Free Web NovelChapter 159: Chapter 159: The Bet with Well 5
There are two arks leading to the refuge?
Bai Wu faintly strung together some information after Jing Wu’s remark.
Seven hundred years ago, during The Era of the High Tower, technology was at the same level as in his previous life, so how could humans possibly have built such a luxurious casino in the deep sea then?
He had been curious about this before.
Although the physical rules of this world had been heavily distorted, with temperature becoming extreme and various force fields chaotic, without the Dragon Race, such a palace shouldn’t even exist at the bottom of the ocean.
Following Jing Wu’s words, Bai Wu guessed a possibility:
"Are you suggesting that this place... is the sunken ark?"
"Smart. To be precise, the casino is part of the ark, a place provided for people’s entertainment, while the rest is located deep within the sea, or perhaps elsewhere... We are still searching, maybe you will find it before us someday?"
"Why are you telling me all this?"
"I just find it interesting, it’s rare to see someone with your qualifications. There’s no need to return to High Tower, why not work for me instead?"
Jing Wu spoke frankly.
As an Evil Fallen just shy of reaching the "black" threshold and capable of using the Sequence’s power, Jing Wu viewed Bai Wu as a promising prospect.
After all, his other siblings all had impressive henchmen, and he had been looking for talent in this regard.
He had taken an interest in one, but Jing Wu deemed that Evil Fallen’s body too massive.
Bai Wu also picked up on Jing Wu’s train of thought.
Perhaps the ark’s sinking was related to High Tower... and this person wanted him to despise High Tower.
This was indeed along the same lines as Cain’s seduction of the captain.
Work for you? Are you as attractive as my team captain? Is your wife as good-looking as Dwarf’s Wife?
Although that’s what he thought, Bai Wu chose to keep probing:
"If you want me to work for you, then stop harassing these people."
"That’s a response lacking sincerity. Let me tell you, they are all resources. You already possess strength that most Evil Fallen fear, you need to view the world with the mindset of a predator, these dead humans are mere ants, you need not pity them, nor are they worthy of being your kin. Also, you should adjust your attitude, don’t give me orders."
Jing Wu clearly didn’t truly consider Bai Wu an equal.
"Let’s continue discussing the casino, shall we? I can tell you’re interested in the story of the two ark liners. I know where the other ship is, and by the rules of High Tower, perhaps one day, humans might board it by accident."
Bai Wu didn’t interrupt Jing Wu; he indeed felt interested in that liner.
According to Jing Liu, one of the Jing Family siblings was on the doomed flight he and the captain had explored.
Did that mean the airliner was actually a seal? The mummy a guardian?
In terms of appearance, although Bai Wu had always referred to it as a mummy, that was simply because it was wrapped tightly with bandages.
Especially when Prayle’s Eye had given him a warning—focus on the battle with the mummy, and don’t do anything else.
Now that he thought about it, could this have been a protection mechanism?
For a jumbo jet with a capacity of three hundred and fifty people, even just considering the physical area, there were still many unexplored regions on the plane.
Bai Wu was still unclear about all of this, but had the faint feeling—
Many previously visited areas, although independent, held some connections between them.
The cruise ship, too, had been heard of in other areas. It shared a commonality with flights: their destination—the High Tower.
Only one actually flew toward the High Tower, while the other was given a false address and called it a sanctuary.
Jing Wu’s calm voice arose once again:
"Two massive ark cruise ships became humanity’s last haven or perhaps the final defiance of human civilization in the Pre-Tower Era?"
"Back then, outside the Tower wasn’t so dire, there was no four-hour expulsion rule targeting humans. But humans would still emit various scents out of fear, attracting the Evil Fallen. Emotions could collapse, and they’d turn into the Evil Fallen."
"Of course, there were some Sequencers on those cruise ships, vigorously defending the humans on board, trying to protect the last vestiges of civilization at the end of the world."
"The two arks lay side by side, their captains quite interesting. One captain realized they were all pawns, for halfway through their sea voyage, he noticed discrepancies. The views in the itinerary greatly differed from what had been described, and the High Tower shouldn’t be in the sea but on land."
"He was skeptical about it. The other captain, however, thought differently. He believed the people in the High Tower were all human, their common enemy was the Evil Fallen, and the High Tower wouldn’t abandon them. The course must be correct, and the ship should continue on the predetermined route."
"Originally side by side, connected by huge gangways. That was the most interesting part because of the haste in boarding, many families were assigned non-adjacent numbers."
At this point, Jing Wu chuckled lightly:
"I’ve only been there once by chance. These reptilian creatures living in a labyrinth of memory allowed me to witness how humans seven hundred years ago survived in that carefully orchestrated deception."
"The daughter could be on Ark One, the father assigned to Ark Two, one’s aunt and oneself on Ark Two but the girlfriend on Ark One, the parents on Ark One, but the siblings on Ark Two."
"Families... no, more accurately, the original social relationships were scattered by the tidal wave of the apocalypse. The two cruise ships eventually faced different choices: one to continue on the prescribed path, believing it could return to the embrace of the High Tower, while the other believed it was all a lie by the people of the High Tower and decided to search for new life in the sea."
The news Jing Wu brought shocked Bai Wu profoundly.
He could imagine the emotional turmoil that countless families faced at the moment the two great cruise ships disconnected.
And the so-called predefined route of the High Tower was itself a hoax.
"Alright, I have given you most of the information you need. You have astounded me today with both wit and strength as the God of Gamblers. How about a bet with me?"
This was like a story halting mid-plot, and Bai Wu cursed under his breath at the sudden interruption.
Jing Wu told Bai Wu these things indeed to stir up his hatred for the High Tower, as Bai Wu had guessed.
But Jing Wu didn’t directly reveal the ultimate fates of those two cruise ships, which cruise ship sank in the sea, whether it was the one following the original course or the one seeking new beginnings, or why it sank.
Some things are far more shocking when observed than merely described in words.
"What kind of bet?"
"I will tell you the number of the cruise ship area you must go to. I will also tell you that you might forget certain things, not remember how you left, or become a permanent part of the ship, or perhaps you could discover the hidden secret within the ship and leave with your memories intact? And we bet on whether you can unravel the secret of that ship, how about that?"
"Since it’s a bet, there must be a winner and a loser. What happens if I win? And what if I lose?"
Hearing Bai Wu ask this, Jing Wu was sure this interesting youngster had accepted the bet:
"The stakes of winning or losing lie within that cruise ship. This is a bet, but also an invitation I extend to you. The unknown is most intriguing, isn’t it?"
Bai Wu could sense that all the children in the casino hall were dead. The human survivors were only members of the Vanguard Group, and that lucky miner and nobleman with the little mustache.
As for the four members of the Garrison Corps, Bai Wu could no longer sense their presence.
The investigation into the casino thus concluded.
There were no more survivors here, no one left waiting for his rescue. Those who lived on, lived as gamblers.
With neither joy nor sorrow evident in his eyes, Bai Wu asked in a deep voice:
"I have another question, who exactly are you?"
Jing Wu was silent for a second before saying:
"A name is just a code, but since you asked, I’ll tell you, my name is Jing Wu. If there comes a day when the High Tower can no longer hold you, feel free to join my camp."
Thinking that the other party might be able to see him, Bai Wu tried his best to remain calm.
This sentence seemed to only disclose a name, yet he heard many implications in it.
First was the other party’s name, Jing Wu.
This person was, without surprise, one of the six with the Jing surname, the six "Zero" infected mentioned by Tao Xingzhi.
Secondly, he noticed that the other party used the term "my camp."
The Jing Family siblings, could it be that they acted independently? He had originally thought that the remaining four with the Jing surname were one group, with Jing Liu and Jing Si in another.
But now it seemed that the relationships between these six known strongest beings were far more complex than he had imagined.
Jing Si went mad, neither entirely good nor evil, and might not get along with the others, while Jing Liu appeared to side with humanity. The rest, it seemed, also had their own agendas?
Bai Wu said nothing.
At least on one point, he differed from Cain; Jing Wu’s objective was to rally him, while Cain’s seemed intent on seizing their captain as a vessel.
This might also suggest that their attitudes toward the High Tower were different.
"What is your purpose? Is it to destroy the High Tower?"
"Destroy? How could we possibly do that? Your question is beyond bounds. The day you truly become an outsider to the tower, I will tell you."
"I’ve already become an Evil Fallen."
"Be honest, human. From the tone of your voice, I can hear your composure and reasoning, which are not qualities of a normal Evil Fallen. I still have matters to attend to. Although you are interesting, we shall meet another time."
Bai Wu did not deny it; Jing Wu’s observational skills were quite good. Jing Wu had also said everything he wanted to:
"I expect that you will discover something on that cruise ship. Moreover, you should leave the casino now, as we are about to reclaim this place. To be exact—we’re going to cleanse it."
After leaving the cruise ship area’s code number, Jing Wu hung up the call.
As the busy tone came through the phone, Bai Wu fell into thought:
"It seems that the special rules on the cruise ship are related to memory. I’m not clear on the power of Jing Liu and Jing Wu for now, but Jing Si’s abilities are very strong, definitely not something the God of Wealth or even I can withstand at the moment, suggesting Jing Wu and Jing Liu are likely just as formidable."
"From his words, Jing Wu seems to know something about the cruise ship’s content but not in detail, and if the ship’s special rules really do involve memory, then does that mean... he failed to explore the cruise ship?"
These Jing-named monsters had given Bai Wu a considerable shock. Especially Jing Si.
But now it looked... they were not gods.
Facing the mighty rules outside the tower and many secrets, they were not all-knowing and almighty.
This was a pleasant revelation for Bai Wu. But for now, he still had things to do.
Maintaining an Evil Fallen form couldn’t exceed thirty minutes, because the "Return Roulette" ability only allowed a return to thirty minutes prior.
He was running out of time.
...
...
The casino lobby.
The primary method for the Evil Fallen to leave the casino had been through a huge transport array at the top of the elevator.
This was one of the special items provided to the casino by Black Gold Island. In addition to randomly summoning patrons, the array could also send them back to their original areas.
But now the elevator was no longer functional.
As the casino’s staff died one after another, the casino seemed to have entered a state of paralysis, and even the Seahorse Evil Fallen wore a look of despair.
Suddenly, the elevator showed no response.
The Evil Fallen scattered in all directions, but they merely darted around within the bounds of the casino.
A few powerful Evil Fallen had the ability to climb along the huge pipes. At the top of the pipes, the body of Evil Fallen Black Bone flowed like a liquid, reversing its course up the pipe.
But Black Bone was unaware that ocean water was constantly pouring into the transport array above the huge pipe.
It wasn’t just the seawater; the Evil Fallen sea beasts connected to the outskirts of Black Gold Island also began to descend in droves!
It was as if the gates of hell had suddenly opened, with the Nether River pouring out, bringing countless malevolent spirits that breached the barriers between worlds.
The Evil Fallen climbing the pipes, upon sensing this presence, all showed expressions of despair.
Meanwhile, Bai Wu hung up the phone, ready to return to the chaotic mess of the casino lobby.
He, too, felt the presence of countless Evil Fallen closing in rapidly from afar.
Wu Jiu and the others awaiting Bai Wu’s return were equally anxious; having reached the sixth tier of Innate Force, even those without sensory powers could feel an approaching pressure.
Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Bai Wu appeared in their line of sight again, having completed his "save reload" and returned to human form.
"Activate the Return Roulette!"
"We’ve been waiting for you."
No words were needed from Bai Wu; the group, as if by tacit agreement, activated the Return Roulette upon seeing him. freēwēbηovel.c૦m
In the minute that followed, while the seawater had not yet arrived, the sea beast Evil Fallen from the outskirts of Black Gold Island had already begun their slaughter around the perimeter of the casino.
Bai Wu quickly estimated the distance, believing that his group should be able to leave smoothly. He looked around and noticed that two patrons and four members of the Garrison Corps were missing.
"The others have used the roulette to return to the High Tower."
Hearing Wu Jiu’s words, Bai Wu turned his gaze back toward the casino’s main entrance.
An astonishing number of serpent-like Evil Fallen had surged into the casino. These monsters’ mutation levels weren’t very high, mostly fifth and sixth tier, but their sheer numbers were overwhelming. They possessed a rare Mutation Entry called "Acidic Decomposition," which dissolved any Evil Fallen they encountered in an instant.
Shang Xiaoyi and Wang Shi looked on, feeling a bout of trypophobia about to hit; it was a black tidal wave composed of monsters.
Luckily, before they could get close, the Return Roulette began to operate. A red glow enveloped everyone.
In Bai Wu’s eyes, the usual summary flashed by in an instant.
[Current exploration progress of the area: 64%. Remaining Evil Fallen... Eh, too many new bugs to bother counting. The Doomsday Puzzle pieces of this area have been transferred. My summary: Rewarding gains, power, Sequence, lifespan, entries, luck... wait, where are luck and lifespan? Oh, I get it, it’s a damn vicious cycle, because I’m Unlucky, I can’t get luck, and because I can’t get luck, I’m Unlucky!]
Bai Wu didn’t think of himself as Unlucky.
This casino trip had not only improved his relationship with the rest of the team, outside of the captain, but also significantly increased the overall strength of the Vanguard Group. Could an Unlucky person manage that?
