, revealed that she was much better at fighting than healing.


    Colin estimated that even with his ¡°Hunting Time,¡± he might not be as strong as her. Of course, he did not say it out loud for fear of her demonstrating her combat skills.


    He noticed that the four corners of her thick holy book were reinforced with iron¡­


    In a way, she was indeed a very special talent.


    ¡°Honored Lord, do you need my help? Though my ¡®Holy Light Healing¡¯ isn¡¯t very strong,¡± Sanna asked gently.


    ¡°No, no¡­actually, yes,¡± Colin replied, distracted by her profile, before quickly correcting himself, realizing she was referring to the injured servants.


    ¡°Thank you for your kindness.¡± Sanna walked to one of the heavily injured servants and raised her holy book. Seeing the wounded, a look of compassion appeared in her eyes.


    ¡°Be careful, don¡¯t let them die¡­¡± Colin said reflexively.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Sanna¡¯s holy book emitted a white light, but she turned her head upon hearing Colin.


    ¡°Uh, nothing. I said I¡¯ll prepare some food for you later¡­¡± Colin coughed, changing the subject.


    Sanna, focused on casting ¡°Holy Light Healing,¡± didn¡¯t hear clearly and didn¡¯t overthink it. She concentrated on her spell, and white light emanated from her holy book, easing the pain of the wounded. Even the uninjured felt a sense of peace and calm.


    ¡°You are truly a divine messenger!¡± the servants exclaimed in gratitude. sea??h th§× Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It¡¯s my duty,¡± Sanna smiled, unused to such praise.


    ¡°Have some food. It¡¯ll help you recover and get back on your feet¡­ uh, I mean, help you take action¡­¡± Colin brought over a bowl of meat porridge. The aroma made Sanna¡¯s eyes light up, but she hesitated, her eyes lowered, and she spoke softly:


    ¡°This, this has meat. Such food is precious; it can save lives. If given to the injured, it could help them survive¡­ Please save it, don¡¯t waste it on me. I¡­ I can eat something else. I remember having some food¡­ Maybe some roots in my holy book¡­¡±


    Sanna knew the value of food, especially nutritious food like this porridge. It could save lives. In critical moments, this bowl of porridge could be the difference between life and death.


    She opened her iron-bound holy book, revealing some unknown dried grass¡­


    What kind of life did you live¡­ Colin felt a pang of sympathy but quickly took the grass and threw it into his bag, speaking firmly: ¡°Listen, this isn¡¯t special treatment. If you don¡¯t recover, you¡¯ll be a burden to us all.¡±


    As he spoke, Colin tried to take her hand and give her the porridge but found he couldn¡¯t move her. He let go, realizing her surprising strength, and continued: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have plenty of food to last us a long time.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the lord is very kind. He gave everyone meat porridge,¡± the servants chimed in.


    Sanna hesitated, ¡°Really? Food, especially this kind, is very important¡­¡±


    ¡°Trust me.¡± Colin pulled out several loaves of bread from his bag.


    Finally convinced, Sanna took the porridge: ¡°May the sun bless you, Lord Colin.¡±


    [Priestess of Holy Light Sanna Helaca¡¯s loyalty has increased by 10%, now at 60%.]


    Colin heard the system¡¯s voice in his mind.

 Chapter 45: Ha, Whats The Use of Numbers?

    ¡°Give me a reason.¡±¡°I feel like I can be of some help. Consider it a way to make up for my previous actions¡­¡±


    The armored man spoke in a deep voice. He couldn¡¯t exactly say that he was hungry and wanted some meat; that would be embarrassing. Of course, what he said wasn¡¯t entirely untrue¡ªhe had been working hard to help and thought he deserved some special treatment.


    ¡¾You judge that his words are mostly true, but he is hiding some inner thoughts.¡¿


    ¡¾However, these thoughts are irrelevant.¡¿


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Colin asked, touching his chin. ¡°And tell me what you plan to do. Let me see if you can actually be of help.¡±


    ¡°Li Hang. If I¡¯m not mistaken, you have the ability to see through the fog. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t send them out and wouldn¡¯t have intercepted us so accurately¡­¡± Li Hang whispered his thoughts.


    Eventually, Colin nodded and allowed him to join the second team, giving them permission to listen to Li Hang¡¯s suggestions.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting here for you. I hope you bring back a satisfactory result.¡±


    Soon, the group of over a hundred people marched in the direction Colin indicated. If all went well, they would encounter the survivors coming for his ore within five minutes.


    Watching them leave, Colin quickly packed up the table and other items, preparing to follow them secretly.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to train them to handle problems independently?¡± Sanna asked, surprised. This kind of trial was something even the church used; she thought Colin wouldn¡¯t participate at all.


    As he packed, Colin replied nonchalantly, ¡°I¡¯m joking. I would be heartbroken if even one of my soldiers got hurt, let alone killed. I want them to gain experience, not to die¡­¡±


    ¡­


    In the fog, four lanterns moved, shadows flickering within their light.


    ¡°Brother Huang, do you have the map? Oops, I mean, Brother Huang, are you sure about this? We¡¯ve encountered quite a few mutants along the way; they seem strong¡­¡±


    One of the lantern bearers spoke, his clothes stained with blood from previous encounters.


    Huang Weiyang, deep in thought as he walked, replied, ¡°They¡¯re just ordinary mutants. Put in some effort, and you can kill them with a few chops. At most, you¡¯ll get a bit injured. So, he shouldn¡¯t be that strong. There aren¡¯t many Colins in this world. If my guess is correct, he¡¯s just gotten his hands on some black powder, and there should be only four or five of them at most. The fact that the first explosion was so loud means it used a lot of material, likely from a large ore deposit. He¡¯s being wasteful because he has plenty.


    Unfortunately, he doesn¡¯t know how to hide or think. Many people on the channel plan to come here. There were some small explosions just now, indicating they¡¯ve already started fighting. It¡¯s been less than fifteen minutes, so they should still be engaged. We¡¯re arriving at the right time!¡± S~ea??h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Brother Huang makes sense,¡± another survivor agreed with his reasoning. A saltpeter mine that big should be shared!


    Following a trail of footprints, they soon saw a bright light ahead. The four were startled and huddled together.


    Seventeen people¡­ Those people didn¡¯t seem to be hiding. But why were their lights so bright?


    Huang Weiyang and his companions exchanged glances but didn¡¯t make a move. They were 19 people strong, facing 17. The odds were even or in their favor; retreating was out of the question.


    Just as he was about to speak, one of the survivors approached. As the lights merged, they were once again surprised by how bright the other group¡¯s light was.


    ¡°Are you here for the saltpeter mine?¡± Number Two asked, showing no fear of these lords. Having dealt with nine of them recently, they no longer felt intimidated by anyone but Colin.


    Too arrogant¡­ Huang Weiyang glanced at the servant next to Li Hang, annoyed by the bright light. He was ready to fight if necessary.


    ¡°Since you didn¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll take it as a yes. Hand over your scroll, crafting table, and lanterns, and come with me. Otherwise, if we start fighting, it wouldn¡¯t be good if we accidentally kill you noble lords.¡± Number Two looked at them disdainfully. ¡°Our Lord said everything should be done peacefully.¡±


    So arrogant!


    ¡°Is this your idea of peace?¡± Huang Weiyang frowned, dissatisfied with Li Hang. Did they think having a few more servants made them invincible? Even if they had two, three, or ten times as many people, he wouldn¡¯t be afraid. After all, he was the neighborhood¡¯s sanda champion!


    What¡¯s it got to do with me? They¡¯re not my subordinates¡­ Li Hang thought, feeling the discontented gaze.


    Then he said, ¡°Why are you looking at me? I advise you to do as told, or you¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    At that moment, he glanced around, suddenly smiling: ¡°I¡¯m waiting to be surrounded. What are you waiting for?¡±


    Li Hang recalled Colin¡¯s words when he bombed them before, unable to resist quoting him.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± Huang Weiyang sneered. ¡°So what if you have more people? I¡¯ll show you that numbers aren¡¯t everything!¡±


    He was confident in his abilities. But just as he finished speaking, a lantern suddenly lit up nearby.


    Sixteen people¡­


    Huang Weiyang frowned. So what?


    But the next moment, another lantern appeared¡­


    And then another¡­


    32, 48, 64, 80¡­


    A total of nine super-bright lanterns lit up around them!


    No way out!


    Huang Weiyang stood paralyzed, his hand shaking on his axe.


    A total of 145 people, each holding an axe, stared at him.


    He didn¡¯t dare move or breathe heavily, fearing they¡¯d attack if he made the wrong move.


    ¡°Are you sure you want to resist?¡± Number Two glared at him.


    ¡°Just joking, just joking. I¡¯m all for peace. I don¡¯t like fighting¡­¡± Huang Weiyang said hastily. ¡°But you mentioned your lord¡­¡±


    He glanced at Li Hang, puzzled. Wasn¡¯t their lord right here? But he couldn¡¯t say that¡ªit would be a death sentence. They¡¯d be slaughtered.


    ¡°Why are you looking at him? He¡¯s not our lord!¡± Number Two scolded.


    Li Hang shrugged, ¡°Don¡¯t look at me. If I were you, I¡¯d cooperate. We nine were overturned by our boss. Do you think you four can do better? Ridiculous¡­¡±


    Many knew, but overlooked, that lantern lights could be hidden. The trick was simple: have subordinates encircle them. It didn¡¯t affect the mist¡¯s effect but was a blind spot.


    Colin gave Li Hang a chance because he noticed Li Hang¡¯s keen observation skills, something Colin himself hadn¡¯t realized. After all, the main enemies of survivors were mutants, not other survivors.


    Li Hang used this, along with Colin¡¯s ¡°full map¡± explosion point, to let the nine teams encircle and cut off their retreat.

 Chapter 49: When the Art Style is All Wrong, Its Right!

    ¡°You will control the fate of the loser!¡± An invisible whisper appeared beside his ear, and Colin felt a sense of control over Li Chou. As long as he willed it, he could make Li Chou die instantly. Furthermore, Li Chou could not defy him or do anything to harm him.At this moment, aside from his thoughts, Li Chou¡¯s status was almost like that of a slave to the system, or even worse. Reflecting on the recent events, Colin seemed to understand something.


    ¡°Mr. Colin, are you injured?¡± As soon as she appeared, Sanna immediately used her Holy Light Healing technique to envelop him.


    ¡°Protect the Lord!¡± The servants quickly surrounded Colin, forming an impenetrable barrier. They had just witnessed the battle in a blur, only knowing that the two had clashed, and it ended abruptly.


    ¡°Phew, the fight was dangerous, but I¡¯m fine, just a bit shaken¡­¡± Colin exhaled in relief, making a small gesture with his fingers. ¡°It seems I might be just a tiny bit stronger.¡±


    Hearing this, Sanna and the others were relieved. Except for Number Two, they had never seen Colin in action and were unsure of his strength. But it seemed he was indeed unharmed.


    On the other side, a few survivors looked at Li Chou, who was continuously vomiting blood under Li Hang¡¯s feet, and their mouths twitched uncontrollably. Then they looked at Colin, who wasn¡¯t injured at all¡­


    His followers were so biased! This was a completely one-sided battle! Especially since Li Chou¡¯s chest armor was completely smashed¡ªhow could an ordinary person do that? Where was this ¡°just a tiny bit stronger¡±?


    At this moment, they realized deeply that it wasn¡¯t just Sanna who was a monster, but the survivor himself was also a monster!


    Seeing Li Chou¡¯s condition, they couldn¡¯t help but feel sympathy, grateful that they had surrendered early.


    Meanwhile, Colin walked toward the fallen Li Chou, and Li Hang immediately became flustered. After all, this incident was due to his mishandling. Who would have thought someone would hide something important outside rather than in their inventory? Or that such a mysterious item even existed in this world?


    Fortunately, Colin simply reassured him not to worry, patting his shoulder without saying much else.


    ¡°This item is good, and now it belongs to me.¡± Colin smiled as he looked at the triangular shield on the ground called ¡°Shield of the Just Knight.¡± He knew very well how formidable this item could be when used properly.


    He walked up, bent down, picked it up, and examined it, clearly sensing it was no ordinary item. Despite its rusty appearance, Colin couldn¡¯t damage it even when applying force.


    As soon as he touched the shield for just three seconds, a repeating whisper echoed in his ear: ¡°I crave a ¡®fair and just¡¯ battle¡­¡±


    Colin suddenly had the urge to find someone to duel with and glanced at the unconscious, bleeding Li Chou on the ground. He seemed the most ¡°qualified¡± for a duel¡­ Duel instincts seemed to prioritize those weaker than oneself.


    Fortunately, this thought was easily suppressed as soon as it arose. But as time passed, this urge would grow stronger.


    ¡°It seems he didn¡¯t always carry this thing,¡± Colin muttered, checking its information.


    [¡°Shield of the Just Knight¡±]: You can use it to make a declaration that forces any enemy within 30 meters to fight you. The winner will control the loser¡¯s fate.


    Basic Rules: No escape, no external assistance, maximum fight time of one hour.


    Active Rules: The shield bearer gains a home-field advantage and can impose three rules that must be followed by both parties, as long as they are widely regarded as fair.


    Note: This item has negative effects. Specific details must be explored and understood personally.


    ¡°Generally recognized as fair¡­¡± Colin complained inwardly and then focused, activating the hint.


    [A palm-sized shield, its two corners curved, full of copper rust, with lines faintly outlining a balance symbol representing justice. You think it might come from the power of a strong entity, possibly the ¡®King of Knights,¡¯ representing the virtue of ¡®justice.¡¯]


    [Note: Daily contact time should not exceed one hour, or you may become a duel maniac.]


    ¡°¡®King of Knights,¡¯ huh. If this is how shameless ¡®justice¡¯ is, I can¡¯t imagine how twisted the other virtues are.¡± Colin muttered and noticed Sanna staring strangely at the shield in his hand.


    ¡°Do you recognize it?¡± he asked, curious.


    Since her arrival, Sanna has shown a great deal of unfamiliarity with this world, whether it was the Church of Suffering or the mutants. She seemed unaware of these concepts. Colin had heard her talk about her past, which seemed to come from another world entirely.


    ¡°It seems familiar¡­ May I see it?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Sure.¡± Colin handed over the shield. Sanna took it and glanced at the recovering Li Chou before quickly suppressing her absurd thoughts. S§×arch* The N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°It should come from the mysterious items associated with the ¡®Justice¡¯ virtue among the Eight Virtues Knights. The negative effects don¡¯t seem strong and don¡¯t need sealing. I remember our church learning some of their techniques¡­¡± Sanna frowned, struggling to recall.


    ¡°Are they from the same world as you?¡±


    ¡°Probably¡­¡± Shana hesitated but nodded.


    For some reason, thinking of Shana¡¯s unusual personal attributes, Colin suddenly found this plausible¡­


    When the art style is all wrong, it¡¯s right.


    ¡°Do you know what the other ¡®virtues¡¯ can do?¡± Colin asked, curious about how else the art style could be twisted.


    Sanna tried to recall but seemed stumped. She started to speak but then paused, eventually shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡­ I feel like I remember, but as soon as I try to say it, I forget.¡±


    It seemed that special character cards had sealed memories¡­


    Colin speculated inwardly.


    Not thinking too much about it, Colin shook off the sudden influx of random thoughts, tossed the rusty triangular shield in his hand, and looked at the other survivors, his lips curling up slightly.


    ¡°How about a 1v1 friendly match?¡±

 Chapter 53: Its Coming!

    ¡°I feel the presence of a big shot in the trading market. Is the big shot making another move?¡± ¡°Your feeling is wrong. The big shot just upgraded his war chariot. How could he be here again?¡±


    ¡°Exactly, It¡¯s only been two hours. If Colin the big shot is making another big move, I¡¯ll eat my war chariot on the spot.¡±


    However, as they chatted, a notification suddenly appeared in everyone¡¯s mind:


    ¡¾Congratulations to the survivor ¡°Colin¡± for becoming the first lord to build a level three territory.¡¿


    ¡¾Reward of ¡°999 Hardened Black Bread¡± will be distributed.¡¿


    ¡¾The reward has been distributed.¡¿


    ¡¾Let¡¯s all strive forward together, survivors.¡¿


    ¡°Holy cow, here it is again. Is this what a big shot is? By the way, where¡¯s the guy who said he¡¯d eat his war chariot? Are you dead? Make a sound.¡±


    ¡°I know the level three blueprint formula for territory. Private message me if you need it!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t believe the scammer above! I just got scammed by him!¡±


    ¡°Has the level three territory come out so soon? Luckily, I just finished upgrading to level two and can¡¯t afford the next step¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are all the food rewards black bread? Can¡¯t the designer come up with something new?¡±


    ¡°To get rich, start mining! Brothers, hurry up and mine!¡±


    ¡°Damn, the price of stones has gone up again! These damn merchants, if they keep pushing me, I¡¯ll go mine myself!¡±


    ¡°Praise Colin the big shot!¡±


    Colin did not join the ¡°celebration¡± in the chat channel. At this moment, he was already in the courtyard of the territory, discussing the next steps with some lords and the ¡°Lamp Bearers¡± as they walked.


    Outside the territory, nine war chariots lined up, with hundreds of people standing firmly behind them like a wall.


    ¡°¡­Based on the behavior of that mutant creature, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to deal with¡­¡±


    ¡°But to be safe, let¡¯s prepare a few plans¡­ We have about five hours until dark, which is sufficient time. We¡¯ll spend an hour on a temporary drill¡­¡±


    ¡°This operation must go smoothly. I have a feeling something is being hidden, and we won¡¯t know until we kill it¡­¡±


    After a long discussion, the drill began quickly. An hour later, twenty-three teams, including Number One, stood in front of Colin, their chests puffed out, waiting for orders.


    A few meters away from Colin, Rogue and other lords watched in a daze. If these were their servants, or if some of them were their servants, they would not show such enthusiasm and loyalty. The five servants who blocked the chariot earlier were particularly touching.


    The control over servants was indeed absolute, and they would not betray, but without instructions, they would not take initiative like Colin¡¯s servants, who were ¡°active.¡± They were more loyal to the system than to their lords. Colin¡¯s servants, however, were absolutely loyal to him, not the system. They believed that, even without the system, these servants would remain loyal.


    Rogue thought back to the four figures in the light. He was almost certain that without prior instructions, his servants would have been scared and retreated. They couldn¡¯t do what Colin did. Rogue had tried to befriend his servants, but they didn¡¯t buy into his ¡°ideals.¡± Only now did he realize his feet were off the ground, and what the servants needed was a meal to fill their stomachs, not ¡°ideals.¡± Recognizing these small details, Rogue had to admit Colin¡¯s faster expansion was justified.


    Of course, some people believed Colin had an unfair advantage, thinking he knew and could do everything. They planned to ask, ¡°Brother, are you selling that advantage?¡± once they got to know him better. But a prominent figure, Li Chou, explained that Colin¡¯s success was due to a mysterious item, not cheating, and clarified the resource rankings¡¯ principles. This made everyone sigh in relief, acknowledging Colin¡¯s top ranking was well-deserved¡ªColin wasn¡¯t cheating.


    Ignoring the murmurs behind him, Colin scanned the well-formed team and issued orders. ¡°Get in order and board the chariots. The operation starts now!¡±


    With his command, twenty-one ¡°Lamp Bearer¡± combat teams quickly boarded the nine war chariots. Colin and the others followed, also getting on. The large level three territory was left with most of the lords, two ¡°Lamp Bearer¡± teams, and two hundred newly acquired servants.


    Soon, Colin, in the passenger seat, saw the sparse forest again. It was gloomy, desolate, and dead silent, with only bare, blackened branches remaining.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin. I¡¯ll lead the team,¡± Colin commanded. The rear doors of the wagons opened, and lanterns were lit again. Whether inside or outside the wagons, every servant silently followed their captain¡¯s lead.


    The initial plan was simple. Five elite teams would enter the forest with Colin to place explosives and lure the mutant creature. Detonate it and finish it. Ideally, the creature would be destroyed without direct contact, not even eye contact.


    The first batch of explosives, a ton in weight, was set up. But as Colin placed the second set, everyone felt a sudden pressure, as if something was crushing their bodies and making it hard to breathe. A distant, heavy, bone-chilling footstep echoed. Though faint by the time it reached them, it was undeniable.


    ¡°It¡¯s coming!¡± Colin¡¯s familiar sense of horror surged. The creature was approaching much faster than expected. He immediately decided: ¡°Abandon the third set of explosives. Retreat now!¡± S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Upon hearing its footsteps, they had less than three minutes before it arrived. Colin knew there wasn¡¯t enough time to place more explosives!

 Chapter 56: Killing the Lord-level Mutant Mourning Watcher

    The ground trembled slightly, but that was all. When Colin swore a duel using the ¡°Shield of the Just Knight,¡± no external force could interfere with this sacred duel! Colin devised this plan based on the characteristics of this mysterious item. If it failed, he would send another group to ¡°self-destruct¡± as the monster was too foolish to realize the strategy. However, the ¡°Shield of the Just Knight¡± should ideally be used only once a day, with at least an hour between uses, and a maximum of three times; otherwise, it could drive the user insane before an hour passed.


    Everything in the dueling arena was isolated, and the surroundings were obscured by a mysterious presence. Despite this, Colin and Sanna could still see some changes outside through the invisible barrier. Amidst the crimson heat and black mist, like flowing lava, Colin could feel the terrifying heat even without direct contact. The broken figure of the monster was completely engulfed by the terrifying explosion.


    After activating the three oaths, Colin and Sanna watched the outside, observing the tall, shadowy figure in the flames. It seemed to stand in the massive blaze, neither blown away nor fallen, nor did it leave. Its condition was unknown.


    [You feel its aura weakening rapidly. You know its recovery has reached its limit.]


    [At this moment, although it hasn¡¯t completely died, you realize you have defeated it.]


    ¡°It should have something valuable on it; otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t stand still after such an explosion,¡± Colin speculated. To be safe, he notified the war chariot units to continue firing, planning to bombard it for another two minutes to ensure its demise.


    Soon, the cannon fire ceased, and when the sound of ¡°Duel Begins¡± echoed in their minds, Shana unhesitatingly said, ¡°I surrender.¡± The next second, the distance closed, and they were back to their original positions. Sear?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Ignoring the extra ¡°control,¡± Colin immediately felt the heat scorching his skin. The explosions had transformed the environment, with the ground melting in some places. The hot air, filled with black smoke, had reduced the oxygen content due to the intense combustion, causing a suffocating feeling.


    Sanna stepped forward quickly, a gentle, cool green wind surrounding them, dispelling the acrid smoke and providing relief. She also reapplied various protective spells on Colin. Although the area had little effect on her due to her enhanced physique, she ensured Colin¡¯s safety.


    Three meters away stood a huge creature, its flesh completely charred and losing vitality. Most of its deformed flesh was gone, with only its golden ceremonial robe, wrapped head, and black metal mask intact. The massive candelabrum had been blown far away.


    When Colin and Sanna appeared, Colin felt the monster seemingly glance at him, possibly the reason it clung to life. With a crash, the skeletal frame, unable to support its massive body, collapsed like an avalanche.


    The lord-level mutant ¡°Mourning Watcher¡± was finally dead. Its enormous head, nearly as tall as Colin, rolled to a stop a meter away, facing sideways.


    Instantly, a notification appeared: [Congratulations to survivor ¡°Colin¡± for becoming the world¡¯s first to kill a lord-level mutant!]


    [Rewards will be distributed: 9999 hard black bread, 1000 Fog Points, 3 Recovery Cards, 1 Treasure Map Fragment, a Level 2 Inventory Expansion Card, and a day¡¯s worth of Life Blessing!]


    [Rewards have been issued.]


    [May all lords strive together.]


    Immediately, Colin heard exclamations from nearby lords outside the forest. Simultaneously, deafening cheers erupted from Colin¡¯s territory, including the saltpeter mines and other areas.


    Victory! The world¡¯s first kill! Everyone involved felt the blessing of ¡°Life Blessing,¡± their bodies nearly doubling in strength. Despite not understanding how the system recognized them as a team, the benefits were evident, though only lasting a day. All the other rewards belonged solely to Colin.


    The global chat channel went wild: ¡°Oh my God, aren¡¯t lord-level mutants invincible? Our top player gathered over a hundred people to fight one in a canyon and nearly got wiped out¡­¡±


    ¡°Killing a lord mutant? Must be cheating, right? Wait, it¡¯s Colin? No surprise there!¡±


    ¡°I knew it! Explosives! It had to be explosives! Sulfur is in high demand! Colin must be behind it!¡±


    ¡°Indeed, only massive amounts of explosives could kill a lord-level mutant! Plus Colin¡¯s war chariots made the difference; otherwise, lord-level mutants are monsters, even with mysterious items.¡±


    ¡°What? Explosives? Beware the multi-turret cultist. More is better! Big is beautiful! Infinite cannons, infinite glory! Colin, where are you? I¡¯ll cross mountains to join you!¡±


    ¡°I just heard explosions! I¡¯m in the same zone as Colin!¡±


    ¡°Then go join him! Stop bragging here! Colin¡¯s a tough guy and trustworthy! You¡¯ll be well-fed and safe! I¡¯m so jealous!¡±


    ¡°By the way, I got a triggered mission to explore some ruins. Is it doable?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Haven¡¯t you watched ¡®Daily Survival Tips¡¯? Triggered missions usually have a lord-level mutants nearby. Going there is suicide!¡±


    ¡°Are lord-level mutants that tough? I just killed an elite mutant with an axe, lost a few minions, but it wasn¡¯t that hard. Lords sound tough, but¡­¡±


    ¡°Not that hard? Haha, wait till you face one. You¡¯ll understand.¡±


    ¡°Idiot, they¡¯re trolling. By the way, are these rewards for the first kill? Mostly common resources, nothing really enhancing.¡±


    ¡°Get used to it, the system¡¯s stingy. Only triggered missions have good stuff. I suspect the system withholds rewards, skimming off the top¡­¡±


    ¡°You think so too? My foul tainted blood rewards seemed short, given the monster¡¯s size.¡±


    ¡°Agreed.¡±


    ¡°Stop the nonsense! Black bread isn¡¯t good? An elite mutant nearly killed me, but a piece of black bread saved me. I¡¯m making black bread armor!¡±

 Chapter 61: She Died Too Cleanly

    Another hypothesis supports one point: the attack method of the Mourning Watcher. After interacting with it, Colin confirmed that it first uses the eyes on its body to launch a ¡°mental pierce,¡± then, as the prey loses its ability to resist, it comes over and crushes them with a candlestick. If the woman had been hit by a ¡°mental pierce,¡± she would not have been sitting so ¡°upright¡±; she would have been clutching her head, wailing and screaming. But she showed no signs of struggle¡­It¡¯s important to note that mutants have a strong desire to kill humans. They wouldn¡¯t leave a complete corpse just because the victim stopped resisting. So, it can be determined that she died before the lord-level mutant made its move, killed by something else. Having lost its target, the Mourning Watcher merely approached to inspect the body, then lost interest in attacking. These creatures always show an unusual¡­ tolerance for corpses. Then, it left, leading Colin to mistakenly think it was the killer.


    However, Colin¡¯s realization and subsequent conjectures weren¡¯t just due to these observations but were sparked by another item¡ªthe ¡°treasure map fragment.¡±


    ¡°Why did she have a treasure map fragment?¡±


    Based on his current knowledge¡­


    Treasure map fragments only appear in triggered quests, and triggered quests..


    Very few people in this world have completed them.


    Some ¡°simple¡± triggered quests have been completed by people, but they died afterward, leaving warnings to others like ¡°Don¡¯t do triggered tasks.¡± Only a handful of survivors, less than ten, completed tasks and, like Colin, managed to escape the hunts of lord-level mutants, thus staying alive.


    Assuming she was one of the former, who completed a quest and then died, and that her quest was just to go somewhere¡­


    Then why did she have two treasure map fragments on her?


    A single triggered quest only yields one ¡°treasure map fragment.¡± How could she have two?


    Yesterday, from the time Colin woke up to the time he found her body, it was less than an hour. Most survivors wake up around the same time. In one hour¡­


    How could she have two ¡°treasure map fragments¡±?


    Even if she was one of the lucky ones who completed the first quest and then died after completing the second quest¡­


    Where did she find the time to do these quests?


    This isn¡¯t a matter of ability¡­ It¡¯s a matter of possibility.


    From any angle, it¡¯s impossible¡­


    ¡°Tell them to let me know if they see a female corpse leaning against a tree.¡±


    Colin gave a few instructions as he sat in the co-driver seat of the chariot, retracing the road he had taken on the first day. He planned to check the corpse again, to see if he missed anything. Due to time constraints, he didn¡¯t bury her body yesterday. If nothing unexpected happened¡­


    The corpse should still be there.


    This corpse had clearly been to the underground area, carrying ¡°light stones¡± related to that region and hiding numerous secrets. Unlocking even one of these secrets would increase his chances of surviving the underground exploration.


    Colin¡¯s mind raced as he thought, glancing at the task list on the scroll in front of him. One line of blood-red text stood out prominently.


    Remaining Sanction Time: Six days and four hours.


    Roughly six days later, at nightfall, in the last hour or so.


    The hint for observing it still hadn¡¯t changed.


    [You feel that with your current strength and progress, you¡¯re doomed.]


    This realization added to Colin¡¯s pressure. Despite having acquired several mysterious items, upgraded titles, and significantly improved his strength compared to yesterday¡­


    The hint remained unchanged. S~ea??h the n?vel_Fire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    In other words, in that thing¡¯s eyes, his growth was insignificant¡­


    Colin felt a tightness in his chest. He considered whether to advance his plan by a day, scout the area, and start exploring the tunnel today¡­


    At that moment, a voice snapped him out of his chaotic thoughts:


    ¡°Lord, the body has been found¡­¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    Colin breathed a sigh of relief. Through the window, he saw the female corpse still lying under the tree. The distant battlefield had not affected this area. His greatest fear was the body mysteriously disappearing, turning the survival game into a ghost story¡­


    Immediately, Colin got out of the vehicle and, with Sanna and the others surrounding him, quickly walked towards the corpse. The body looked even paler than yesterday, with blood fully thickened, turning a dark red. Due to the cool temperature, it didn¡¯t emit the foul smell of decaying protein. Overall, the body hadn¡¯t changed much, though the deathly aura was unsettling to the living.


    Colin¡¯s eyes quickly moved to her legs¡­


    There were bite marks, leaving several fist-sized blood holes.


    [You observe that some of the tooth marks resemble those of rodents. It seems that mice came here last night.]


    [The number of mice wasn¡¯t large, probably around a dozen. Otherwise, they would have devoured the entire body.]


    ¡°Mice¡­¡±


    Colin muttered. He hadn¡¯t seen any live animals, including mice, until now. At this moment, a survivor, brought by Number One, approached.


    Though there was no forensic expert, having someone with medical knowledge could still be useful in such moments.


    ¡°Boss¡­ I¡¯m just an intern in proctology. Isn¡¯t this a bit inappropriate¡­¡±


    The survivor stammered. It wasn¡¯t that he feared the corpse¡ªcadavers were common in medical school. But he doubted his expertise would be of any use¡­ He couldn¡¯t exactly perform a rectal exam or treat hemorrhoids on a corpse.


    Despite his reservations, the proctology intern obediently began examining the body for Colin. It was his first time encountering such a ¡°fresh¡± cadaver, and he was a bit excited.


    ¡°She seems to have been bitten by mice, yes, likely bitten yesterday¡­ Time of death appears to be around seventeen to eighteen hours ago, about twenty years old, weighing around one hundred pounds, height about five foot seven, no signs of poisoning, neck laceration seems like it was torn off¡­ like pulling a mushroom, no obvious internal injuries, and judging by her posture, she seems to have died peacefully¡­¡±


    Listening to his analysis, Colin asked in surprise, ¡°Does proctology cover this much?¡±


    ¡°Just amateur detection¡­¡± the survivor replied, his eyes not leaving the body.


    But as he continued to examine, he frowned, ¡°Something¡¯s not right, boss. Did you move her posture¡­?¡±


    ¡°No. What did you find?¡± Colin asked curiously.


    ¡°Uh, it¡¯s a bit strange¡­ saying this might sound bad¡­ but, she died¡­ too cleanly.¡±

 Chapter 64: Colins Countermeasures

    The chariot stopped at the church gates. However, Colin had no immediate plans to disembark.¡°If we assume the warning is genuine and not deceptive, then in six days there will be a major action targeting us ¡®outsiders,¡¯ with the goal of killing us¡­¡±


    Wrapped in the ¡°Meditation Scarf,¡± Colin¡¯s mind worked at lightning speed, sorting out everything in his head. Simultaneously, he used the prompts to verify if his hypothesis was correct.


    ¡¾Based on what you know, you believe the situation is roughly as you imagined.¡¿


    Roughly¡­meaning there are hidden details?


    Colin pondered briefly, then decisively shook his head, discarding these useless and dangerous ¡°side¡± details.


    ¡°Its primary objective is clear, but its underlying motives are still unclear. However, that¡¯s not important for now.


    ¡°Since its primary goal is to kill us, what I need to do is straightforward: I need to counteract it. It wants to kill, so I must save¡­


    ¡°The only thing I can do now is to enhance the overall strength of the survivors as much as possible, to increase humanity¡¯s chances of survival when facing this disaster¡­


    ¡°Hmm, another point is that given the ¡®game¡¯s¡¯ nature, every countdown should start from a whole number¡­¡±


    The blood-red countdown seemed to have already been ticking for a while, indicating it wasn¡¯t a recent occurrence but had existed for some time. It was just hidden until he defeated the lord-level mutant, triggering certain conditions, or due to some deeply buried reasons temporarily beyond comprehension, it was finally exposed¡­


    Then it was forcibly obscured again¡­


    If Colin hadn¡¯t grown rapidly and defeated the lord mutant, everything proceeding slowly¡­


    Everyone would have been caught off guard! Possibly, they might have faced direct annihilation!


    Furthermore, the system hiding crucial information isn¡¯t new; survivors have guessed as much to some extent. For instance, the lack of a ¡°personal panel,¡± ¡°health bar,¡± ¡°complete mission descriptions,¡± and other typical game features.


    Especially mission descriptions, without the prompts, Colin always felt the mission content was only half explained. Now it seems it wasn¡¯t absent but suspected to be hidden¡­


    This has led to survivors being unable to assess their and the monsters¡¯ combat power accurately, resulting in significant casualties.


    However, Colin didn¡¯t dare delve too deeply into this, so he couldn¡¯t understand why it was happening. Besides, this wasn¡¯t something he should focus on now.


    Given the knowledge of the opponent¡¯s goal, there¡¯s a saying: the enemy¡¯s opposition is our support¡­


    Following this thought process, Colin quickly considered how to strengthen humanity collectively and enhance overall power.


    After about ten minutes of contemplation, an idea began to form in Colin¡¯s mind¡ªan idea that could serve multiple purposes.


    That is to openly distribute ¡°Ordinary Tainted Blood¡± and sparingly release ¡°Rare Tainted Blood.¡±


    Firstly, those with surplus and ability will expand upon receiving ordinary blood. This can effectively preserve human resources and stabilize the initial number of servants, ensuring their prices do not exceed the system¡¯s set prices in the short term.


    Secondly, this will drive up servant prices, providing a lifeline for desperate survivors. The more resources they gain from exchanging servants, the better their chances of recovery.


    Thirdly, the new tasks, ¡°Civilization Investigator¡± and ¡°Fog Explorer,¡± will be completed more quickly, especially the rewards ¡°Civilization Investigator¡± title and ¡°Fog Explorer¡± armband.


    Colin was confident that once achieved, there would be a small leap in overall capabilities.


    Therefore, publicizing the advanced blood method became a priority for Colin.


    Secondly, he decided to disclose the synthesis formulas for Level 3 Territories and Level 1 War Chariots. Colin had already seen someone else publish these, so he wasn¡¯t worried about sanctions¡ªthe impact seemed minimal¡­


    Despite previous releases, many were still unaware of the synthesis formulas.


    With the world channel often having billions online, without a freeze-frame setting, simply watching the scrolling feed, people wouldn¡¯t be able to see anything clearly.


    These two measures were Colin¡¯s immediate countermeasures. Their effectiveness was uncertain, but he had to do something.


    Selling black powder, for example, wouldn¡¯t change the big picture. Besides, black powder was already on sale¡­


    After all, Colin had to support hundreds of people, and the expenses were substantial.


    Colin then gathered the survivors to discuss and refine the details, opening the world channel to join the new trending topic, ¡°What will happen in six days?¡±


    It was filled with wails of despair.


    ¡°What do we do? This game is out to kill us! It¡¯s only the second day, and such dangerous things are happening.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s over, I have a feeling everyone will die¡­¡±


    ¡°This game is too hard. We¡¯re just mining and doing daily tasks. How can we survive in six days?¡±


    ¡°Yeah¡­I don¡¯t even dare walk a kilometer outside, afraid of getting lost¡­¡±


    ¡°Hey, go out and kill some monsters. If you had a ¡®Thousand-Jin Battle Axe: holder¡¯s attacks double, each attack has a chance to inflict ¡®Severe Wound¡¯ on enemies with less than 5 strength and endurance,¡¯ you would not be complaining.¡±


    ¡°Free release of Level 3 Territory materials, although¡­I¡¯ve never upgraded, so I can¡¯t guarantee it¡¯s accurate.¡±


    ¡°Brothers, I put ordinary blood on the trading channel, go get it and improve yourselves¡­¡±


    ¡°Is anyone in the same district as Big Boss Colin? Go ask him for help¡­¡±


    The chat channel had both optimism and pessimism. To Colin¡¯s surprise, some had already started taking action.


    ¡°It seems some people thought the same as us.¡± S§×ar?h the N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Colin remarked while switching through the chat content, skimming through it in less than ten seconds.


    A survivor echoed, ¡°Indeed, but unfortunately, there are too few of them. We¡¯ve only seen one or two so far¡­¡±


    Someone in the temporary discussion room added, ¡°This is what happens when you lack a voice.¡±


    Indeed, some were selling blood, even at extremely low prices.


    But such people were rare¡­


    Not everyone was willing to share their gains. Privately, more people were trying to hoard resources before others grew.


    As for those fortunate enough to receive help¡­


    Most¡­weren¡¯t necessarily willing to join in doing ¡°good deeds.¡±

 Chapter 66: The Little Girls Remains

    ¡°Uh¡­ Number Nine, what happened?¡± Colin looked at the person beside Number Two. If he remembered correctly, it was Number Nine, the ¡°Lamp Holder¡± of the Ninth Squad.Currently, only the squad leaders had ¡°names.¡± After dealing with the mutants, three war chariots had been dispatched to search for nearby mines, and it seemed they had found something. But judging by the expression on Number Nine¡¯s face, it seemed unexpected.


    ¡°My Lord, the mine is about three kilometers from here. About a hundred meters inside, there was a collapse, blocking the way.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t see those survivors, but while passing through other parts of the forest, we found five groups of corpses, likely survivors¡­¡±


    ¡°Lamp Holder¡± Number Nine lowered his head slightly while reporting, not daring to look Colin directly in the eye, even though Colin had always been kind and never harsh to them. Being someone Colin had saved from death, he was sincerely loyal and didn¡¯t want to take advantage of Colin¡¯s kindness.


    ¡°Blocked¡­¡± Colin pondered for a moment and then asked, ¡°Were those who died crushed to death? Can you tell how many people entered the cave? Are their lanterns still intact?¡±


    Number Nine thought for a moment, then replied humbly with organized words: ¡°Yes, my Lord, they were all crushed to death. Three of the bodies seem to have been searched; they had nothing on them. The items from the other two bodies are on my war chariot¡­


    ¡°The bodies were in bad shape, likely dead for a few hours. We saw the marks of weapons wielded by a lord-level aberration, so there should be no mistake.


    ¡°As for inside the cave, the survivor named Li Hang estimated there were about ten people¡­¡±


    So it was the group from this morning, killed by a lord-level mutant¡­ Colin continued to ask, ¡°Were there any signs of a struggle in the mine?¡±


    ¡°No, my Lord.¡±


    So at least there was no conflict during their assembly. But this group seems to have gone silent. Who knows what happened to them, or perhaps they were killed instantly¡­ Colin nodded to himself. ¡°I¡¯ll check the supplies here and then go over there¡­¡±


    ¡°No problem, at your command, my Lord.¡±


    ¡°¡­You don¡¯t always have to call me ¡®my Lord.¡¯ It might make our communication more convenient and¡­ relaxed?¡±


    ¡°Understood, my Lord¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡±


    Forget it¡­ Colin smirked, looking at Number Nine¡¯s nervous and tense posture, and decided to drop the correction. Every servant had their own unique personality, but without exception, they were all loyal to Colin.


    Soon, the results of this small assistance mission were in:


    Foul Tainted Blood: 534,987 ml


    Ordinary Tainted Blood: 70,679 ml S§×arch* The ¦Çov§×lFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Fog Points: 2,466


    New Servants: 634


    Steel Plates: 1,136


    A vast amount of resources, which made Colin sigh at how profitable it was to be a good person¡­ Of course, this income wasn¡¯t his; he had been assisting everyone at a 1:5 price, staying true to his original intentions¡­


    These items were exchanged by the dozen or so survivors under his command, all of whom were moved by Colin¡¯s noble character and had donated their materials for him to manage.


    Undoubtedly, Colin had led everyone to a period of blood resource abundance, so there was no immediate concern. Most of what Colin exchanged was for materials, not food. He had enough bread to crush a person without needing to steal from others.


    After a quick calculation, Colin looked at the survivors present: ¡°Get some glass; we can build two more war chariots. Who¡¯s willing to donate their territory?¡±


    Upon hearing this, their eyes lit up, and they eagerly volunteered to contribute to the group. Everyone knew that although their territories were surrendered, they retained no authority over them. However, Colin couldn¡¯t operate so many chariots alone, so the management of the war chariots usually went to the corresponding survivors, essentially giving them a ¡°free¡± chariot!


    Generally, servants controlled the chariots, but when parked, the survivors had the opportunity to drive them. These chariots were powerful and certainly enjoyable to drive!


    Not long after handing the materials to two enthusiastic volunteers and arranging a chariot to transport them, Colin descended from the chariot and looked at the Suffering Church. Under the illumination of six crimson headlights, it was clearly visible. The gray-white walls, blurred thorn patterns, and the lime on the ground all spoke of its antiquity.


    At this moment, the church door remained slightly ajar, leaving a gap for one person to pass through. Footprints from a hasty escape the previous day were still visible on the ground. The pile of rotting flesh in front of the door had just been cleared by Number One.


    However, a strong stench of rotting protein still permeated the area where the ground was soaked with putrid meat juices, making one feel nauseous and uncomfortable. It was the smell of corpses¡ªunbearable even if one could physically tolerate it.


    ¡°Dig some soil to cover that area, then push the door fully open.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    With everyone¡¯s efforts, the soil was quickly filled, significantly reducing the stench. The church door was then swiftly opened, and the crimson headlights shone into the church simultaneously.


    [You attempt to investigate the anomalies of the church, seeking the reason it can block lord-level mutants, but find nothing unusual in its existence. You vaguely sense that the aura emanating from the underground passage might be what restrains them.]


    After some contemplation, Colin took a lantern filled with rare tainted blood and led several squads into the church, walking quickly towards the back of the hall on a dust-covered carpet. The automatic door-closing incident didn¡¯t happen again since the ¡°little girl¡± who had done all this was already dead.


    From the door to the back of the church, it was about fifty meters, with many overturned and scattered benches on either side. Colin moved quickly, knowing there was no danger here. But just as he arrived, he suddenly noticed an unfamiliar skeleton under the twisted statue.


    It was a scattered skeleton, with bones lying in disarray, but the white dress remained conspicuous. At this moment, Colin¡¯s breath hitched, his scalp tingled, pupils contracted, and his left arm¡¯s muscles slightly twitched with a faint pain. However, he quickly returned to normal.


    ¡°Is there any danger?¡± Sanna stepped forward, standing protectively in front of Colin. Her body glowed with a holy white light, ready for battle. However, her blue eyes scanned the area, but she couldn¡¯t see any enemies.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s just an enemy from yesterday, but I¡¯ve already dealt with her.¡± Colin spoke while contemplating the situation.

 Chapter 86: The First Miracle: The Twisted Father

    An almost intact letter was found.It was old and yellowed with a touch of gray, covered in dust, and placed on a fairly well-preserved table.


    The person who wrote it had become a pile of bones scattered around, with some remains still in the clothes on a chair, clearly dead for a long time.


    Since the paper was extremely fragile due to the erosion of time, Colin had no intention of touching it.


    After having Li Chou help collect the bodies, Colin held the lantern above the paper, leaning forward slightly to read its contents.


    The writing was in an unfamiliar script similar to cuneiform.


    With the help of system ¡°machine translation¡± and hint, Colin roughly understood the meaning:


    The plague has erupted again, and the church has abandoned us. Not only do they forbid us from contacting the priests, but they also refuse to send a knight¡­


    They told us that if we are devout followers of the ¡°Mother of Suffering and Thorns,¡± miracles will descend in the midst of pain and despair¡­


    These self-righteous bastards have completely twisted the church¡¯s teachings and distorted the truth of the First Miracle, ¡°The Twisted Father¡±¡­


    Damn these¡­


    Damn these¡­


    ¡­


    The subsequent handwriting became messy and hasty, with the paper even being torn. It was filled with negative emotions and a great deal of despair¡­


    ¡°The First Miracle ¡®The Twisted Father¡¯¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s attention was drawn to this term, and almost instantly, he remembered the statue in the church outside.


    The statue depicted a man with disheveled hair and a gaunt body, bound in an extremely tortured and exaggerated manner to a thorny tree.


    ¡¾You speculate that ¡°The Twisted Father¡± might be the name represented by that statue. During the Age of Suffering, he was known as the First Miracle, the first sufferer, and the beginning of all ¡°suffering,¡± marking the start of this era.¡¿


    ¡°Does this First Miracle imply a sequence, or does it refer to strength? Of course, if he were alive, he probably wouldn¡¯t be weak¡­¡±


    Colin made a quick judgment; after all, the description from the prompt was very high-flown.


    The beginning of the Age of Suffering, the first sufferer, the first miracle, the beginning of all suffering¡­


    It all sounded impressive¡­


    Then, having thought of something, Colin took out the scroll.


    In the quest list, his personal progress as a ¡°Civilization Investigator¡± had jumped from about 0.00002% to about 0.1%.


    It moved forward by two decimal points.


    However, the overall progress still did not meet the recording standards, indicating that the global survey progress was still less than 1%.


    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that there¡¯s only a name and no more details. If I could learn more about ¡®The Twisted Father,¡¯ the progress might have skyrocketed.¡±


    Colin felt a bit regretful.


    Just a name could advance the progress by three decimal points. Imagine if all the details and scandals were unearthed¡­


    No, why do I feel like I¡¯ve become a tabloid reporter¡­


    Colin grumbled and shook his head, not dwelling on it further. He then focused on the contents of the letter.


    ¡°Plague¡­¡±


    He recalled the appearance of these skeletons, all of whom seemed to have been gnawed to death by rats, which didn¡¯t seem related to the plague¡­


    Some remains lay on the ground, hands stretched forward, as if pleading for help in their final moments.


    Then they were completely gnawed clean by rodents, leaving only skeletons. It appeared none had died from disease.


    What does this have to do with the plague? sea??h th§× Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Broken machine translation, it should be a rat disaster.¡±


    Colin muttered, then felt puzzled, ¡°If it¡¯s a rat disaster, where are the rats?¡±


    There weren¡¯t any rats, not even a rat hair or footprint. Besides the gnawing marks on the bones, there was no sign of rats or anything related to them.


    He carefully turned to the next page of the extremely fragile paper, only to find it completely blank.


    ¡°But speaking of which, with such a number of rats, even if they were still alive, they should have starved to death, right?¡±


    Colin imagined a rat plague ravaging the entire town. Theoretically, without food, they would surely starve to death.


    But then he thought of something else and dismissed his idea.


    There¡¯s a ¡°Olive Maiden¡± next door who can make hundreds of thousands of olive trees live just by crying every day.


    It wouldn¡¯t be surprising if there was a ¡°Miracle Boy¡± or ¡°Girl¡± here who could keep millions of rats alive just by crying.


    After all, these two places are quite close¡­


    ¡°Hmm, if it weren¡¯t for the white fog, these areas might not be as close as they seem¡­ This fogseems to be layering the space¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s mind was swirling with thoughts, but the problem remained unresolved¡­


    Where did the rats go?


    ¡¾You realize that these rats are not ordinary; they seem to have used some mysterious means to kill everyone.¡¿


    ¡°Mysterious means¡­¡±


    Colin had to abandon further thought. There were no more breakthroughs to be gained in this area. He could only collect more information and see if the prompts provided new content.


    ¡°But it looks like one thing can be basically confirmed¡­¡±


    ¡°The church is deliberately creating suffering to trigger ¡®miracles¡¯ and then¡­ collect them?¡±


    Otherwise, it¡¯s really hard for Colin to explain why they were so inhumane.


    Or perhaps, for the upper class, ordinary people¡¯s lives are worthless. As long as a ¡°miracle¡± is produced, all the sacrifices have value.


    That¡¯s why Colin saw them as so inhumane.


    The church¡¯s refusal to provide aid this time was probably driven by the same purpose¡­


    Just like with Kimino.


    But he didn¡¯t know if this city had experienced a ¡°miracle.¡±


    Then, Colin shook his head. Such behavior¡­ No matter how you understand it, it¡¯s just idiotic¡­


    As the investigation continued, Colin gathered more historical information¡­


    But he was still completely baffled by what happened to the rats.


    There were quite a few letters in the town, but most were of no value, mostly prayers for miracles, and wishes for what they wanted to eat or see before dying¡­


    Some even pleaded for some encounter with a neighbor¡¯s wife before dying.


    They were all kinds of strange¡ªsome were open-minded, some were desperate, and some were hysterical.


    The only certainty was that they all understood what they were about to face, and the disaster was very sudden, so sudden that everyone died without having time to prepare further.


    ¡°Now, a simple judgment, the town must have gathered about ten to twenty thousand people at that time¡­¡±


    Not a small number, but definitely not insignificant.


    ¡­


    The investigation continued, and as Colin saw more and more leftover information, he began to piece together some clues about the source of the rats.


    ¡°¡®The noise from inside the walls is getting louder. They are coming! They are coming!¡¯¡­ Inside the walls¡­¡±


    Colin pondered. At that moment, he stood in a collapsed building, looking at the ¡°letters¡± on the table that seemed to have been scratched out with someone¡¯s nails¡­


    Were the rats coming out from holes dug in the walls?

 Chapter 90: Theres a Traitor Among Us

    A nearly two-meter-long, grotesquely extended arm reached out towards the outermost servant. The light around its hand was distorted, suggesting that any contact would lead to dire consequences¡­But then, with a whistling sound, a flying iron axe struck its head. With a dull thud, it felt like splitting a wooden stake. The next second, a sharp, piercing scream came from the tall, slender figure. Though faceless and eerily smooth, it clutched its head, screamed, retreated a few steps, and turned to ashes, leaving everything silent.


    Just like that, it was dead?


    Colin, who had just pulled out another axe, was momentarily stunned but quickly realized the screeching sound was very sharp and piercing. Even without any special effects, the more they killed and heard it, the greater the psychological pressure would be¡­


    ¡°Damn it, why scream so loudly when you¡¯re dying¡­¡± Colin cursed inwardly. Knowing these monsters were currently as weak as paper, he immediately led his team to break through and kept moving¡­


    Otherwise, these bizarre creatures would appear in their ranks at any moment. He didn¡¯t know if being touched would truly erase them, but he didn¡¯t want to find out.


    Soon, Colin led the team out of town, and the tall, slender figures didn¡¯t follow. They merely turned to silently watch Colin and his team escape. Only occasionally did a slender figure appear within the lantern¡¯s light, and only when within arm¡¯s reach would it take action. However, these actions were slow and easily thwarted.


    But even as Colin retreated into the forest, along the path they had come, the eerie, tall figures continued to appear quickly. Cold, eerie figures kept emerging from behind the trees. They grew in number, becoming densely packed, making Colin¡¯s scalp tingle.


    Colin couldn¡¯t fathom how many of these tall figures had appeared in just these few minutes¡­


    Explosions, screams, and footsteps echoed intermittently from the forest. Invisible terror brewed wildly over time¡­


    The wind blowing in grew colder and colder. They ran with dry throats, but the wind felt like falling into an ice cellar. They realized profoundly that a certain threshold was rapidly approaching¡­


    Once the time was ripe, the countless tall figures would immediately attack. Colin kept his calm, his gaze sweeping over the team, his mind racing. He felt like he was on the verge of understanding something, but couldn¡¯t quite grasp it¡­


    Everything seemed normal, but Colin knew¡­


    The horror was just a bit of time away from erupting. At that moment, something would inevitably go wrong, which would be the final opportunity and his only chance to break through. Colin had a premonition that if he could understand the rules of this sudden event, dealing with it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    However, at that moment, his heart sank. Suddenly, a rustling sound filled the forest. Tall figures emerged from behind trees, their ¡°gazes¡± filled with malice, slowly approaching. Though they moved slowly, everyone realized in horror that the distance between them was rapidly closing!


    They seemed to warp space to some extent. Just then, Colin noticed a figure within the team, its back writhing madly. Like a splitting image, a new ¡°person¡± joined the team. Colin¡¯s mind flashed, his scalp tingling¡­


    ¡°Damn, why are there thirty-two people in the team?¡± Colin followed the splitting figure¡¯s owner. It was¡­


    Li Chou!


    He was stunned, realizing the source of everything was Li Chou¡­ But after a brief moment, he noticed something was wrong.


    ¡°Here, over here, hehehe, follow us, we¡¯re here, hehehe¡­¡±


    ¡°Hehehe, come on, come on, follow us, let them die, let them die, hehehe, let them die in despair¡­¡±


    ¡°They can¡¯t escape, hehehe, they can¡¯t escape¡­¡±


    Li Chou¡¯s face wore an expression urging everyone to flee, but he kept ¡°calling out,¡± laughing eerily and sharply, eyes filled with malice, summoning those lifeforms from another dimension¡­ And no one else seemed to notice anything wrong.


    At this moment, Colin didn¡¯t hesitate. He felt an invisible influence twisting his memory. If he delayed a few more seconds, he would ¡°forget¡± again. His dark pupils deepened.


    Mental Piercing!


    ¡°Hehehe, qui¡ªugh¡­¡±


    The eerie laughter abruptly stopped as Li Chou groaned in pain, clutching his head and writhing on the ground like a mudfish on a hot iron plate. Simultaneously, all the moving shadows froze, staring eerily at them but making no move. They seemed to lose their coordinates, unable to lock onto Colin, only instinctively watching.


    But as ¡°Li Chou¡± clutched his head and screamed, the shadows hesitated and moved again.


    [You realize this is just a bizarre doppelganger, not the real Li Chou.]


    Clang!


    The prompt appeared, and Colin swung his axe at ¡°his¡± neck. No blood splattered; it felt like chopping into cotton. The corpse quickly disintegrated into ashes. Simultaneously, the tall, ghostly figures stopped.


    ¡°What was that? It looked just like me! What happened? What happened?!¡± Another Li Chou looked bewildered at the ground.


    His shout brought everyone¡¯s attention to the fact that there had been two Li Chous!


    ¡°Are you the real one?¡± Colin instinctively wanted to swing his axe but held back.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Li Chou looked dazed.


    Colin¡¯s cold gaze swept over Li Chou, making him shiver. Colin nodded.


    ¡°Come here, let me show you something amazing¡­¡±


    ¡°Boss, you won¡¯t hurt me, right?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust my word?¡±


    Thud¡­


    Colin¡¯s hand fell, and a head hit the ground, but like a pile of leaves, there was no blood, only ashes. Simultaneously, the pervasive terror eased again. Even the eerie figures dimmed, seeming ready to vanish.


    Sear?h the N?vel(F)ire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

 Chapter 92: The No-Conscience Cannon isnt the best choice, but its cheap!

    Colin never intended to bear this burden alone. What if he carved the characters and still forgot? Only by sharing the pain could they ensure a safer future. So, of course, everyone had to carve the characters together.Before long, everyone had carved the phrase ¡°Kill a clone every hour¡± onto their arms with sterilized, sharp metal. Feeling the constant burning pain in their arms, Colin decided to lead the group back near the town.


    However, he didn¡¯t plan to enter it. Instead, he chose to camp about a mile outside. This way, if there was trouble in the forest, they could escape to the town, and vice versa. If both were problematic, they would have to improvise.


    As for the giant rat¡¯s corpse, they would deal with it the next day. They had already encountered two major events today, leaving them physically and mentally exhausted. They needed a proper rest.


    Dusk was approaching. After finding a flat spot outside the town gate, Colin bought some stones and quickly set up a temporary camp. He then had people gather wood to build a bonfire, using blood as a stimulant. Colin spat a bit, and the large flames roared up.


    As the fire blazed, it was time for the group¡¯s favorite part: eating. Some people stood guard, taking turns to rest and stay alert, keeping everyone in peak condition. Amidst the noise, Colin found a quieter spot, brought out his favorite table and chairs, and sat down. He placed a lantern on the table and took a deep breath, looking at the people around the campfire.


    Despite the numerous dangers, no one had died.


    ¡°It¡¯s a miracle,¡± Colin sighed, hoping it would always be like this, with no one dying around him until the game¡¯s end. Sanna stood silently beside him, ensuring his safety.


    Not lingering too long on their recent luck, Colin took out a scroll and entered his private channel. As soon as he entered, he saw numerous message reports.


    ¡°Today, we made contact with thirty-seven lords, seventeen of whom fully pledged allegiance. The Hunters (four-car formation) found two abandoned cabins.¡±


    ¡°Your subordinate territories have increased to 40, with one third-level territory, eleven second-level territories, and twelve vehicles. The rest are first-level cabins.¡±


    ¡°The ¡®Lampbearer¡¯ squads have increased to 38, with a total population of over 1,700. Current supplies can sustain for five days. Expansion is not recommended.¡±


    ¡°The roads to the church, third-level territory, and three main mine areas are mostly cleared.¡±


    ¡°Consider purchasing another ¡®Hunter¡¯ squad.¡±


    ¡°Today, the Hunter squad discovered Silvermoon Bay in the fog and encountered a significant number of mutants, facing a strong mental attack from what seemed to be a lord-level mutant.¡±


    ¡°To ensure the vehicles¡¯ escape, a ¡®Lampbearer¡¯ squad chose to carry a large amount of explosives and stay behind. They were the sixteenth team; all were heroes.¡±


    ¡°Today¡¯s casualties: twenty-three. Sixteen died covering the retreat, and seven died from the lord-level mutant¡¯s mental attack.¡±


    ¡°This is my fault. The day¡¯s uneventful exploration made me relax my vigilance. I am willing to accept punishment.¡±


    ¡°¡ª¡ªLi Hang.¡±


    Sighing, Colin didn¡¯t issue any severe reprimands. He understood this was the limit for ordinary people encountering a lord-level mutant, especially in a sudden encounter.


    Losing only one team was already commendable. Even if Colin himself had been there, he might not have done better. This result, if shared in the chat, would be highly praised. After all, they were not professionals but ordinary workers recently thrown into this chaos. Managing to stabilize the situation was already an achievement.


    ¡°Make a summary of all issues. Don¡¯t let the sacrifices be in vain,¡± Colin simply replied.


    The lord-level mutant in Silvermoon Bay was likely the ¡°Witch¡¯s Head¡± from the sunken ship, more powerful than the ¡°Mourning Watcher.¡± Its attack methods were unknown, and without Colin personally leading, figuring out its abilities would cost many lives. Ordinary people could only trade their lives for information, with no shortcuts.


    To ensure no critical information was missed, the scroll was always laid out, even when not in use, with a servant constantly watching it to make sure nothing, especially Colin¡¯s messages, was overlooked.


    After sending the information, a reply quickly came:


    ¡°We will do our best to summarize. Thank you for your trust¡ª¡ªLi Hang.¡±


    The topic didn¡¯t last long. After approving some requests, like chariot expansions, Colin returned to his previous task:


    ¡°Any ideas for the design? Make it straightforward, too much data confuses me.¡±


    If there was a good option, Colin wouldn¡¯t hesitate to use it. He urgently needed some transitional weapons to help him gain more benefits in the fog.


    ¡°There is, a cannon called the No-Conscience Cannon.¡±


    ¡°No-Conscience Cannon?¡± Colin was puzzled. He had asked for simplicity, but this seemed a bit too simple, almost nonsensical.


    ¡°Roughly like this.¡±


    The data was quickly transmitted.


    The ¡°Flying Thunder Cannon,¡± commonly known as the ¡°No-Conscience Cannon,¡± is cheap, easy to produce, structurally rugged, and reliable in performance.


    It can perform short-range direct fire or launch bundled explosives, hence the name ¡°Flying Thunder Cannon.¡±


    Most importantly, it doesn¡¯t require high-performance gunpowder, making it suitable for mass deployment in the current situation.


    Of course, compared to the historical version, many adjustments have been made, and the caliber isn¡¯t as exaggerated¡­


    After all, the original ¡°No-Conscience Cannon¡± was basically a simple oil drum, very rudimentary.


    Though they were strapped for resources, they weren¡¯t that desperate. It seems this cannon is actually quite similar to a mortar, or rather, it¡¯s an adaptation based on some mortar model.


    And because the structure is so simple, it even has the extra computational capacity to include a shell casing¡­ Sear?h the ¦ÇovelFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°Good, this will do.¡±


    After reviewing some other designs, Colin ultimately chose this weapon. While it had many flaws, such as being unsuitable for narrow spaces, poor accuracy, and the possibility of barrel explosions due to material quality, and its limited tactical flexibility, it was¡­ cheap!


    This made it hard to refuse.

 Chapter 113: Virus Rampage

    Cough, cough, cough, Russell clutched his chest, wiping the blood from his mouth. Guided by his extraordinary intuition, he said, ¡°I¡¯m fine. One hundred parchment scrolls showing a third of the area¡¯s content is really a good deal. Oh, by the way, your map seems to lack personal positioning. It only shows territory coordinates, no real-time personal coordinates, not to mention any danger markers.¡±Colin and his team looked at him and silently decided to keep any complaints about the system to themselves. Whether it was a coincidence or not, they didn¡¯t want the system to suddenly ¡°manifest¡± again.


    The main reason they weren¡¯t sure if it was the system ¡°manifesting¡± was that just spitting blood seemed too ¡°gentle.¡± At that moment, Colin saw some messages from the survivors guarding their base.


    ¡°Boss, what¡¯s going on? We¡¯ve noticed our parchment scrolls are lagging, responding slowly.¡±


    ¡°We compared with some scrolls from neighboring ¡®alliances,¡¯ and theirs aren¡¯t lagging at all. It seems only ours are.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to describe it. It¡¯s like when someone used to secretly download movies, slowing down the whole network.¡±


    ¡°Boss, do you know what¡¯s going on?¡±


    Colin¡¯s expression turned strange as he began to suspect the reason: his map. Sear?h the Novel?ire(.)ne*t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Viewing the map consumed so much ¡°bandwidth¡±? He turned off the map, and soon received messages from various parts of the team.


    ¡°So slow. My last message was sent ten minutes ago and it just got through now.¡±


    ¡°But it seems to be back to normal now. Just now, switching pages took tens of seconds.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve identified the source of the problem.¡±


    ¡°Five survivors who recently joined us had scrolls with ¡®viruses,¡¯ which infected our group¡¯s scrolls.¡±


    ¡°This is my fault. I underestimated it. I didn¡¯t expect scrolls to carry ¡®viruses¡¯ and wasn¡¯t prepared for it.¡±


    Reading these messages, Colin¡¯s expression became even stranger. He knew it was a misunderstanding and quickly replied:


    ¡°Release those people; it¡¯s not their fault.¡±


    ¡°Not their fault? What happened?¡± came the surprised response.


    Colin explained about the map function.


    Thus, the five bewildered survivors were released from the temporary holding cells. They were full of questions, wondering what had happened.


    ¡°Unfortunately, it seems only I can open the map, which is a bit inconvenient.¡±


    Colin shook his head. The system only had a text function and couldn¡¯t send images, so he couldn¡¯t transmit the map back.


    After some thought, Colin decided to engrave the map onto something and send it as a physical object.


    However, everyone would have to endure some ¡°network lag¡± for a while.


    ¡°Night is approaching fast. I need to finish engraving the map before dark to resolve this issue.¡±


    If he started engraving at night and something happened, even a delay of a few seconds could make things very passive. The closer it got to the countdown, the more mutations in the gray fog appeared, and no one knew what might happen next. Therefore, ensuring smooth communication at night was crucial.


    ¡°First, let¡¯s complete the quest at hand.¡±


    Colin handed over the recently completed ¡°Cleanse the Fallen Nobility¡± quest, acquiring another ¡°Corrupted Eyeball.¡±


    Then he activated the map function and assigned the engraving task to Russell¡¯s female assassin subordinate.


    Stealthily exploring and drawing maps was an assassin¡¯s basic skill, and no one else could do it as meticulously as she could.


    Afterward, Colin used a hint to check the unknown purpose of the eyeball.


    ¡¾You notice it¡¯s laughing.¡¿


    Useless information.


    Colin took out another eyeball, bringing the two soft, nauseating eyeballs together to see if anything would happen.


    ¡¾You notice it keeps laughing, louder now.¡¿


    ¡°More useless hints.¡±


    Without surprise, Colin stored the eyeballs in his bag, thinking they might be useful later. At worst, they could be used as fertilizer.


    About half an hour later, the map was engraved and handed to the waiting group outside.


    Although they had been drawing maps themselves, this one was far more detailed.


    ¡°Be careful when using the map tomorrow. Double-check to avoid dangerous areas,¡± Colin cautioned.


    Maps from the ¡°previous batch¡± of survivors often had dangerous areas marked as ¡°safe,¡± leading to their demise. Their current map, while lacking flashy features, still required caution.


    At that moment, an invisible pressure enveloped them. Colin knew night had fallen.


    The nearby survivors all opened their scrolls, constantly refreshing the world channel to check for unexpected events. Not just his group, but many ¡°idle personnel¡± in the third-level territory also joined the ¡°monitoring operation.¡±


    However, tonight seemed especially peaceful.


    ¡°Almost half an hour now. Why is it so quiet tonight?¡± Colin felt a vague unease. There were no events in the chat channel; everything was ¡°quiet.¡±


    After answering some questions from ¡°special talents,¡± he continued to wait for updates from the territory. But there were only occasional check-ins, indicating that nothing had happened tonight.


    ¡°Forget it, let¡¯s assign the monitoring duty to someone else. The rest should get some rest.¡±


    Feeling tired after a while, Colin knew their main goal was the light under the mountains, not this place. ¡°We¡¯ll rest for six hours tonight and then continue the journey. Actually, we need to wait until tomorrow. We can¡¯t move the ¡®Level 5 Underground Fortress¡¯ without more money.¡±


    With their current physical condition, they needed minimal sleep to stay energetic for a day. But they needed to sell potatoes tomorrow to earn more money to move the Level 5 Underground Fortress.


    ¡°Let¡¯s transfer the territory¡¯s control now.¡±


    Colin rubbed his forehead and looked at Russell, who sat nearby. Transferring a level 5 territory required going to the ¡°core fortress¡± at the bottom.


    Thus, he hadn¡¯t transferred the territory earlier.


    But now it was time to take this from the ¡°previous generation¡± and put it in his own pocket.


    Only then could he fully grasp all the information about the ¡°Level 5 Underground Fortress¡± and better utilize everything here.

 Chapter 120 Lord-level Mutant-Terbidard

    [¡°The Sleepless Terbidard¡±][Quest Description: He was once a high-ranking priest of the Church of Suffering, but after a certain mission, he found himself repeatedly dreaming of a gigantic antlered monster formed from thorns and roots.]


    [This monstrous antlered creature roams the dreamland, constantly tormented by the agony of black steel nails piercing its body, its heart thundering like a storm, and roaring wildly like a beast.]


    [In his dreams, the creature¡¯s body is filled with rage and pain, desperately yearning for the peace of eternal sleep.]


    [One day, after repeatedly dreaming of this majestic monster, the high-ranking priest awoke only to discover that his soul had transformed into a twisted, antlered beast made of tree roots, flesh, and bone¡­]


    [From that day on, he endured the same agony and unquenchable fury as the creature, forever unable to rest peacefully.]


    [His soul was completely twisted into chaos by his torment.]


    [Quest Duration: Unlimited.]


    [Quest Objective: Grant ¡°Mutant-Terbidard¡± eternal rest (kill him).]


    [Quest Reward: ¡°Dream Candle,¡± Light Mark x1, 500 Fog Points.]


    ¡°¡®Light Mark comes from this guy, huh¡­¡± Colin unfurled the parchment, reading the mission details. ¡°What¡¯s this ¡®Dream Candle¡¯? Let¡¯s take a look¡­¡±


    [¡°Dream Candle¡±: This allows you to enter the dreams of others, granting you the advantage of being in your own domain. You can kill enemies within dreams, and dying in the dream will not severely affect your reality.]


    ¡°This¡­¡± Colin started to understand how this ¡°lord-level mutant¡± might have come into existence.


    It probably involved seeing something he shouldn¡¯t have.


    [Hint: If you approach within 100 meters, it will awaken immediately from a shallow dream state.]


    Colin dismissed the hint. ¡°So, turning into a monster through a dream¡­ and a lord-level one at that? What kind of dream could do this¡­¡±


    The thought of this creature in a dream filled Colin with dread.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely a ¡®Great Miracle,¡¯¡± Russell speculated.


    A ¡°Great Miracle¡± appearing in dreams¡ªwitnessing it long enough could transform someone into a similar monster¡­


    Everyone shuddered at the thought.


    Does this mean that even dreaming could be dangerous in the future?


    [You speculate that this likely relates to a past encounter he had and will not randomly happen to others.]


    ¡°No need to worry about this for now¡­¡±


    Colin shared the monster¡¯s information with the others, and to avoid disturbing the creature, they retreated to the back of the mountain.


    Colin carefully peeked over the desolate slope, glancing toward ¡°Terbidard.¡±


    The area spanned about a thousand meters, allowing only a vague view of the creature¡¯s outline¡ªenough to trigger another hint.


    [You suspect that ¡°Terbidard¡± has some form of leaping mobility, allowing it to cover distances of up to 500 meters quickly, though it cannot use this ability consecutively.]


    [Its mental influence will spread rage like a plague, causing those affected to lose their sanity and become its minions¡­]


    [Within a 300-meter range, your heartbeat will become uncontrollable. If you fail to leave its influence quickly, your heart will eventually explode in 30 seconds to three minutes, depending on your physical condition.]


    ¡°¡­Teleportation within 500 meters, mental corruption, heart explosions¡­ Lord-level mutants are as terrifying as ever¡­¡± Colin muttered, unsure if his newfound strength or something else was improving the quality of his hints.


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t fight it and just go around? Seems like there¡¯s only one lord-level mutant here.


    Colin contemplated taking a detour around the High Court, hoping to avoid the creature altogether.  But surrounding the rest of the High Court was a foggy barrier, reminiscent of the edge of the ¡°Olive Witherland,¡± suggesting a similar setup.


    ¡°When I capture this place, I¡¯ll crack this ¡®labyrinth¡¯ technique wide open!¡± Colin thought to himself.


    He shared the information with his team, and they began discussing ways to blow it up.


    Currently, without vehicles and relying only on explosives, their strategy was limited to bombarding it to death.


    The key was to significantly weaken its mental influence during the initial attack phase; otherwise, the tier-three minions wouldn¡¯t stand a chance in battle.


    The mutants¡¯ greatest weakness was their lack of intelligence.


    Apart from ¡°Kimino,¡± Colin and his team hadn¡¯t encountered any mutant with a functioning brain¡­  Although Kimino was labeled a ¡°mutant,¡± it leaned more towards a ¡°miracle¡± that hadn¡¯t fully twisted yet.


    If these lord-level mutant didn¡¯t have fancy tricks up their sleeves, they weren¡¯t particularly difficult to handle.


    ¡°The No-Conscience Cannon should only be used when its mental influence has been reduced by at least seventy percent¡­¡±


    Otherwise, simply approaching such a powerful lifeform would result in mental collapse and death.


    They needed to start with a heavy blow, like during the fight with the ¡°Mourning Watcher,¡± for their combat strategy to work.


    After an intense hour of planning, the group finalized their tactics and prepared for any unexpected scenarios.


    The key was to bombard it in waves until it died.


    Once their discussion ended, everyone memorized their roles and held off on immediate action.


    ¡°I finally understand why you guys could kill lord-level mutants so early¡­¡±


    This was Russell¡¯s first battle alongside Colin¡¯s team, and he finally grasped the reason behind their consistent victories. Back in the day, fighting lord-level mutants only became manageable once all team members reached full attribute scores and had tier-three chariots.


    With tier-one chariots, they could barely cause minor damage or slow it down.


    But with Colin¡¯s help, every aspect of the enemy was laid bare¡ªright down to the smallest detail. Planting explosives along the way, setting up precise bombardments, and employing strategic layouts made even miracles seem possible¡­


    As Russell pondered, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel, ¡°We used to have some crazy analytical tools too, but they either killed their users mysteriously or came with severe limitations like usage counts and accuracy¡­


    ¡°But your ability doesn¡¯t seem to have any of that¡ªit¡¯s practically a cheat¡­¡±


    Colin hadn¡¯t disclosed the finer details, but anyone could guess¡­   S§×ar?h the N?vel?ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If his power didn¡¯t help him avoid pitfalls, Colin would¡¯ve died long ago.


    After another half hour of preparation, the battle plan finally commenced.

 Chapter 123: Close at Hand

    [¡°Light Mark¡±][Type: Level 1 Sacred Mark.]


    [Item Description: A sacred mark crafted through special methods. When carried, it can reduce various mental influences and suppress aberrant beings, evil spirits, and other malevolent entities.]


    [Usable to create ¡°Light Crystals,¡± ¡°Holy Light Runes,¡± and other one-time mystical techniques within the domain of holy light.]


    ¡°Using it on myself might be a waste; it only adds some resistance and suppression effects. But for Sanna, it could bring a significant upgrade¡­ Will she still retain the ability to create ¡®Light Crystals¡¯ after her promotion?¡±


    Colin pondered and realized that she could.


    He took out the ¡°Light Mark¡± and placed it on his palm. It was as light as a paper scrap, looking like a simple drawing of a sun, palm-sized, thin as a sheet, and just as soft. It glowed faintly, not overly bright but still slightly dazzling.


    ¡°One thousand fog points, plenty of Light Condense Stones, and the Light Mark¡­¡±


    With all the materials ready, Colin was not too hesitant about upgrading Sanna. However, just as he was about to proceed, he suddenly had a thought.


    From the attributes, the ¡°Light Mark¡± seemed more aligned with what Colin classified as ¡°Northern Holy Light,¡± a type that emphasized ¡°praise the sun¡± and had effects similar to those of Light Crystals or the priest¡¯s wooden wheel, which incinerated targets down to nothingness.


    In contrast, Sanna¡¯s holy light was more of the ¡°Southern Holy Light,¡± which leaned towards mind control and healing, with purification playing a minor role.


    Though unsure whether these differences were due to varying world conditions, he wondered, ¡°Will this really not cause any issues when used?¡±


    Colin thought cautiously¡­


    [You speculate that the properties of light will transform within Sanna, avoiding any conflicts.]


    That¡¯s reassuring¡­ Colin handed the mark to Sanna.


    Sanna blinked her azure eyes and drew a sun-like circle on her chest with her right hand, expressing polite gratitude: ¡°Thank you¡­¡±


    She already understood Colin¡¯s intention behind giving her the mark.


    ¡°No need¡­¡± Colin opened Sanna¡¯s personal panel and chose to upgrade without hesitation.


    The next moment, the white sacred mark merged into Sanna¡¯s skin, and a hazy light emanated from her.


    Within the misty glow, Sanna¡¯s figure in her white robe with gold edges became indistinct. She stood gracefully with her eyes closed, radiating an aura of elegance and sanctity that made any blasphemous thoughts seem impossible.


    Soon, the light receded, and everyone felt that Sanna¡¯s presence had grown even more pure and sacred. Colin eagerly opened her status panel.


    [Holy Light Priest: Sanna Helaca.]


    Identity: Holy Light Priest of the Eternal Sun Church.


    Description: A loving, gentle priest who brings healing through holy light.


    Status: ¡°Blessing of Courage¡±¡­


    Power: Stage Three.


    Satiation Value: 87


    Strength: 7.7¡ª12.4 (initial value¡ªbuffed state).


    Endurance: 5.2¡ª7.9


    Stamina: 6.1¡ª11.5


    Agility: 3.6¡ª5.1


    Spirit: 3.9¡ª7.1


    Intelligence: 3.3¡ª5.2


    Mana: 6000/6000.


    Skills: ¡­¡°Prayer of Light (new),¡± ¡°Holy Chains (new),¡± ¡°Confession Punch (new),¡± ¡°Judgment of Light (new)¡±¡­


    [Prayer of Light: Consumes a refined light condensate stone to activate holy light, significantly boosting personal attributes. Usable three times daily with a one-hour interval.]


    [Holy Chains: A special chain of light extends from the hand, restraining enemies with a unique suppressive effect on chaotic beings.]


    [Confession Punch: Attacks have a chance to induce a state of remorse in enemies, varying based on attributes.] sea??h th§× N??elFir§×.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Judgment of Light: Condenses light into a sphere and hurls it at enemies for forced purification.]


    Seeing these skills, Colin took a sharp breath: ¡°I knew it¡­ Changes were bound to happen¡­ Sigh.¡±


    Especially ¡°Confession Punch¡±¡ªit¡¯s a classic example of Northern and Southern Holy Light integration.


    But there was no more to say.


    ¡°Sanna, can you¡­ still control your power properly?¡± Colin suddenly thought of this. With a strength of 12.4, he worried that even casual contact might send someone to the ICU.


    Now he somewhat understood why lord-level mutants were so monstrous; their stats were overwhelmingly high, to the extent that ordinary people could be harmed just by proximity.


    ¡°Yeah, no problem¡­¡± Sanna nodded earnestly, reassuring him.


    Meanwhile, Russell found their conversation rather puzzling. Priests generally didn¡¯t possess extraordinary strength, so what was all this fuss about? Though he hadn¡¯t seen Sanna in action, he simply regarded her as a high-status female priest, nothing more.


    ¡°Can you still create ¡®Light Crystals¡¯?¡± Colin asked.


    Sanna tilted her head thoughtfully, then nodded. Every three refined light condensate stones could be synthesized into a Light Crystal, which was easy to use¡ªjust squeeze it a bit.


    Creating them wasn¡¯t overly taxing, and under Colin¡¯s request, Sanna made thirty Light Crystals. After a brief rest, Colin turned his attention to the High Court Ruins¡­


    The result was unchanged¡ªit was still deemed safe.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go check it out¡­¡±


    Colin finally decided to lead the group in exploring the area. He wanted to figure out what was going on.


    Before long, they reached the destroyed, temple-style structure and saw the fallen statue of the Divine Mother. Colin¡¯s eyes instinctively focused on a faint mark on the statue¡¯s arm¡ª


    That mark looked familiar¡­


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the ¡®Light Mark¡¯?¡± Colin froze. There was only a mark at that spot, with no extra ¡°Light Mark¡± present.


    [You realize that this is indeed the ¡®Light Mark¡¯ you obtained¡­]


    What the¡­ Was the system just pocketing items from defeated monsters, adding them to quest rewards, and handing them to me?


    Colin¡¯s mind wandered, but he quickly refocused¡ªnow wasn¡¯t the time for such thoughts. He observed the statue and pondered who might have brought it here.


    The answer was unexpected.


    [You speculate it was that priest who placed it here to ensure that the area remained protected from unknown entities¡­]


    Him again¡­


    Unexpected, but not surprising.


    Colin warily scanned the dark, deep perimeter of the High Court, seeking information from within.


    He was more worried about the antlered beast suddenly resurrecting and launching a surprise attack that could wipe them out.


    With Sanna now at stage three, she had a decent chance of escaping a direct encounter with a lord-level mutant but was still far from being able to confront one head-on.


    He had yet to discover what happened inside, but it wouldn¡¯t be long before they found out.


    With lanterns in hand, Colin and the group cautiously ventured deeper, just as the prompts indicated: though pitch dark, it was otherwise free of dangers.


    The perimeter of the temple wasn¡¯t particularly large either¡­


    Soon, they discovered signs of ¡°Terbidard¡¯s¡± violent crash and scorched debris, but the beast¡¯s body was nowhere to be found.


    [You realize that this is where it died.]


    ¡°Really? I don¡¯t believe it unless you tell me how it died¡­¡± Colin muttered, but the prompt offered no further clues. So, they continued searching nearby.


    Their final conclusion: the antlered giant monster, once the transformed form of a high-ranking priest of the Church of Suffering, had vanished entirely.


    After searching further, they were certain¡ªit was likely truly dead.


    An indescribable dread hung over the group as they stood at the site where ¡°Terbidard¡± had disappeared, feeling a complex mix of emotions.


    A lord-level mutant appeared in the High Court and then just died¡­


    Did this mean that they, too, could suddenly vanish without a trace?


    However¡­


    Light was within reach.


    Colin looked up at the blinding light spreading across the sky, and a strange calm settled within him.

 Chapter 125: Night Falls

    ¡°Announcement: On Sunday! That is, within three hours on the morning of the day after tomorrow, try not to leave your territory. I received some inside information; the disaster is highly likely to strike the morning after tomorrow!¡±¡°I hope all survivors in every region can unite as soon as possible¡­¡±


    ¡°In addition, I will now reveal the upgrade requirements for all higher-level territories¡­¡±


    ¡°The materials needed for a Level 4 territory are¡­¡±


    ¡°Level 2 Chariot¡­¡±


    ¡°Level 2 Underground Fortress¡­¡±


    The blood-red message immediately appeared in everyone¡¯s view.


    The first few hours of the night were usually the most active time in the chat channel; it could be said that when Colin sent out this information, almost everyone saw it.


    ¡°The disaster is arriving early the day after tomorrow? Is this true? If it¡¯s wrong, we¡¯ll waste a lot of time¡­¡±


    ¡°Whatever the big shot says, that¡¯s what it is. Has he ever been wrong? I¡¯m not going out anyway¡­¡±


    ¡°+1 to the guy above¡­¡±


    ¡°Right, would the big shot lie to you for no reason?¡±


    ¡°Hey, I think I can upgrade to Level 4 territory now, thanks to Big Brother Colin¡­¡±


    The chat channel was flooded with messages shortly after Colin released the material details. The words ¡°Congratulations¡­ Upgraded to Level 4 Territory¡± appeared in everyone¡¯s minds. But this time, apart from the material information being related to Colin, everything else had nothing to do with him anymore¡­


    And¡­


    It might not have anything to do with him in the future either.


    Colin was very clear that something would definitely happen the day after tomorrow, something that could be called a ¡°turning point in history.¡±


    The night was long and uneasy, and by early the next morning, influenced by Colin¡¯s words, almost all lords began rapidly converting all resources into war capital and setting up corresponding combat layouts.


    There was no other way; now no one dared to ignore or take lightly the words of the one named ¡°Colin,¡± who topped the rankings. Especially after glimpsing the ¡°Night¡± a few days ago, they instinctively felt fear and had to prepare with even greater urgency.


    Although it seemed like the disaster was only moved forward by half a day, for the survivors, it was essentially like losing a whole day¡¯s time.


    Except for sleeping, chatting, and exchanging information, the night was almost useless for most people.


    Since they had one day less to prepare, they had to work twice as hard today to make up for it.


    In the world of endless fog, the foreseeable outcome of this day would be the emergence of one Level 4 territory, Level 2 war vehicles, and other advanced special constructs sprouting up like mushrooms after the rain.


    Due to the announcement of more advanced construction materials, the prices of various materials began to soar, almost doubling in general.


    This time, those survivors who lacked capabilities were forced to seek refuge with stronger survivors in their regions under immense pressure.


    Because of Colin¡¯s information release, their ¡°retreat¡± was cut off, and they had no choice but to seek alliances.


    This was exactly the scenario Colin wanted to see at the moment.


    Humanity must unite with all their might to find a chance to survive in these terrifying events that offered little hope.


    The time was too short¡ªless than seven days. Unlike Russell and his group, they couldn¡¯t even escape.


    They had no way out.


    Therefore, tomorrow would be the battle where Earth¡¯s civilization puts all its efforts into one decisive conflict!


    Victory means survival; defeat means extinction.


    At this moment, Colin led everyone back inside the High Court and to the glaringly bright door to continue researching the ¡°Light.¡±


    However, an hour passed, and the research remained as fruitless as ever.


    Colin was not discouraged.


    He had not been without gains. At least from Shana, he learned that the ¡°source of light¡± here emitted power that, although similar in essence to the ¡°sun¡± she worshipped, was not the same.


    It was too extreme!


    When exposed to this pure, bright light that rejected everything else, everyone but Colin would feel a surge of fanaticism in their hearts.


    This light seemed to have no ¡°healing¡± properties, only ¡°purification¡±¡ªpurification of everything.


    ¡°No wonder it¡¯s a super material that can boost you straight to Stage Five¡­¡±


    Colin mused.


    He recalled Russell mentioning that Stage Five special talents could simultaneously handle multiple lord-level aberrations, and in one-on-one situations, depending on the talent¡¯s direction, they might even be able to eliminate them instantly¡­


    However, in their generation, only one such individual appeared, and he was of the defensive support type.


    ¡°I wonder if this ¡®Light¡¯ leans more towards offensive or supportive measures¡­¡±


    Colin looked up at the stone throne, quietly pondering since the ¡°hint¡± didn¡¯t provide much clarity in this area.


    He had a rope tied around his waist, one hand behind his back, and his palm opening and closing once per second to signal the people behind him that he was okay. If his hand stopped, Sanna would immediately pull him out of the hall to prevent any accidents.


    Meanwhile, Sanna gazed at Colin in the hall with a worried look in her eyes, but what she couldn¡¯t understand was why the light didn¡¯t affect Colin¡­


    Even when she stared at the stone throne for too long, she would feel some effects, but Mr. Colin was completely unaffected¡­


    Why was that?


    Colin also didn¡¯t know why.


    After some more exploration without further results, Colin decided to abandon his research here.


    ¡°I still need to study the ¡®ghost wall¡¯ near the High Court to see if I can extract that technique¡­¡±


    Colin muttered as he glanced at the hazy areas near the High Court.


    Entering the High Court from anywhere but the main gate led to a ¡°ghost wall,¡± preventing people from reaching their desired locations as expected.


    Colin had briefly experimented with this yesterday, and while it wasn¡¯t particularly dangerous, anyone trying to walk straight ahead would inexplicably end up back outside.


    Yesterday¡¯s events kept him busy, so he didn¡¯t have time to explore, but now, since there was nothing more of value inside the High Court, Colin planned to strip the ¡°ghost wall¡± technology down to its core if possible.


    This phenomenon also worked against mutants, and using it near their territory would ensure that most monsters would only approach from a single direction rather than all sides.


    That would be far preferable to being surrounded from all directions.


    With a radiant lantern in hand, Colin led his team toward the hazy area, constantly triggering hints.


    Before long, Colin focused on a patch of seemingly disturbed ground and walked toward it.


    However, no matter what he did, he couldn¡¯t reach it¡­


    [You realize that when you grasp the ¡°source of light,¡± you will be able to uncover its secrets¡­]


    ¡°Oh, come on¡­ I¡¯ve been looking for you just to gain some extra power for tomorrow¡­¡±


    Colin felt slightly exasperated.


    Shaking his head, he led his team back to study the architecture within and around the hall.


    It was clear that while the outer structures had a style somewhat similar to the inner ones, the inner and outer areas of the High Court were distinctly different in design.


    The inner area appeared more cohesive, while the outer sections resembled ¡°high-quality imitations¡± built in different eras.


    Of course, these insights came from the ¡°hints.¡±


    Looking at the inner region of the High Court, Colin¡¯s mind was awash with thoughts.


    ¡°The light that descended from the sky back then included not just the ¡®source of light¡¯ itself, but also this whole area?¡±


    The key was that an entire area fell from the sky without shattering, showing only signs of impact¡­


    Putting aside where it fell from, even based on descriptions alone, it must have dropped from tens or even hundreds of kilometers high¡­


    The impact that left such a massive crater had undoubtedly surpassed the destructive power of many nuclear explosions¡­


    Yet, the structures inside still remained intact.


    The quality of this architecture was beyond imagination¡­


    ¡°Indeed, mysterious world artifacts defy common sense¡­¡±


    Colin shook his head, putting aside further speculation¡­


    Since exploring the High Court¡¯s inner region didn¡¯t seem to advance his historical mission progress bar, Colin stopped delving into it after three fruitless hours.


    ¡°Dr. Colin¡± resumed his role of ¡°consulting doctor,¡± helping the strange characters around him fulfill their ¡°special talent¡± wishes.


    Soon¡­


    Night fell once more.


    As the night deepened with an increasingly heavy and oppressive atmosphere, everyone returned to their rooms.


    After gathering some information in the chat channel, Colin saw that things were just as he had expected.


    Nearly every region has achieved some form of unification and alliance today.


    Whether through alliances, dominance, or other forms of cooperation, all personnel in each region had come together under Colin¡¯s guidance.


    All of this was done in preparation to fight against the impending doom.


    ¡°Incredible.¡±


    Standing behind Colin, Russell sighed.


    In the early and mid-stages of their generation, most people wouldn¡¯t even consider forming alliances; meeting without stabbing each other could already be considered kind.


    Forming alliances like this was nearly impossible.


    Even when they did manage to band together, distrust and scheming were rampant.


    ¡°Dog-eat-dog¡± incidents were common.


    In Colin¡¯s era, however, with just a few words, he had managed to get most regions to form unified alliances¡ªsomething that would have been unthinkable before.


    After all¡­


    Who could truly trust anyone else?


    But somehow, after escaping civilization, Russell always felt that something was off about the people of his generation.


    They were chaotic¡­


    There was an indescribable sense of disorder.


    Division, unrest, suspicion, and distrust pervaded everyone, almost defining the entire civilization¡¯s history.


    If not for being forced into a last-ditch effort, they might never have united¡­


    Just when they escaped with the treasure map, Russell and the others opened their hearts and realized that none of them were truly evil at their core. In fact, they were all ¡°good people¡± in a sense¡­ But for some reason¡­ Despite not being inherently evil, they had raised their blades against their own kind, with Russell himself having killed at least a couple of survivors¡­


    When they first arrived together, there was laughter and conversation, but it took only a few days for suspicion to set in. Out of the dozens in Russell¡¯s area, he was the only one still alive. Thinking back on it now¡­ He couldn¡¯t understand.


    They had ample resources, no significant threats, no urgent crises¡­ ¡°Why did we, after meeting each other, choose to strike without hesitation?¡± Russell couldn¡¯t help but feel lost. In the early and middle stages of their generation, every encounter with another person began from the presumption of guilt¡­ They seemed to assume that strangers would inevitably harm them, so they had to act first. Even in the later stages, trust among them was rare¡­


    At that time, trust within their civilization only existed in the ¡°world channel¡±¡­ You could only trust those you couldn¡¯t see¡­ But in Colin¡¯s generation, despite having even less¡ªharsher conditions, extreme food scarcity, and immense survival pressure¡­ They received only one black bread as a daily task reward¡­ Under such circumstances, cannibalistic events should have been more likely.


    However, things turned out quite the opposite¡­ When people in Colin¡¯s generation met, they didn¡¯t immediately turn on each other; sometimes, they could even collaborate and help one another. Despite the extreme poverty, with two loaves of bread barely enough for one person, why didn¡¯t they fight? Why did they choose to unite in such life-threatening food shortages? The regional chat was even filled with a kind of ¡°goodness.¡±


    Why was this the case? Russell became increasingly perplexed¡­ He even felt the urge to return to the disaster-stricken land to find out what really happened. Before the calamity struck, they had already fallen apart¡­ In the early days when the special talents began to collapse, they couldn¡¯t band together, and by the time they managed to unite and resist, it was too late.


    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Li Chou patted Russell on the shoulder.


    ¡°Oh, nothing¡­¡± Russell hadn¡¯t intended to say anything, but after thinking it over, he decided to speak up. He called over Dr. Colin, who was ¡°on call¡± nearby, and explained his unusual observations.


    After an hour of discussion, Colin summarized simply, ¡°It¡¯s an abnormal societal atmosphere¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, an abnormal societal atmosphere¡­¡± Russell nodded in agreement. Before the ¡°crossing,¡± their society wasn¡¯t as bad, but after the ¡°crossing,¡± even with abundant resources, everyone seemed to have become vicious towards others in a short time. The whole society carried the underlying belief that ¡°others are hell.¡±


    After further discussion with Russell, it was concluded that due to some influence, perhaps Russ¡¯s or someone else¡¯s, the atmosphere had been turned away from cannibalism.


    ¡°If the talk back then had revolved around cannibalism, we might have gone down that road too¡­¡±


    Colin recalled that the discussions on both the world and regional channels were filled with bleak topics and a depressive atmosphere. It wasn¡¯t until he introduced the lantern and led initiatives like trading water that things started to change. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t perfect, but it wasn¡¯t terrible either. Caution remained, but at least people didn¡¯t judge each other guilty at first sight.


    [You realize that, thanks to your efforts, such atrocities didn¡¯t occur within your group.]


    [You are seen by some as a ¡°savior,¡± by others as a ¡°bastard,¡± but are widely respected as ¡°Mr. Colin.¡±]


    Colin filtered out the insults and scratched his chin. ¡°It seems we really didn¡¯t go down that path¡­¡±


    Using his insights, Colin confirmed that they had avoided that problem and decided to keep his lingering doubts to himself. By now, the night had come. Even if something was trying to incite division, there wasn¡¯t enough time left.


    As the night wore on, things remained unnaturally quiet. Despite the tension, nothing happened. Compared to the disturbances of previous nights¡ªknocks on the door, glimpses from the window¡ªthis eerie calm made Colin feel even more uneasy. It¡¯s the unknown that¡¯s truly terrifying, not the things that have already happened and can be dealt with.


    As the last hour of the night approached, Colin, who had barely slept, used his ¡°world horn¡± one last time. This time, he didn¡¯t announce any information¡ªhe had already given everything he had. He had drained all his knowledge and done everything he could, reaching his absolute limit. In the final hour before the disaster, Colin used the red font of ¡°punishment¡± to send a brief blessing: ¡°May we meet again after the disaster.¡±


    Colin didn¡¯t specify whether ¡°after the disaster¡± meant later tonight or some other time, but he knew everyone would assume it meant later tonight, as he had said so yesterday¡­ Of course, if the ¡°punishment¡± turned out to be all that came, it would be easier to handle since he hadn¡¯t set a specific time, preserving his credibility somewhat¡­


    As the bright red text was sent, the chat channel, which had been dull and lifeless all day, suddenly came alive.


    ¡°May we meet again after the disaster!¡±


    ¡°Bless everyone, hope we can still chat like this then, keep fighting!¡±


    ¡°Stop talking like we¡¯re gonna die, relax!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m XXX, wishing you all the best¡­¡±


    ¡°Whoa, aren¡¯t you a celebrity¡­ still alive, huh?¡±


    ¡°Careful not to use up tomorrow¡¯s horn, it¡¯s almost dawn.¡±


    Messages of blessings filled the chat, lifting the heavy atmosphere, and everyone genuinely wished each other well. Shortly after, as the oppressive tension gradually eased, Colin realized¡­ Dawn had arrived.


    At this moment, Colin looked towards the high court and began moving again. With about an hour of ¡°final preparation time¡± left, he would soon set out to sit on the stone throne. He had handed over all unnecessary items, including the ¡°manhole cover,¡± to Sanna and others¡­ He kept only the parchment scroll and some mysterious objects, transferring everything else¡­


    Because the fusion required some time, during which he could do nothing. With nerves tightly wound, Colin made his last contact with the outside world before leading his team towards the grand hall with a strong religious style. Not long after, he arrived once more at the open doors, and with Sanna¡¯s help, securely tied the ropes and stepped inside.


    This time, he would not stop until he reached the highest position. And at that moment, a sense of calm washed over him; he was no longer as nervous. As he moved about ten meters forward,


    [You realize that taking another step forward will bring about the disaster that affects everyone¡­]


    So it really was ¡°Beware the Night¡±¡­


    Colin¡¯s steps briefly paused but he did not hesitate to move forward. This time, they would face the disaster actively, rather than passively waiting for the countdown to end. At that moment, Colin felt a special force eagerly merging into his body. He instinctively looked up at the throne and the glowing entity above it¡­ But suddenly, a deep fear and unease enveloped him, as if some unseen presence was watching him.


    Colin took a deep breath to steady himself and continued up the path toward the stone throne without running, jumping, or slowing down. He passed by countless kneeling figures¡ªthousands, maybe tens of thousands of corpses lining both sides of the path, leaving only the central road untouched. Colin alone walked this path, as it was considered a severe desecration for anyone else to do so. But only he could walk this path, ensuring no anomalies occurred.


    Everything proceeded silently, as if following some unspoken design. Finally, the surroundings opened up, and Colin reached the base of the stone steps. He ascended them step by step, feeling strangely at peace as he approached the radiant form atop the gray stone throne. This glow ¡°sat¡± on the throne, ¡°gazing¡± down.


    [You realize that a pivotal moment in history has arrived.]


    Colin chuckled quietly, feeling strange calmness. Approaching the throne, his ¡°intuition¡± surged, giving him a vague understanding of many things. Yet this understanding was blurry, as if he grasped some of it but not all¡­ After a brief pause, Colin turned around as if guided by instinct, took a step back, and sat on the throne, resting his hands on the cracked stone arms.


    The next second, an invisible shockwave burst out, instantly disintegrating all the corpses in the hall. The ¡°Source of Light¡± was forcibly drawn into Colin¡¯s body, merging with him¡­ It tried to escape, but it was futile. Almost immediately, Colin¡¯s focus was completely consumed by the fusion, leaving him unable to think clearly. Strange, snail-like tendrils sprouted from his body, reaching out to grasp the light, pulling it into him.


    And in that moment¡­ Blood-red words appeared vividly in Colin¡¯s mind.


    [Detected abnormal behavior by survivor Colin. ¡°Punishment¡± is imminent. Countdown initiated!]


    Punishment? Colin¡¯s brow furrowed; he could feel something even more terrifying was about to happen!


    [Ten¡­]


    [Nine¡­]


    Almost as soon as the countdown warning began, Colin¡¯s vision blurred, as if everything before him was pixelated.


    Suddenly, his heart clenched, and his sight froze. From the sharp edges of some structures in the great hall, strange ¡°smoke¡± started spewing out, twisting and morphing in midair to form a mental entity of indistinct shape.


    It was a creature resembling a slender dog with horrifying exposed fangs, a single crimson eye, and sharp claws.


    An ¡°inspiration¡± suddenly burst in Colin¡¯s mind. Following this inspiration, Colin instantly understood the eerie being before him and realized that it was the source of the ¡°judgment.¡± He understood why this eye felt so familiar!


    ¡°¡­¡®Hound!¡¯¡± Colin muttered as he stared at the creature.


    Though it vaguely resembled a hound, its actual form had nothing to do with dogs; its appearance stemmed from the hunger and predatory nature inherent to its spiritual essence. It awakened a primal fear rooted in human genes, making it appear like a hunting dog eyeing its prey, creating this image in the mind.


    The human eye couldn¡¯t truly observe it; what allowed Colin to ¡°see¡± it was a fear-born hallucination from his own soul.


    And now, the ¡°Hounds¡± weren¡¯t just one but dozens of them, in various sizes! Any one of them possessed the terrifying power to kill a ¡°Lord-class Mutant!¡±


    Colin knew that even having a piece torn from any part of the body by these creatures would instantly kill a regular person, leaving no trace of life behind. Because of their eye, they would first target the victim¡¯s head.


    It seemed that they had been tracking Colin along some trajectory long before this, yet for reasons unknown, these terrifying mental entities had arrived six days late! Had Colin not fused with ¡°Light,¡± they would have arrived even later.


    But now, the ¡°Hounds¡± had finally caught sight of their prey, and they immediately cast their predatory gazes upon him.


    In the next second, Colin felt powerful dizziness and a sudden weakness throughout his body. His eyelids grew as heavy as lead.


    They had launched some kind of unknown mental attack on him!


    But¡­


    What truly horrified Colin wasn¡¯t these suddenly appearing Hounds¡­


    It was something else¡­


    [You realize you cannot let these ¡®Hounds¡¯ delay for too long; another true terror is swiftly approaching!]


    Another thing¡­ the Night?


    ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me, both at the same time!¡±


    Colin realized that the immediate threat before him had to be eliminated immediately, or he would have no chance against the ¡°Night!¡±


    He could resolve this current ¡°disaster¡± at some cost¡­


    But this also meant almost giving up any chance of successfully ¡°ascending.¡±


    But he couldn¡¯t afford to worry about that now!


    Gritting his teeth, Colin lightly tapped the armrest with his left hand, casting a light that enveloped Shana and the others on the periphery. With great effort, he raised his right hand from the stone throne, preparing to forcibly unleash a power he barely understood, something even he didn¡¯t know the name of.


    At that moment, two bloodstained eyeballs unknowingly rolled out of his [backpack].


    As the eyeballs fell to the ground, the entire space within the great hall visibly solidified.


    Splat¡­


    They hit the floor, their gray pupils coincidentally facing the horrific spiritual entities that had invaded from the system.


    ¡°Hahahahahahaha¡­¡±


    A mad, ear-piercing, and contemptuous laugh erupted from the eyeballs. The entire murky space rippled as if on the verge of shattering.


    The sound waves burst forth from the eyeballs like waves, repeatedly crashing against the gray world, shaking it as though it were experiencing a massive earthquake.


    Even the black mist-formed spiritual entities were severely affected.


    The ¡°Hounds¡± were disintegrating!


    Thankfully, Colin, seated on the gray stone throne, was not the primary target of the laughter. Though the sound gave him a headache, it didn¡¯t cause him significant harm¡­ just slight disarray of the Light.


    At this moment, both the attackers and defenders were affected, with all actions disrupted by the sudden appearance of the eyeballs!


    But just then, the laughter abruptly ceased, and the two eyeballs suddenly melted and merged, forming a strange, unknown, chaotic mist.


    In the next second, dozens of swollen, bluish-black tentacles burst out from the chaos, grabbing at the Hounds suspended midair by the mad laughter.


    The Hounds, already frozen, couldn¡¯t dodge at all. In an instant, they were ensnared by the slimy, grotesque tentacles, covered in toothless mouths, crimson eyes, protruding veins, and sharp blood-red spikes.


    Even the intangible spiritual entities couldn¡¯t escape once grasped by these tentacles. They couldn¡¯t even struggle, being slowly dragged into the chaos.


    After that, the spiritual entities felt themselves falling into an endless void, their ¡°ears¡± filled with the sounds of drums, flutes, and indescribable howls.


    Soon, they vanished forever.


    In less than three seconds, Colin realized that the judgment that had plagued him for six days had ended¡ªending almost comically!


    Coming to his senses, Colin looked in horror at the ¡°chaos¡± sprawled on the ground, fearing it would turn its tentacles toward him!


    ¡°What is this thing?!¡±


    Colin¡¯s heart pounded. He remembered that these two eyeballs came from the ¡°Fallen Noble¡± task!


    He realized¡­


    Perhaps he had deliberately ignored their danger at the time¡­


    But Colin quickly discovered his fear was unfounded.


    After bringing a fate worse than death to those spiritual entities, the chaos formed by the eyeballs promptly evaporated, disappearing without a trace, as if it had never existed!


    The entire sequence of events lasted barely three seconds!


    But things didn¡¯t stop there.


    Almost simultaneously with the eyeballs¡¯ disappearance, another impending terror burst forth!


    In that instant, every survivor¡¯s vision darkened, followed by an overwhelming pressure descending from the sky!


    The night had fallen early!


    An invisible pressure blanketed the entire world in just a moment!


    At the same time, amid a heart-pounding sensation that felt like impending death, a line of writhing blood-red text exploded within the minds of all humanity:


    [Beware of the Night! Beware of the Night! Beware of the Night!]


    However, within less than a second, this line was forcibly erased from everyone¡¯s minds by some terrifying power!


    At that moment, everyone felt the crushing weight of a mountain, making any movement impossible¡ªeven heartbeats became laborious! Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    If not for the fact that their diseases had been cured at the moment of descent, many might have died from heart attacks right then.


    If anyone dared to look up at that moment¡ªwhether indoors or outdoors, obstructed or not, anywhere in the world¡ªthey would see the last terrifying scene of their lives.


    Above the sky, a massive black entity resembling a dark moon was descending.


    If the planet beneath Colin¡¯s feet were an ¡°egg,¡± and the gray fog represented the ¡°shell¡± barrier, then this formless, writhing darkness resembled a horrifying giant face pressed against the thin ¡°shell,¡± protruding from the outside, ready to break through at any moment¡­


    The ¡°Night¡± had arrived!

 Chapter 139: The System Appears

    This time¡­They didn¡¯t revive.


    However, as Colin stared at the void before him, a long-standing question in his mind suddenly became clear: how exactly did that witch die?


    The gap between mortals and the extraordinary was vast, as evident from his own recent encounter with a lord-level mutant. It wasn¡¯t something a few ordinary knights could defeat.


    When he first received the mission, he thought it was just a group of elite monsters. But now, he realized things weren¡¯t so simple.


    ¡°A ¡®Frost Witch¡¯ with abilities in frost, mirror traversal¡ªno, more accurately, the ability to move through smooth surfaces¡ªcouldn¡¯t possibly be taken down by some regular knights.¡±


    Clearly, in facing such a powerful witch, the Church of Suffering had sent their true ¡°elite¡±:


    A brigade of undead knights blessed by the ¡°Great Miracle.¡±


    Moreover, they carried an extremely important ¡°mysterious artifact,¡± which was how they killed her.


    And that mysterious artifact¡­


    ¡¾You suspect that the ¡®Shield of the Justice Knight¡¯ played a significant role in the witch hunt.¡¿


    ¡°They used the ¡®Shield of the Justice Knight¡¯ to drag the witch out of the mirror world, preventing her escape, which allowed them to kill her.¡±


    ¡°Even if they lost the battle, it wouldn¡¯t matter. The ¡®Shield of the Justice Knight¡¯ cannot be used against the victor, or else they would face increasingly severe punishments like ¡®whipping,¡¯ ¡®dismemberment,¡¯ or ¡®execution.¡¯¡±


    ¡°But¡­ What if they weren¡¯t afraid of death in the first place? As long as the shield was in their hands, they could grind down their opponent little by little, even if they couldn¡¯t win.¡±


    Colin deeply realized just how terrifying it was to arm these ¡°undead¡± with such an item.


    As for the ¡°duelist madness¡± that tainted their minds, for a group of lunatics like them, venting their lust for dueling through slaughtering ordinary villagers wasn¡¯t all that strange.


    Their quick decision to kill the villagers must have served that purpose.


    If a new miracle emerged during this process, it would only be considered a pleasant surprise.


    ¡°In the end, they completed the witch hunt, collected her miracle-imbued head, and discarded her body. After the cataclysm, her headless corpse turned into an elite mutant.¡±


    ¡°The reason the shield wasn¡¯t found on them is probably because they lost it in a fit of madness. Who knows how many years later, Li Chou happened to pick it up.¡±


    Colin shook his head, realizing he had overthought it. He transformed into a streak of light and moved toward the last destination.


    Soon, as Colin¡¯s figure appeared near a barren wasteland, a strange expression formed on his face.


    It was a desolate wilderness.


    Two lord-level mutants were here¡­ at the same spot.


    And suddenly¡­


    They vanished.


    ¡¾You realize you¡¯ve experienced a similar situation not long ago.¡¿


    It was exactly the same as with ¡°Terbidard¡± that day. Colin frowned. Back then, the mutant had also disappeared inexplicably, without a trace.


    Looking around the deserted surroundings, Colin suddenly had a realization: ¡°These two mutants were dragged here! Almost all lord-level mutants have been affected and are attacking people, so why would these two just¡­ meet here like they were on a date?¡±


    ¡°This means that whatever unknown entity is responsible has at least the power of concealment, teleportation, and some unknown ability to subdue severely injured lord-level mutants.¡±


    ¡°Terbidard¡± was ambushed while severely wounded.


    The same happened with these two lord-level mutants.


    Both had been heavily injured and were about to die when something unknown suddenly intervened.


    ¡°What¡¯s certain is that this thing is intelligent and currently targets lord-level mutants, not us.¡±


    Colin silently made a mental note.


    Now, all the lord-level mutants on the island had been dealt with. With plenty of supplies and a chance to rest¡­


    Colin grabbed his lantern and quickly returned to his territory, planning to wait for the ¡°withered¡± state to arrive.


    Since he had long abandoned his territory, it hadn¡¯t been attacked by the mutants and was completely unharmed.


    Locking the doors and windows tightly, he lay down on a large bed, not worrying about the screams that might escape him soon.


    Colin closed his eyes, lying still, waiting for ¡°death.¡±


    Two minutes remained.


    But just then, a message appeared in his mind, as if condensed from blood.


    It wasn¡¯t just him¡ªalmost everyone had blood-red text appear in their minds.


    System text!


    ¡¾Current progress of all survivors detected¡­ The existing regional barrier will disappear in three days. A broader area will soon be opened.¡¿


    A regional barrier¡­


    Seeing the message, Colin closed his eyes slightly and took a deep breath.


    Is the gate of the beginner¡¯s village about to open?


    But soon, a sudden realization wiped the idea of ¡°lying still to die¡± from his mind.


    Colin thought of something serious.


    Russell had mentioned that most regions weren¡¯t directly connected¡­


    There was usually a distance between them, filled with various dangers.


    Beings like the ¡°Fallen Nobles¡± were not uncommon.


    Had the ¡°Fallen Nobles¡± Colin encountered not been crippled by the priest, a few cannons wouldn¡¯t have been enough to take them down.


    These creatures probably hadn¡¯t appeared earlier due to the gaze of ¡°The Night.¡±


    But as this countdown neared its end¡­


    The influence of ¡°The Night¡± would completely vanish for a time.


    With the retreat of ¡°The Night,¡± would these remaining beings continue to hide in the shadows?


    Fear of ¡°great beings¡± was an instinct for every ¡°ant.¡± But what if that fear disappeared one day?


    The answer was almost self-evident. With human civilization reduced to fragmented ¡°cakes¡± incapable of self-defense¡­


    They would surely seize this moment to strike and plunder.


    Colin had a growing feeling that a more chaotic era was approaching.


    The collapse of chat and related functions has effectively fragmented human civilization into isolated ¡°islands.¡± Can those scrambling to survive before the countdown ends handle the insane remnants of the past? Looking at the overall environment¡­ more known and unknown events are either about to happen or are already unfolding¡­ the future remains difficult.


    Also¡­ those living in the ¡°Era of Suffering¡± undoubtedly knew that a certain apocalypse would eventually occur. Not to mention the insane individuals who gained power through madness and survived in disgusting ways. And as for the ¡°Church of Suffering,¡± which once nearly ruled the entire world, did they not know this too? Would they not have made preparations? Furthermore, were the later insane actions of the church¡­ really just simple madness?


    Colin now realizes they seemed to be indulging, creating, and collecting ¡°miracles¡± in extreme ways. After all, ¡°miracles¡± are born from extreme emotions, and ¡°despair,¡± ¡°pain,¡± and ¡°hatred¡± are far more memorable than true beauty or love¡­


    So, how many ¡°miracles¡± have they collected? What did they collect them for? Did they ultimately succeed? Are the subsequent ¡°Great Miracles¡± the results of their efforts? Colin has already experienced firsthand the horror of the ¡°Great Miracles,¡± and the thought that there are at least thirteen of these monsters triggers his firepower inadequacy syndrome.


    But one thing Colin cannot figure out is¡­ what is the purpose behind the forced arrival of the ¡°Night¡± this time? As the countdown progresses, the ¡°Night¡¯s¡± influence on the world grows, as seen from the suddenly quiet nights of the fourth and fifth days. The strengthening of its influence may have allowed it to suppress ¡°abnormalities,¡± and the earlier door-knocking incidents might have been unintentional side effects¡­ possibly unrelated to the ¡°Night¡± itself.


    It¡¯s like someone accidentally kicking a stone while walking, which crushes a bug, whose juices then drown some bacteria¡­ So, as time passes, by the seventh day, the ¡°Night¡± might fully descend in its true form, not this current ¡°small-scale disturbance.¡± Once the true form descends¡­ they will have no chance¡ªinstant death, with no hope of survival.


    The gap between them is too vast. From this, Colin is sure that the ¡°Night¡¯s¡± goal isn¡¯t to kill, because by the seventh day, when it can fully unleash its power, everyone will be dead. However, the most puzzling point is why it risked paying a price to forcibly descend a day earlier. What ¡°forced¡± it to do so? What exactly is its purpose? Could it be that it¡¯s trying to stop Colin from advancing, thinking of him as some ¡°rat¡± that needs to be exterminated? Colin doesn¡¯t think he¡¯s that important¡­ Even after advancing, he wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat the ¡°Night¡± or save everyone¡ªperhaps not even one person.


    But right now, on the surface, it seems like the ¡°Night¡± is indeed trying to stop him¡­ Moreover, in the end, its power was completely cut off, removed from this time and space. It¡¯s utterly perplexing, like a master playing a micro-game of strategy¡­


    So, did it achieve its hidden goal with this forced descent? Was it trying to stop his advancement because of some unknown, underlying consequence he triggered? Not being able to figure this out leaves Colin uneasy. These great beings, even a single breath from them, could wipe them out if they¡¯re not prepared¡­


    Understanding these high-level beings¡¯ purposes and finding ways to avoid them will become one of Colin¡¯s main objectives moving forward¡­ and one of the most dangerous things he will face. ¡°To sum up, there are roughly three points: First, preparing to defend against opportunistic ¡®aberrations¡¯ is the short-term priority, as they are most likely to appear in the coming three days¡­¡±


    ¡°Second, uncovering the mystery behind the church¡¯s ¡®miracles¡¯ is a mid-term goal. Aberrations generally lack intelligence, and as long as they aren¡¯t provoked, there¡¯s no immediate outbreak, so this can be postponed slightly¡­¡±


    ¡°Finally, understanding the purpose of those great beings is a ¡®long-term¡¯ goal, especially what isolated the ¡®Night.¡¯ Can this isolation be replicated? These are things we need to figure out¡­¡±


    ¡°Hm, I also have a feeling that this ¡®long-term¡¯ might not be that long at all. This withdrawal seems temporary¡ªsix months, a year, two years¡ªit could happen at any time¡­¡±


    ¡°And this retreat will make the environment even worse. For all living beings, survival comes through growing stronger¡­¡±


    ¡°If my guess is correct, there may still be many mutant beings like the ¡®Fallen Nobles.¡¯ When they see us survivors, brimming with resources but without enough time to establish a solid foothold, how could they not be tempted?¡±


    ¡°Plus, with the collapse of the chat channels, I don¡¯t even know if my ¡®red name¡¯ privilege is still intact or if there¡¯s a way to immediately send out warnings¡­¡±


    Colin knows that if he can think of it, so can everyone else, but it will all take time. Every second counts in preventing tragedies. Once those remnants of the old world, like cockroaches, come crawling out, there won¡¯t be much time to prepare.


    ¡°We can only mobilize everyone to try leaving ¡®notes¡¯ through the gift system, informing whoever we can¡­¡± Colin shook his head helplessly as a whirlwind of thoughts surged in his mind. His remaining high attributes allowed him to think through many things in just a few seconds.


    The current situation is like a massive undersea earthquake. While they¡¯ve narrowly avoided the initial shock, countless undercurrents and waves are about to hit. At any moment, they could be torn apart by the currents or capsized by the waves. The future is only going to get harder¡­


    But just then, the system¡¯s message reappeared.


    [All survivors have passed through the ¡®Nightmare of Night¡¯¡­]


    [Rewards will be issued to all survivors: ¡®Recovery Card x1,¡¯ ¡®Random Skill Draw x1,¡¯ ¡®999 Sour and Stale Black Bread¡¯¡­]


    [Rewards have been placed in your inventory. Please check¡­]


    [Note: For those with severe injuries, the system will automatically consume the ¡®Recovery Card.¡¯]


    ¡°A Recovery Card and Random Skill Draw¡­ The system is finally showing some mercy.¡± Colin couldn¡¯t help but exhale. Many survivors, even if they had made it through, were left missing limbs and covered in severe wounds. In such conditions, talking about rebuilding their territories was almost impossible, let alone preparing for the region¡¯s reopening in a few days.


    But with the ¡®Recovery Card,¡¯ they now had a safeguard for their physical condition. They couldn¡¯t endure any more destruction.


    As for the ¡®Random Skill Draw,¡¯ it was an overall boost. The bizarre combinations of skills would significantly enhance all survivors¡¯ resilience.


    As for the ¡®999 HardenedBlack Bread¡¯¡­ Colin felt drained just looking at it.


    Something seemed to come to mind as he quickly took out the scroll and checked the function options¡­


    ¡°The chat function still hasn¡¯t been restored¡­¡± Colin frowned. Of the parchment scroll¡¯s three initial functions, only [Quest List] remained operational. The other two¡ª[Personnel Recruitment] had grayed out, and [Chat Channel] had outright disappeared.


    These were crucial functions, and who knew when they¡¯d be restored? sea??h th§× N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    ¡°We already had less than the previous group, and now even the basic functions aren¡¯t guaranteed¡­¡± Colin rubbed his forehead, unsure of how to proceed.


    Just then, the system¡¯s message changed again. New functions had appeared on the interface.

 Chapter 140: The Ship

    ¡°[Player progress detected¡­ The ¡®Ship¡¯ feature will soon be unlocked¡­][You can modify a ¡®Tier 1 War Chariot¡¯ into a ¡®Tier 1 Ship.¡¯]


    [Note: When a war chariot is modified into a ¡®Tier 1 Ship,¡¯ you will receive a one-time portable transformation ability. Choose an appropriate body of water to place the ship.]¡±


    ¡°A ship feature?¡± Colin was surprised. He had been wondering if he would need to use a treasure map to find the whereabouts of the ¡®Floating Stone.¡¯ Otherwise, it would be difficult to set sail in a short period of time.


    Without going to sea, development would pretty much stall. After all, his current area was basically an island. Apart from a saltpeter mine, there weren¡¯t many resources, and the island itself wasn¡¯t particularly large. If he floored the accelerator, he could reach the coastline in one or two hours at 100 kilometers per hour.


    Instinctively, he wanted to open the chat channel to see what advice the ¡®network experts¡¯ had, but just as he raised his finger, he stopped. The chat channel was gone.


    Colin sighed with mixed emotions, then accessed the ¡°Ship¡± feature via the system prompt.


    [¡°Tier 1 Ship¡±: Refined Steel*500, Glass*100, Special Rubber*100, Thorn of Suffering*200, Fog Points*1500.]


    [Function: Dispels gray fog within a 10-meter radius around the ship; suitable for 100 people¡­]


    [Special Equipment: Special Telescope (Once activated, reduces the gray fog¡¯s effect on visibility by 70%.)]


    [Note: You know that refined steel is an advanced material derived from iron ore.]


    ¡°A new steel grade and rubber grade¡­ In other words, the most expensive parts of the Tier 1 ship are the steel and fog points,¡± Colin mused, analyzing the information. His brain was now processing things at an abnormal speed.


    ¡°The stats seem pretty similar. As for the load capacity¡­ Oh, that¡¯s irrelevant. A survivor can carry an almost unlimited amount of a single type of item¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s thoughts drifted to the special telescope. ¡°Now that¡¯s something useful¡ª70% visibility reduction in the mist. Round that up, and it¡¯s practically ignoring the mist, right?¡±


    No matter whether he planned to set sail or not, Colin decided that he definitely needed to acquire one of these. Even if he ended up just putting the ¡®Tier 1 Ship¡¯ on top of his territory¡¯s buildings as a lookout point, it would still be invaluable.


    But on second thought, how big was this ship?


    [You realize it¡¯s a small ship weighing about 500 tons.]


    ¡°Only 500 tons with all that steel?¡± Colin was puzzled. He didn¡¯t have much of a concept for ships¡¯ sizes, but he had heard of ships on TV that weighed thousands or tens of thousands of tons. A 500-ton warship sounded a bit off to him¡­ Couldn¡¯t a single wave flip it over?


    [You realize it is approximately 30 meters long, 10 meters wide, and has a draft of about 2 meters.]


    ¡°Thirty meters long? Ten meters wide? That doesn¡¯t sound too small¡­¡± Colin thought to himself, recalling that he had a good sense of distances like 10 or 15 meters due to the effective range of various contaminated blood types in the gray fog, a survival skill he had to master.


    ¡°What about a Tier 2 Ship?¡±


    [You realize that a Tier 2 Ship weighs 3,000 tons, with dimensions of about 80 meters in length, 20 meters in width, and a draft of just over 7 meters¡­]


    [Function: Dispels gray fog within a 30-meter radius around the ship; suitable for 300 people. Capable of being modified with cannons, stigmata, and other equipment types¡­]


    [Additional Features: Special Telescope, Compass, Lighthouse (enables detection of common life forms within a 10-kilometer sea area; consumes 10 mist points per hour¡­)]


    [Note: You can spend 300 fog points to activate ¡®Maximum Load,¡¯ tripling the ship¡¯s performance in all aspects¡­]


    ¡°Ten fog points per hour¡ªthis thing¡¯s a money pit. Everything costs resources¡­¡± Colin muttered, but the obvious benefits of the Tier 2 Ship were undeniable.


    He then checked its construction materials and found they were roughly ten times that of a Tier 1 Ship.


    ¡°The cost increase is ridiculous. Building a Tier 2 Ship is about the same as upgrading a Tier 3 War Chariot, except it doesn¡¯t need rare materials¡­¡±


    Colin rubbed his temples. He wasn¡¯t sure how many resources he had at the moment, as the ¡®gifts¡¯ weren¡¯t currently in his possession, nor had he done a proper inventory.


    [You realize that if you are willing to pay the price, you could construct a ¡®Tier 2 Ship¡¯ suitable for seafaring.]


    ¡°We can build it, but first, I need to transmit the information I¡¯ve learned through the ¡®Gift¡¯ feature.¡±


    Colin considered this and looked at the parchment, but his brows furrowed soon after.


    ¡°Wait, why don¡¯t I have the ¡®Gift¡¯ feature on my parchment scroll?¡± S~ea??h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [You realize that the ¡®Gift¡¯ feature, derived from the ¡®Trading Market,¡¯ seems to have been transferred to the survivors¡¯ minds¡­]


    ¡°It¡¯s been transferred to the mind? Just like the ¡®previous generation¡¯ survivors?¡± Colin was taken aback, then puzzled. ¡°So why don¡¯t I have this feature? Am I not a survivor anymore? Or have I been expelled from the survivors?¡±


    He didn¡¯t feel like anything named ¡°Gift¡± was in his mind. When he had been busy dealing with a few aberrations earlier, he had only realized that the feature existed but didn¡¯t know it was located in his brain.


    [Perhaps due to certain special circumstances, you didn¡¯t receive this feature.]


    ¡°¡­Three minutes ago, you dared to call out ¡®Night¡¯ directly, but now you¡¯re beating around the bush. I still have over a minute before I enter the decline phase¡­¡±


    Colin thought for a moment but didn¡¯t dwell on it. He continued reasoning. ¡°Is it because I was in a confrontation with ¡®Night¡¯ at the time, so the system didn¡¯t give me the ¡®Gift¡¯ feature?¡±


    Regardless of whether that was the reason, it gave him a headache. This meant he had limited ways to communicate his insights to others.


    ¡°Sigh, last minute, if I embarrass myself, then so be it¡­¡± Colin sighed inwardly, already feeling a vague, indescribable ¡°emptiness¡± in his soul. The gradual decline of his strength felt like an unstoppable loss of blood.


    He still didn¡¯t know what the direct effects of being in a ¡°withered¡± state would be. The hints weren¡¯t clear, only saying it would feel ¡°uncomfortable.¡±


    However, he had a hunch that it would be uncomfortable enough to make him roll around in pain, which would be quite undignified in front of his subordinates. But¡­ never mind.


    Colin shook his head. This series of thoughts had only taken him about ten seconds. He noticed that the system¡¯s blood-red text in his mind hadn¡¯t disappeared yet.


    ¡°Is there more?¡±


    As soon as Colin had this thought, the writhing blood letters in his mind transformed once again. A new line of text appeared.

 Chapter 141: The Land of Sin

    [Detection: The current survivor¡¯s progress has met the requirements¡­][A phase-wide task is about to be issued to all: ¡°The Land of Sin¡±¡ªset foot on the birthplace of all suffering.]


    [This task has been added to the ¡°Parchment Scroll¡ªQuest List.¡± You can check the detailed information at your convenience.]


    Colin wasn¡¯t too surprised by the appearance of a new task.


    After all, the last time he first killed a ¡°Lord-class Mutant,¡± a task had been issued to everyone. However, a phase-wide task¡­ this was the first time he¡¯d seen one.


    Including this, Colin now had three phase tasks on him. One was ¡°The Witch¡¯s Head,¡± another was ¡°The Withered Olive Tree,¡± and now this new one.


    ¡°But¡­ the birthplace of all suffering? Are we supposed to go fight the final boss? I barely escaped death, the area just opened up, and we still don¡¯t even know how to survive. Now, the main boss has been pointed out? You must really think highly of us¡­¡±


    Colin muttered to himself. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, this task was also appearing for the first time. At least for Russell¡¯s group, there had only been two universal tasks. Now, they were further along than that group, so an additional task wasn¡¯t too surprising.


    Without hesitation, he quickly opened the parchment, which was already at hand, and checked the task list.


    ¡°The Land of Sin¡±


    [Quest Description: The birthplace of all suffering, the land where the First Miracle, ¡°The Twisted Holy Father,¡± manifested its miracle. It was once the center of the entire Era of Suffering, the most prosperous, grand, yet also darkest and most twisted area. The final destination of countless ¡°miracles.¡± Go there. There, you will find everything you wish to know. All the truths of this age are there¡­]


    [Quest Time Limit: 176:54:36¡­]


    [Quest Requirement: Set foot on the ¡°Land of Sin¡± and there, witness the true form of the First Miracle, ¡°The Twisted Holy Father!¡±]


    [Quest Rewards: Hardened Black Bread*999, Fog Points*1000, Recovery Card*1]


    ¡°Witness the true form of the First Miracle, ¡®The Twisted Holy Father¡¯?¡±


    Skimming through the description, Colin¡¯s first thought was:


    Isn¡¯t this just sending them to die?


    The remaining survivors couldn¡¯t even look directly at a Lord-class Mutant, let alone a ¡°Great Miracle¡±! And now they were supposed to face the true form of a Great Miracle?


    Just the Seventh Miracle, ¡°The Pain¡¯s Bearer,¡± had only bestowed a blessing and already created an immortal cavalry of pointed-hat knights. How powerful must its true form be?


    ¡°Facing a being like that¡­ even if I had hacks, it¡¯d still be a fifty-fifty chance at best. Now, you want us to meet the true form?¡±


    For a moment, Colin couldn¡¯t help but wonder if the system¡¯s CPU had glitched. Why issue a task like this¡ªwas it even possible for them to complete?


    It was as if the system was really overestimating their abilities.


    ¡°And what I want to know most is: does this age even matter? I want to know how to go home, how to take everyone back to Earth, back to a place where we can drink soda, play games, eat fries, and indulge in junk food every day. That¡¯s the only thing I care about now. Does your so-called ¡®truth¡¯ include that?¡±


    To be honest, in the first few days, Colin had been somewhat curious about how this world had become what it was. But after everything he¡¯d been through, he no longer cared about the secrets of this so-called ¡°World of Suffering.¡± Now, all he wanted was to return home and bring the survivors back with him.


    Never to set foot in such a place again¡­


    But then, something in the system¡¯s message made Colin pause.


    It said:


    [Perhaps, there you will find what you want to know.]


    ¡°Really?¡±


    Colin was taken aback. Could they really find out how they ended up here?


    And more importantly, how to return to Earth?


    Suddenly, a new goal emerged in his mind: to set foot on that so-called ¡°Land of Sin¡± and bring the survivors back!


    ¡°Let¡¯s hope you¡¯re not lying to me,¡± Colin muttered silently.


    The system didn¡¯t offer any more specific information. Despite being something he interacted with frequently, the system remained a mystery to him.


    It was even more mysterious than the main game system!


    [The answer may not be exactly what you expect, but at least you believe that there, you will find an answer.]


    Shaking off the thoughts in his head, Colin focused on analyzing the task, his mind racing.


    ¡°The place where the First Miracle, ¡®The Twisted Holy Father,¡¯ manifested, the center of the Era of Suffering¡­¡±


    He muttered to himself. Colin didn¡¯t know much about the ¡°World of Suffering,¡± but he had a feeling¡­ Sear?h the N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    That in that era, there must have been a lot of people¡­


    In just over forty days since the ¡°Gondor¡± survivors arrived, they had killed billions of Mutants. Colin¡¯s group, a civilization of young Earthlings, must have numbered in the tens of billions at least, if you did the math.


    And yet, despite having wiped out untold billions of Abominations, the number still seemed endless.


    So, just how many people had lived during the ¡°Era of Suffering¡±?


    With such a vast population, it was inevitable that this world would have changed fundamentally. Yet, it still resembled a medieval society, just with enough to eat.


    These were the kinds of questions Colin couldn¡¯t begin to answer¡­


    One thing was clear though: the population of the ¡°World of Suffering¡± far surpassed that of Earth.


    ¡°For a church to have unified such a massive population across an entire world, how did they manage it? Was it through miracles?¡±


    A flood of perplexing thoughts crossed Colin¡¯s mind. He shook his head, focusing on analyzing the task information.


    ¡°A land where countless ¡®miracles¡¯ converge¡­ So, this confirms my theory: the Church of Suffering has been artificially creating ¡®miracles¡¯ through distortion and despair¡­¡±


    His eyes swept over the task details, finally settling on the task timer.


    ¡°176.54.36¡­ A countdown. Roughly five or six months left¡­¡±


    Colin contemplated for a moment. He had become quite sensitive to countdowns after his various experiences. He knew that countdowns were not to be taken lightly. When they ended, something bad usually happened.


    For example, the countdown in the ¡°Rats in the Walls¡± quest¡­


    That countdown hadn¡¯t had much to do with him personally. When it ended, it marked the death of the last survivor. Had he arrived after the countdown ended¡­ He would likely have only found the remains of the survivors, devoured by the monsters.


    Now, as he considered the countdown for the ¡°Land of Sin,¡± a feeling of unease crept over him.


    Without hesitation, Colin delved deeper into his thoughts on the matter.

 Chapter 142: A System Like Sparse Weeds

    ¡¾Someone has stirred fate. When the countdown ends, the ¡°miracle¡± known as ¡°suffering¡± will return and descend upon this land.¡¿¡°¡®The miracle of suffering¡¯ will return and descend¡­¡±


    Colin¡¯s mood darkened slightly. The phrasing of the prompt was somewhat peculiar, referring to ¡°suffering¡± as a ¡°miracle.¡± What could be summarized with the two words ¡°suffering¡±? It wasn¡¯t referring to ¡°sufferers,¡± ¡°The Pain¡¯s Bearer¡± ¡°Ashes and Silver¡± or anything else¡­ just the two words ¡°suffering.¡±


    ¡°Could it be another divine descent?¡±


    Colin recalled a revered name. If anything could embody all suffering, it would undoubtedly be¡­ ¡°The Mother of Suffering and Thorns.¡± This deity grants all miracles of suffering¡­ All current ¡°miracles¡± originate from this unknown high entity. Yet, she is also the most mysterious. Aside from the fact that the miracles of suffering stem from her, there is no information about her.


    ¡°Is she still alive?¡±


    Colin remembered that at the end of the ¡°Era of Suffering,¡± a cataclysm had erupted, turning everyone who didn¡¯t become a skeleton into a mutant. After that, there were no further developments¡­ He had always thought that this pinnacle of the ¡°Era of Suffering¡± had died along with it. But now it seemed otherwise¡­


    ¡°It¡¯s very likely that, like the ¡®Night,¡¯ she is in some special state, unable to easily arrive. But who has stirred the ripples of fate?¡±


    ¡¾You realize that it is not you who has initiated this fateful event¡­¡¿


    Not me? Then who is it? Who is so bored as to stir up trouble? Is there not enough hassle already?


    Colin felt a headache coming on. ¡°I fear this might be like the ¡®Night,¡¯ which likely began its countdown long ago, but only now is revealing itself¡­¡±


    He continued to activate the prompt, wanting to confirm the status of ¡°The Mother of Suffering and Thorns,¡± to learn if she would descend. Unsurprisingly, Colin didn¡¯t obtain any valuable information; everything he got was useless.


    However, while the information wasn¡¯t clear, it could be inferred that this task was indeed related to ¡°The Mother of Suffering and Thorns.¡± Moreover, Colin sensed a high probability that it involved her return.


    In that moment¡­


    A flash of insight crossed Colin¡¯s mind. Was this Kymino¡¯s plan? Did he want these people to prevent the descent and return of ¡°The Mother of Suffering and Thorns¡±? While Colin had roughly discerned the reasons for Kimino¡¯s assistance, he still wasn¡¯t clear on his more specific goals¡­


    Now it seemed¡­ the reasons were emerging?


    ¡°What will happen if we don¡¯t go there?¡±


    ¡¾You speculate that some past events may repeat, and history will return to its origin¡­¡¿


    The events that occurred in the past refer to the unknown disaster that caused the end of the Era of Suffering? Colin pondered, realizing that history contained many confusing contradictions, so he decided not to dwell on it further and to leave that for a time when he could acquire more information.


    After all, there was still nearly half a year until the countdown ended.


    Half a year is a very ¡°long¡± time¡­ S§×arch* The n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Given the current pace of development¡­


    ¡°By then, maybe the orbital cannon will have been developed.¡±


    Colin muttered to himself, though he knew that was unlikely; he was just venting.


    Right now, the real urgency was the ¡°area quarantine¡± being lifted in three days. By then, who knows how many aberrations would take advantage of the situation¡­


    What are the enemies like?


    How many of them are there?


    What is their strength?


    He needed to prepare for all of these.


    At that moment, Colin suddenly thought of something. Was there a ¡°fog wall¡± between the areas?


    He looked out the window.


    At this moment, the outside world was as bright as day, with holy light hanging high above the entire island, casting pure, bright rays that illuminated every corner like a massive lampshade.


    This level of illumination only served to provide some ¡°light and fog dispersal¡± effects, without causing overly troublesome ¡°holy light fervor.¡± However, it did give Colin a vague sense of the entire island¡¯s layout.


    Within the range Colin could sense, he didn¡¯t feel the ¡°fog wall¡± described by other survivors. Not even outside the island did he have a similar feeling¡­


    Forget it¡­ This thing isn¡¯t particularly important right now.


    As Colin returned to his awareness, he ¡°looked¡± outside the island and found that it was still nighttime¡ªan utterly ordinary night in the true sense.


    ¡°There¡¯s only an hour until dawn¡­¡±


    Colin began to feel an overwhelming sense of fatigue, hunger in his stomach, and a hollow feeling in his mind.


    This was merely some physiological reactions.


    What felt worse was a sense of¡­ emptiness in his soul.


    Colin inexplicably felt as if he could disappear at any moment.


    Even though he knew that wouldn¡¯t happen, there was just this strange sensation.


    At that moment, the blood-red text in his mind that hadn¡¯t faded changed again.


    Soon, new content appeared in his mind.


    ¡¾The system¡¯s ¡®chat channel,¡¯ ¡®trading market,¡¯ and other functions are about to reopen.¡¿


    Colin gritted his teeth against fatigue to check: ¡°Finally restored. It¡¯s been shut down for so long. It seems the ¡®Night¡¯ had a significant impact on it, but just reopening is already quite good¡­¡±


    At this moment, among the remaining territories, the survivors erupted in ecstatic voices upon seeing this message.


    In the beginning, everyone had been separated unit by unit, relying solely on a chat channel to persist.


    After all, humans are social animals¡­


    However, the cheers suddenly came to an abrupt stop.


    They realized they seemed to have celebrated too early.


    ¡¾Due to the influence of the ¡°unknown,¡± the ¡®world channel¡¯ within the ¡®chat channel¡¯ will be temporarily opened, only once a week on weekends¡­¡¿


    Oh no¡­ Colin was also taken aback.


    ¡¾Additionally, the ¡®area channel,¡¯ ¡®personal channel,¡¯ and other area chat functions will resume after dawn.¡¿


    ¡¾Moreover, collecting ten parchment scrolls from other survivors will allow this area to merge with other area channels¡­¡¿


    ¡¾When the overall integration progress between the various areas reaches fifty percent, the system will fully restore the ¡®world channel¡¯ function.¡¿


    ¡°The system is trying to save itself?¡±


    Upon seeing this long string of information, Colin immediately thought of this point, and he realized¡­


    ¡°Isn¡¯t the parchment scroll itself a creation of the system? How could it not recover its own creations? Does it still need our help to establish connections?¡±


    Though Colin had previously realized that the system¡¯s situation was dire, he hadn¡¯t expected it to be this bad, unable to even retrieve its own items¡­


    ¡¾The ¡®gift¡¯ system will be completely canceled after dawn, reverting back to the ¡®trading market,¡¯ and will be opened once a week alongside the ¡®world channel.¡¯¡¿


    ¡¾Furthermore, to promote integration progress, a new task will soon be issued: ¡®Civilization Reforging Plan¡¯¡­¡¿

 Chapter 143: Before Dawn

    ¡°Why is the system suddenly spitting out messages like it¡¯s on a spree?¡± Colin muttered to himself, but he didn¡¯t ease his focus.¡°Civilization Reforging Plan¡±


    Quest Details: Reforge the light of civilization, starting with communication¡­


    Quest Duration: No limit.


    Quest Requirements: Collect ten parchments from other regions to enable information exchange between different areas. Each time a region is integrated, a reward will be issued.


    Note: Multiple people can integrate the same region. Once integrated, all channels from the regions involved will connect together.


    Quest Progress: Zero.


    Quest Rewards: Level 1 custom design blueprint *1, Fog Points *1000, Hardened black bread *9¡­


    ¡°The system is really eager in this regard, willing to give out such good things as a ¡®Level 1 Design Blueprint¡¯ and 1000 Fog Points¡­ if lucky, it¡¯s almost like we won¡¯t have to give anything in return¡­¡± Colin pondered.


    Finding survivors from other regions was something he needed to do next; with ¡°region integration,¡± it would become more convenient.


    ¡°But the timing for restoring the regional channels is really inconvenient, right? Can¡¯t it be restored now? That way, I wouldn¡¯t have to expend energy spreading the news¡­¡± Colin complained, but before he could grumble further, a wave of intense fatigue hit him suddenly.


    Only a few seconds remained¡­


    The ¡°exhaustion¡± state was becoming more and more evident.


    ¡°I need to pass on this information¡­¡±


    Colin propped himself up from the bed, preparing to leave for the mine to inform Li Hang.


    However, he suddenly realized he didn¡¯t need to do that; there was a better way to convey the information¡­


    Then, guided by an instinct that felt innate, Colin slightly closed his eyes. In the next second, he felt as though he had submerged into his mental world, which was enveloped in darkness, as if he were in a special dimension.


    He could only sense his own existence.


    However, after carefully perceiving, the outline of an island appeared in Colin¡¯s mind, followed by some starlight-like ¡°light points¡± gradually emerging above the island.


    ¡°These light points¡­¡±


    Colin sensed that these ¡°light points¡± were likely the loyal servants who had followed him for a long time, transformed into a devout belief after the appearance of the holy light. Now, he could convey the information directly and accurately through this mysterious connection. Sear?h the Nov§×l?ire.n(e)t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Colin ¡°looked¡± at these ¡°light points¡± as they continuously sent out subtle ripples, as if they were calling out his name or entering a kind of fervor, simply murmuring¡­


    When he felt the time was right, Colin organized the information he needed to pass on through this connection and instinctively ¡°blew¡± it out.


    Centered around him, a layer of special soft light rippled outward, like pushing ripples in calm water with his hand. Each ¡°light point¡± touched by the ripples received the information he had compiled. Once received, this information could be directly understood¡­


    However, the recipients of this information were limited to those on his island.


    In the wider world¡­ darkness enveloped everything.


    ¡°It¡¯s the Lord! The voice of the Lord has appeared in my ears¡­ like a ¡®divine oracle¡¯!¡±


    ¡°I heard it too! I heard it too!¡±


    ¡°What did he say?¡± one survivor quickly asked.


    He knew that the ¡°Lord¡± they referred to was Colin, not them.


    ¡°He told all survivors to immediately relay this information through the notes in ¡®Gifts¡¯¡­¡±


    Upon hearing this, Li Hang quickly shouted, ¡°Hurry up and do it! After dawn, we won¡¯t be able to contact the outside world!¡±


    The next time the ¡°World Channel¡± opened would be seven days later; if they waited until then to notify everyone, there might be no one left alive.


    ¡­


    Note: ¡°Warning! A large number of unknown creatures may attack three days from now! Below is the information compiled by Mr. Colin¡­ Please help to forward it¡­¡±


    In one territory, a survivor receiving this ¡°Gift¡± looked at the note and felt uneasy¡­


    ¡°Trouble in three days again?¡±


    Only three days of rest, and now facing another big problem?


    The system had just used a ¡°Recovery Card¡± on him, restoring his two severed hands and his torn lower body, as well as those intestines that had fallen outside. Though his body was restored, the exhaustion of his mind remained, making recovery difficult¡­ Especially since so many of his comrades had died in battle, he wanted to give them a proper burial. But¡­


    There was no time left.


    However, this time, the survivor did not feel discouraged; he simply looked at the bloody battlefield that hadn¡¯t been cleaned up yet.


    ¡°I will survive for you.¡±


    After saying this, the survivor was about to start preparing for himself. But then he stopped.


    ¡°Many people still don¡¯t know about this information. I can take it slow; besides, after continuously battling two lord-level aberrations, everyone has reached their limit. It¡¯s just right to let them rest a bit¡­¡±


    With that thought, he immediately began using the ¡°Gift¡± system to relay the information he had just obtained. He knew that the more people who were prepared, the more likely one of them would survive. If in the past he had wished for more people to die in the region¡­


    Now¡­ He just wanted to see more humans live.


    ¡­


    ¡°What? I thought we could finally gather together in three days. I was ready to drive a War Chariot to find you¡­¡±


    ¡°Is this game ever going to end? We just finished fighting and they drop another big questt, and now in three days, we have to deal with a bunch of trouble¡­¡±


    ¡°Colin is alive! That¡¯s great!¡±


    ¡°I have a feeling this blessing was given to us by the boss. I remember vaguely seeing the boss¡­ he was shouting¡­ let there be light!¡±


    ¡°I saw it too¡­¡±


    ¡°The boss told you to hurry up and relay the information; don¡¯t dawdle¡­¡±


    At this moment, the ¡°Gifts¡± in all survivors¡¯ minds turned into an alternative ¡°World Channel.¡± As long as they passed something like black bread, they could use a ¡°listing¡± feature to exchange information with others. However, they couldn¡¯t ¡°post replies.¡±


    But some remembered that the previous ¡°Trading Market¡± had many ¡°Gifts,¡± and the system would automatically distribute supplies to those in need. Now, it seemed that this was no longer the case. They weren¡¯t particularly concerned about it.


    As people began to spontaneously relay this information, more and more individuals learned about the events expected to happen in three days. This time, even without Colin¡¯s involvement, the information was effectively disseminated.


    Of course, this was also because the number of surviving humans was indeed dwindling¡­ The humans who remained could only do so by sticking together; otherwise, survival would be impossible.


    So if one person knew about this, the entire territory would know.

 Chapter 144: The Hand Reaching In Through The Window

    As everyone was passing on information, Colin suddenly felt a profound exhaustion and emptiness envelop him. An indescribable sensation¡­ Weakness, frailty, fatigue¡­ with no chance for rest. S§×ar?h the n??el Fire.n§×t website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.He sat on the bed, his eyelids struggling for a moment before he lost all strength and collapsed onto the mattress. In an instant, he nearly lost all rationality. Lying on the bed, his face slightly contorted, his expression revealed an inexpressible weariness. There was no pain, only an overwhelming fatigue¡­


    It stemmed from his soul, from his psyche¡­


    So tired¡­


    So uncomfortable¡­


    Colin¡¯s body twitched from time to time. He never imagined that exhaustion could torment a person¡¯s mind so severely; it even exceeded ordinary pain. It felt as if he¡¯d been on a non-stop mission for an entire year, with all the weariness exploding at once, every muscle fiber worn down, engraved into his bones and soul, making it hard to cope.


    In the room, only the occasional sound of breathing proved that he was still alive. Meanwhile, outside, almost at the moment Colin sank into a ¡°withered¡± state, the glowing ¡°sun¡± high in the vaulted ceiling suddenly appeared to shatter like a broken mirror, revealing countless cracks and dropping numerous shimmering fragments.


    Then the light began to fade rapidly. As the cracks multiplied, the ¡°sun¡± that illuminated the entire island continued to disintegrate, and all the debris dissolved like snowflakes before it even hit the ground. In an extremely short time after the cracks appeared, the light vanished completely.


    The entire island world was once again plunged into darkness, and a mysterious gray mist covered everything, returning the world to silence and tranquility. At the same time, in the tranquil third-tier territory, only Colin¡¯s figure occasionally twisted on the bed. Aside from him, there was no one else here.


    On a table not far from his bed stood a lantern. No matter how Colin writhed on the bed, the light of the lantern, filled with filthy blood, remained calm, quietly burning.


    However, at that moment¡­ The still candlelight suddenly flickered. It seemed as if something abnormal had occurred. The partially open bedroom door led into a hall, and while there were no windows in Colin¡¯s bedroom, there were in the hall.


    At the moment the candlelight flickered, a small area outside the glass window began to churn with gray fog, as if something was gathering. When the mist thickened to a certain extent, a face suddenly appeared and pressed against the glass window.


    The face had hollow eye sockets but seemed to possess a gaze that stretched out from those hollowed eyes, looking through the partially opened door towards the bedroom, towards the figure deeply immersed in exhaustion.


    The face was extremely blurry and pale, barely recognizable as human, pressed tightly against the windowsill, creating an eerie impression.


    Outside the window, although it was a three-story height, there should be nothing but gray mist, yet a face appeared, defying logic¡­ No, not just a face; shortly after it appeared, a pair of pale and blurry hands appeared on the glass, pressing tightly below the face.


    This scene resembled someone peering inside from outside the window. If Li Hang and the others were present, they would definitely notice this was the strange ¡°gaze¡± they felt the previous night.


    But soon, it seemed that the entity was not satisfied with merely peering inside; it wanted to go further. In the next moment, the entire window trembled, making intolerable cracking sounds.


    But paradoxically, despite this, the fragile glass showed no signs of breaking.


    Before long, with a loud crack, the bolt securing the window twisted slightly. The window opened a crack, allowing a chilling breeze to flow into the territory, but all sounds fell silent the moment the gap appeared.


    This crack was not large, merely the thickness of a fingernail, but it seemed sufficient for the bizarre entity.


    Some unique aura began to seep in; these transparent entities twisted the light as they gradually poured into the room, stretching toward Colin. They passed through the hall, seeping through the partially open door, inching closer. The light of the lantern flickered wildly¡­


    But at this moment, Colin was entirely unable to react or notice anything. In his ¡°withered¡± state, he was completely shrouded in extreme fatigue, losing all responses to the outside world, with his body existing in a condition driven only by physiological instinct.


    His mind was weak to a state nearing emptiness. At this point, he had no defenses left, not even better off than an infant¡­


    Just then, the cold aura surged into the room, but¡­ it seemed to bypass Colin on the bed and stretched toward the lantern. Carrying an unsettling, chilling presence, as it drew nearer to the lantern, it increasingly revealed the shape of a hand.


    Or rather¡­ it was just the shape of a hand.


    A pale arm extending from the window, nearly ten meters long, continuously attempted to approach the lantern, as if wanting to snuff it out¡­


    At this moment, the hand finally touched the table a few minutes later. It rested on the table that Colin had found in the Suffering Church, trying to drag it back to facilitate closer contact with the lantern. But at that moment¡­


    For reasons unknown, this elongated, pale, cold, and seemingly transparent hand suddenly released its grip, quickly retracting. It was like a startled bird, frightened and withdrawing at incredible speed, disappearing from the room.


    With a loud bang, the window was suddenly shut. It had completely left this place.


    And just then, Colin, who had been making low sounds on the bed, suddenly relaxed his expression.


    The intense physiological fatigue received some form of special restoration. Deep within Colin¡¯s consciousness, that hollow soul gradually recovered, re-emerging. His awareness broke free from the extreme fatigue; although he still felt especially drowsy, had reached a state where he could think normally.


    Then, he immediately ¡°looked¡± at the thing that had suddenly appeared in his mind.


    It was a writhing mass of deep red information. Colin was no stranger to this deep red; it was the ¡°rare foul blood¡± from lord-level aberrations, this high-grade blood enveloping a mass that seemed to carry some form of living ¡°data stream.¡±


    From this information mass, a special force characteristic continuously radiated out, which was precisely the power relieving Colin of that intense fatigue. This power was also somewhat familiar to Colin.


    Recovery card¡­


    He did not attempt to ¡°wake up¡± because that would subject him to the dual torment of physiological and psychological fatigue. After briefly sensing his body internally and externally, confirming there seemed to be no significant issues at present, he shifted all his attention to the ¡°data mass¡± wrapped in blood.


    Colin gazed at this entity that had suddenly visited his mental world. He vaguely sensed its intent; in the depths of his mind, he emitted a hoarse and weak ¡°voice.¡±


    ¡°System.¡±

 Chapter 145: The Broken System

    When this stream of data appeared, Colin already realized what it was. Although it looked similar to the previous information clusters, the strange and unique ¡°vitality¡± it emanated made Colin understand that this was the ¡°system¡±¡ªthe same entity that had repeatedly issued warnings to survivors and had been forcibly erased by the ¡°Night.¡±Colin had been considering how to communicate with it, but he never expected the entity to come directly to him.


    ¡°I can confirm that, compared to what I felt during the ¡®Sanction,¡¯ this stream of ¡®data¡¯ indeed shows no hostility¡­¡± Colin pondered.


    As he contemplated, the information cluster began to change. The deep red data rapidly unfurled in Colin¡¯s mind. It seemed to be¡­ a mission log?


    [Detected system damage rate has reached 91%, and the damage is continuing to expand. Reorganization is imminent¡­]


    [Reorganization complete¡­]


    [¡°Civilization Database¡± selection complete; preparing for deployment¡­]


    [Error occurred during deployment; target error¡­]


    [The system cannot abandon civilization¡­]


    [Running imminent¡­]


    ¡°Is this¡­ a mission log?¡± Colin was taken aback; he hadn¡¯t expected the information from the system to be like this. Was this from their current iteration?


    [¡­]


    [Detected that the ¡®Observation System Template¡¯ is under ¡®unknown¡¯ influence, severely corrupted and distorted¡­]


    [Safety module activated¡­]


    [Complete destruction of this function has been implemented; ¡®data analysis,¡¯ ¡®personnel panel,¡¯ and ¡®life measurement¡¯ functions will no longer be provided¡­]


    ¡°This isn¡¯t from our iteration; this is from the previous system¡¯s mission log.¡± Upon seeing the data analysis and other features, Colin immediately realized that these functions were not present in their iteration; they belonged to the previous one.


    Wait?!


    Deployment error?


    ¡°Does this mean that the previous iteration is actually ours? Because of some error, we didn¡¯t receive what we were supposed to have?¡± sea??h th§× N??eFire.¦Çet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Colin was shocked. He had thought that the ¡°civilization content¡± swap was a cruel joke by the system; he hadn¡¯t expected the true reason to be this.


    Suddenly, Colin¡¯s heart tightened¡­


    [Detected that the ¡®Observation System Module¡¯ is still operational¡­]


    ¡°Didn¡¯t it just get destroyed a second ago?¡± A wave of horror surged within Colin as the mission log appeared again.


    [Safety module activated¡­]


    [Safety module under invasion¡­]


    [Highest-level alert; entering maximum load state. Maximum computing power engaged¡­]


    [¡®Unknown¡¯ invasion has been expelled¡­]


    [¡®System Sanction¡¯ function lost¡­]


    [System attempting repairs¡­]


    [Attempt failed¡­]


    [Based on comprehensive judgment, the system has no more computing power to recreate or retrieve the ¡®Sanction¡¯ function and will abandon this incident¡­]


    [This incident has failed¡­]


    ¡°So, this is the reason for your chaotic sanctions?¡± Colin suddenly realized, damn it, the system¡¯s functionality was snatched away.


    No wonder the sanctions seemed so contradictory. According to Russell, sanctions would arrive on the same day, while he had seven days. It was likely that the system achieved this through some backdoor.


    ¡°Is the one who stole the ¡®Sanction¡¯ function that eyeball lurking in the dark space?¡± Colin couldn¡¯t help but wonder if that giant eyeball had laid traps for the highly perceptive individuals.


    Why would it do that?


    But he didn¡¯t have time to think too much because more horrifying information kept refreshing¡­


    [¡­ Detected that the system¡¯s ¡®Savings Module¡¯ is under ¡®unknown¡¯ corruption, invasion, and plunder.]


    [System security procedures are initiating¡­]


    [This incident has failed¡­]


    [Only ¡®servants¡¯ and ¡®hardened black bread¡¯ data templates retained¡­]


    So this is why we only have servants and eat bread every day? Colin furrowed his brow; he didn¡¯t understand. Wouldn¡¯t it be easy to repair this?


    [Tip: You suspect this is something similar to a ¡®template,¡¯ just like a model for printing paper money, making it difficult to replicate.]


    Read at azilatl.space


    ¡­


    [Detected the appearance of ¡®Arrivers¡¯ in the deployment group; attempting to eradicate them failed; the ¡®Sanction¡¯ function has been lost¡­]


    [Detected that the system¡¯s graphical function has suffered ¡®unknown¡¯ attacks¡­]


    [Attempting repairs¡­]


    [Attempt failed¡­]


    [Detected that the system¡¯s ¡®Final Civilization Seed Bank¡¯ has been invaded!!!]


    [The supreme protocol ¡®Final High Wall¡¯ will be activated!]


    [Successfully expelled the invaders¡­]


    [To ensure the operation of the ¡®Final High Wall,¡¯ other templates are under heavy attack¡­]


    [The system¡¯s ¡®Mission¡¯ function¡¯s content has been extensively altered¡­]


    [Attempting repairs¡­]


    [Attempt failed; in order to maintain the ¡®Final High Wall¡¯ protocol operation, there is no more computing power to invest in it¡­]


    [Attempt failed¡­]


    [Attempt failed¡­]


    [Attempt failed¡­]


    A multitude of ¡°attempt failed¡± messages kept refreshing, and Colin¡¯s gaze froze, leaving him at a loss for words. He hadn¡¯t expected that what he thought was a high-level civilization or a system from a lofty position could be reduced to this state.


    Suddenly, scenes of brutal wild dogs feasting on prey in the wilderness flashed through Colin¡¯s mind. The ¡°system¡± on the log resembled the prey being devoured in such a cruel manner.


    ¡°I suspected your condition was bad before, but I didn¡¯t think it could be this bad. No, it¡¯s not just bad; it¡¯s akin to being a human pig,¡± Colin exhaled, feeling his thoughts buzzing and chaotic. ¡°I thought you were scheming so many conspiracies. I didn¡¯t expect you to be this pathetic.¡±


    Invasion, alteration, plunder, attack, corruption, erasure¡­ Colin realized that these actions were not just from a single ¡°unknown¡± entity but from a large group. Each ¡°unknown¡± took a bite out of it¡­


    ¡°Then¡­ what are the ¡®Arrivers¡¯?¡± Colin recalled what the system log mentioned earlier about its intended targets for sanctions.


    [You suspect these are some ¡®polluted¡¯ survivors who have fallen into a fervent worship of certain incomprehensible entities¡­]


    Is this the reason for the sudden division of Russell¡¯s civilization? Colin pondered. But clearly, it suggested terrifying entities like the Night, so he prudently refrained from delving deeper. However, at this moment, Colin suddenly understood one thing: the ¡°unknowns¡± that lurked within the system were likely what it feared from the beginning¡­


    The current system was like a human pig; its eyes had been gouged out, its tongue cut out, and its limbs severed. It couldn¡¯t do anything at all, nor did it have the ability to act.


    And amidst the multitude of failed attempts, all functions like daily check-ins, maps, bullets, and other random features had lost their efficacy. At that moment, Colin felt a chill in his heart. How was he supposed to win?


    Just then, after several minutes, or perhaps even longer, of ¡°attempt failed¡± messages, the system seemed to finally reach its breaking point.

 Chapter 146: The Reorganized System

    [Detected: ¡°System¡± total damage has reached 94%. Contamination area is continuously expanding and is now irreversible.]


    [Comprehensive assessment: System reorganization imminent.]


    [¡­]


    [¡­]


    ¡°Another reorganization.¡±


    Colin silently waited. He knew that this time, it was their turn.


    He was more interested in seeing how they came to be here, rather than just glossing over it with a simple statement about their deployment.


    Not long after¡­


    [Reorganization complete.]


    [This time, total system damage reached 96%. 3% of computational power will be allocated to the operation of the ¡°Final Wall¡± protocol, and 1% to maintain the basic operation of deployed personnel.]


    ¡°The last reorganization occurred when the damage reached 91%, but this time it started at 96%.¡±


    Colin suddenly realized that the system had likely reorganized many more times than just two or three. Each time, it was worse than the last.


    ¡°Wait, so the last time wasn¡¯t even the better one?¡± Colin realized that before the previous reorganization, the system¡¯s damage rate was even lower, which meant it had more functions.


    He couldn¡¯t even imagine how luxurious it must have been in the past.


    Did everyone have a ¡°golden finger¡±?


    ¡°So, now it¡¯s certain that the system has deployed more than one group of people. Each deployment is done in units of entire civilizations.¡±


    However, the 1% computational power explained why it was painfully slow for Colin and the others to unlock even a map, while others could unlock everything with just 100 people; they needed 300.


    The previous generation had gigabit fiber, and they had dial-up.


    And they were still sharing a dial-up connection.


    [Detected: The final system damage rate has reached 97%. Once it reaches 97%, the system will no longer be able to ensure the safety of deployed personnel.]


    [To ensure safety, this generation¡¯s system will draft a new protocol to minimize the appearance of ¡°descenders.¡±]


    Colin sharply noticed the phrase ¡°this generation,¡± which implied that the current system was completely cut off from the previous one. He remembered Russell mentioning that their functions still existed, but were in a state of disuse.


    Moreover, they couldn¡¯t use the parchment scrolls.


    This further confirmed Colin¡¯s suspicions.


    After ¡°loading¡± for a while, the system finally seemed to decide which information to display.


    [New protocol drafted.]


    [To prevent widespread contamination from affecting all personnel, all system functions will be extracted from the survivors¡¯ brains and transferred to other vessels to prioritize human survival.]


    [The ¡°Parchment Scrolls¡± have been created.]


    [Function transfer in progress.]


    ¡°This¡­¡±


    Colin hadn¡¯t expected there to be such a hidden story behind the creation of the parchment scrolls. Looking at the cold system text, he actually felt a little moved.


    [Deployment preparation in progress.]


    [Detected: Abnormal data intrusion into the deployment process.]


    [Abnormality has disappeared.]


    [Unable to detect the impact of this event.]


    [To prevent large-scale contamination, which would lead to greater safety risks, all individuals will be urgently dispersed upon arrival.]


    ¡°So there was an issue during the deployment again, with an unknown anomaly invading?¡±


    Colin was startled. Another mystery solved¡ªbased on the system¡¯s logs, it seemed to be on the survivors¡¯ side.


    But there were still many puzzling actions, such as the dispersal of personnel, which he could never quite figure out.


    Now it was clear.


    To avoid everyone dying all at once, the system forcibly dispersed everyone upon arrival to buy enough reaction time and prevent a mass outbreak of contamination that could threaten the system itself.


    It seemed to be an unavoidable compromise.


    But just at this moment¡­


    [Detected: An extreme and terrifying ¡°unknown anomaly¡± is rapidly approaching.]


    [The system is analyzing the lack of involvement with this anomaly.]


    [The approach of the ¡°unknown anomaly¡± is related to the previous data intrusion.]


    [System attempting to communicate.]


    [Attempt failed.]


    [Detected: An imminent multidimensional strike.]


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    ¡°¡®The Night¡¯? Wait, was ¡®The Night¡¯ attracted by something? Was it the anomaly from the last intrusion?¡±


    Colin suddenly had a realization.


    But what exactly?


    However, the system didn¡¯t provide further logs, either because it was too dangerous or for some other reason.


    What was clear was that the system had withstood the strike.


    [System damage rate has reached 96.7%.]


    Whoa¡­ Not even 1% of computational power left, Colin clicked his tongue. sea??h th§× novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    Aside from the 3% allocated to maintaining the ¡°Final Wall¡± protocol, only 0.3% of computational power was distributed to them.


    The previous generation had at least 6%, which was why they could live so comfortably.


    This time, Colin hadn¡¯t even descended yet, and they were already facing a series of crises. In the end, only 3% of the computational power was left.


    He was increasingly curious about what had caused this disaster, attracting ¡°The Night¡± to them.


    ¡°Wait, hold on. If ¡®The Night¡¯ is something recent, then what was that 45-day countdown about?¡±


    Colin suddenly remembered Russell¡¯s 45-day countdown.


    If theirs was a sudden event, what was going on now?


    ¡°Right, according to Russell, they experienced anomalies, personnel splits, etc., which occurred when the system was massively invaded. That description is different from ¡®The Night.''¡±


    ¡°¡®The Night¡¯s¡¯ attacks are direct and terrifying strikes, with no looting or invasion behavior.¡±


    ¡°They didn¡¯t experience anything like knocking on doors at night. It seemed to be various splits and anomalies.¡±


    As Colin thought about it, a chilling idea crossed his mind: ¡°During that 45-day period, something¡­ had already successfully descended, and ¡®The Night¡¯ was attracted by it.¡±


    ¡°We were just caught in a disaster.¡±


    He suddenly realized he had a misconception in his thinking.


    He had assumed the 45-day countdown was fixed, meaning every generation of survivors would encounter this event right upon their arrival.


    But now¡­ It seemed like things were much more complicated, with deeper secrets involved.


    Colin tried using the ¡°Hint¡± function to get more information, but unfortunately, it displayed a very professional attitude towards this particular event.


    He couldn¡¯t get anything useful.


    However, an odd intuition told him that they had likely already come into contact with that unknown invasion.


    ¡°But the system¡¯s mission logs never clearly stated why it¡¯s doing all of this. Why does it deploy people to these worlds? How were we brought here? What is its purpose?¡±


    Colin furrowed his brow deeply.


    At this point, the system information reappeared.

 Chapter 147: Blood Draw

    [Due to the impact of the recent emergency, the system¡¯s operational capacity has fallen below the baseline. To better maintain basic system functions, a new round of adjustments will be made.]


    [To relieve the pressure of insufficient computational power, the system will impose a 95% fee on the polluted blood collected from all deployed personnel, to ensure the core sectors are safely protected.]


    ¡°Ninety-five percent?!¡±


    Upon seeing this message, Colin blurted out, ¡°What the hell!¡±


    ¡°Can you even call this a fee? This is basically draining blood straight from the main artery.¡±


    Colin finally understood why the five-meter-tall ¡°Mourning Watcher¡± had only bled a few milliliters¡ªthis was all because of that outrageous extraction rate. It was absurdly high.


    However, realizing that the system was making a compromise for their safety, he could only let it go in the end.


    [The system will scramble all current personnel serial numbers, assigning them randomly to ensure no connection between the serial numbers and the survivors, preventing any unknown infection from spreading through the numbers.]


    ¡°And I randomly got 123456,¡± Colin grumbled. He had always been curious about why the numbers seemed so arbitrary. Now, it turned out to be part of the plan.


    [According to the logs of the previous system, the system will change ¡°Survival in the Fog¡± to ¡°Global Fog Survival Game,¡± introducing the concept of a game to all survivors.]


    [Note: This measure reduced feelings of despair and depression among survivors by 40%, preventing the majority from falling into ¡°absolute despair¡± at the final moment. This action has been proven highly successful.]


    ¡°So that¡¯s why¡­ Russell never mentioned it was a game?¡± Colin mused. Because of this ¡°game¡± concept, everyone was able to ¡°calmly¡± accept death, clinging to the last bit of hope¡ªhoping that it was all just a game, that after dying, they would return to reality and their normal lives. Otherwise, the ¡°great relay¡± might not have occurred, and human civilization would have perished in this event.


    Colin didn¡¯t have much to say about this ¡°deception¡± and continued reading silently. sea??h th§× NovelFire.net* website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    [Detected: The ¡°Sanction¡± has reactivated and will attempt annihilation.]


    [Annihilation attempt failed.]


    [0.1% of the computational power will be allocated to resist if necessary.]


    ¡°So the ¡®Sanction¡¯ is directed at us, huh? And it¡¯s because of this 0.1% protection that the ¡®Sanction¡¯ has been delayed by seven days?¡±


    Colin realized that whenever the system¡¯s text turned red, it meant it was using ¡°polluted blood.¡± So, back then, the system had already started fighting back.


    ¡°It seems like the ¡®polluted blood¡¯ has other functions we haven¡¯t discovered yet, such as helping us maintain our sanity in the face of higher-dimensional threats.¡±


    The system, seemingly unconcerned now, began flashing a flood of new information in front of his eyes.


    As Colin read through the logs, all he could think was how miserable it all was. So many abnormal behaviors had been explained, and all the contradictions now made sense¡ªespecially the random punishments. Now, the ¡°Sanction¡± function had been seized by that big eye, or rather, stolen by that dog-like creature. It used the ¡°Sanction¡± system to hunt highly sensitive individuals.


    The lantern incident was most likely related to it.


    Overall, it seemed the system had been issued ¡°critical condition¡± notices countless times, enough to stack into a thick pile.


    Then, during all of this, someone had sneakily cut off the system¡¯s fingers, unlocked the invasion, snipped its oxygen tube, injected cancer cells into it, punched and kicked it, poured cement dust into its oxygen tank, and forged its will.


    Compared to all of this, Colin actually felt guilty.


    He had just ¡°entered¡± the ICU.


    One was an ICU regular, while the other had just arrived, lying on the same hospital bed, competing to see who was worse off.


    ¡°You¡¯re definitely worse,¡± Colin sighed.


    Just then, the system logs finally caught up to the present, and Colin saw information related to himself.


    [Detected: A survivor has triggered a special quest created by the previous system through unique means. Accepting¡­]


    ¡°A specialQuest? ¡®Twisted Soul¡¯? A task from the previous system?¡±


    Colin was surprised again.


    [Hint: You realize that the current system lacks the capacity to issue high-value quests. Some tasks may not necessarily originate from the system itself.]


    ¡°So it can work like that? No wonder the rewards for ¡®triggered tasks¡¯ and ¡®issued tasks¡¯ are so high.¡±


    ¡°It turns out they have nothing to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Hmm, it seems that tasks from the previous system are likely to be contaminated, which means when we take them, we¡¯ll definitely encounter ¡®Lord-class aberrations.¡¯¡±


    How can one tell if a task is issued by the current system?


    Colin wondered for a moment but quickly figured out the answer without needing a hint.


    ¡°Stale, hard black bread.¡±


    The current system could only issue such poor rewards.


    [Hint: You realize it¡¯s not just that. The system can also sneak the black bread into the rewards after you accept a task, disguising it as one of its own tasks.]


    ¡°What a clever little trickster,¡± Colin couldn¡¯t help but mutter.


    [Attempting to reclaim task rewards from the previous system.]


    [Attempt failed. Versions incompatible. Can only be retrieved through normal means.]


    ¡°Your specs are too low. They can run your black bread, but you can¡¯t run their content,¡± Colin muttered.


    At this moment, another system log related to him appeared.


    [Detected: Survivor serial number 654321 has completed the triggered quest. System evaluation in progress.]


    [Quest evaluation in progress. Evaluated as SS rank (failure to kill the ¡°Mourning Watcher¡± before completing the task).]


    SS?


    I thought it was an S?


    Colin blinked in surprise. He distinctly remembered his first triggered task being evaluated as ¡°S¡± rank.


    The most important reward was a ¡°recovery card.¡± Without it, he might not have survived the subsequent explorations.


    But soon, as new system information appeared, Colin¡¯s expression became strange, and whatever sense of gratitude he had disappeared.


    [Reward distribution failed.]


    [System storage database suffered massive data loss, unable to distribute corresponding rewards.]


    [Evaluation criteria will be adjusted.]


    [Detected: Survivor serial number 654321 has completed the triggered quest. Quest re-evaluated as S rank (failure to kill the ¡°Mourning Watcher¡± before completing the task).]


    [Reward distribution successful.]


    ¡°Well, then.¡±


    Colin hadn¡¯t expected this system to pull off such a sly trick.


    Simply raise the standards, lower the evaluation rank, and voila, no worries about not being able to issue rewards.


    [The system has no further computational power to issue additional ¡°evaluation bonuses.¡± Attempting to unload the ¡°evaluation¡± feature.]


    [Attempt failed.]


    [Survivors capable of completing contaminated tasks from the previous system possess significant value.]


    [This attempt has been canceled.]


    ¡°Well, at least it¡¯s got a bit of a conscience.¡±


    Colin muttered, watching as the system refreshed its information once again.