Doomsday Jigsaw Puzzle

Chapter 275: Chapter 79: The Game Between Well 5 and Number 0

The current Chapter is an anti-theft Chapter and will be replaced with the actual text in five minutes (at 17:32). Please re-download this Chapter, open the directory, and press and hold the Chapter title to update. You will not be charged extra.

"Hohohohoho," Ulaga’s disease will certainly not lead to any immediate pleasure on the contrary, it’s incurable during this time except for us, and besides, choosing it is the only option for a long-term cure."

He just needs to focus on pulling in Zero, and all the forces contending for the high tower will gather around Mechanism City

This certifies the worth of Zero, but

Jing Wu could never imagine that outside the tower there might be other Wells of power, and he absolutely would never acknowledge the presence of forces stationed outside,

Even so, he can’t predict if he himself will be capable of defeating Zero as he carries on the fight.

The outcome left Jing Wu quite outside of his expectations, considering he had no control over Zero,

The two of them negotiated to no avail for a brief moment, but Jing Wu had rarely hit a wall when facing Zero, considered one of the strongest beings beyond the tower.

Jing Wu’s smile receded a bit, as he recalled that negotiation process.

Since then, Jing Wu had intended to move towards Mechanism City following his negotiations with Zero

No one dared to assert whether there would be a day when the mechanoid species would be defeated, shifting the balance between humanity and Evil Fall.

The advent of a new species from beyond the tower, which has already represented a new generation of survival abilities, Zero of Mechanism City may be considered a loyal Mechanism City ally or may think of Jing Wu as aid.

The opening of the next Well began a new distribution of resources, allowing the various powers to start plotting their new layouts,

With Jing Wu’s attention focused on the gray market—one of the most powerful entities in Mechanism City—

Travelers had been a powerful quiet force in the Evil Fall division. Though it seemed quite clear, it brought forth a question. While some unseen power invited various forces to gather at the mining caves in preparation for striking the guards’ army, travelers issued journey tickets,

In the next few days when the Well opens, all forces are indefatigably searching for another person to save this woman whom Jing Liu plans to take with him

As the Well opens, the district’s restrictive regulations instead become blurred,

The restrictive district rules are equally ineffective. Jing Wu only had to stay not too far from them, following Evil Fall’s henchmen at Jing Wu’s side. There’s no meaning to these, since you can only cross districts with a travel ticket, though they have district restrictions against regular Well representatives,

The merchant and the blacksmith also managed to sneak into the boundaries of the Mechanized Evil Fall during this time

He arrived in Mechanism City early, just in time for the next opening of the Well, wanting to negotiate with Zero

Jing Wu’s smile deepened

"Hohohohoho, my friends, rest assured that we will not let it prevail. Mechanism City will indeed stir the whole land, but before that, we might have to put the Mechanoid species to sleep or perhaps activate the anti-Ulaga disease security force. Our Mechanism City is currently in a joyful season, unlike Zero, who can’t enjoy the sight of Mechanism City being consumed in the rage tide."

"You should remember that this event is proving that it wants to protect Mechanism City, which is why it dealt with Ulaga’s disease. But how could that be possible, hohohohoho, as we haven’t found a cure for it yet, and it has already answered us, except for your notable exception. Will it want to see Mechanism City’s destruction?" asked the very interesting merchant.

Jing Wu was quite content with the tone of his voice, though skeptical, he had already found an answer to this question.

"Wouldn’t it refuse to answer if it was not to its advantage? Isn’t it absolute that I don’t have a sure hand over it, if I have to pay for it, similar to how my brothers and I have already realized its actual strength? What happens if it doesn’t go smoothly?"

Among those present, Jing Wu, the blacksmith, the black golden island merchant, were the latest additions to Jing Wu’s servitude.

Behind the black-robed man was a short person with a hooded eye, resembling a mythical beast more than a monty fish, one holding a forging hammer,

"Hohohohoho, certainly, our trade with Zero, at this moment, will be accepted. Zero might not necessarily say the rage tide will not partially destroy Mechanism City, but it’s an interesting time to watch Mechanism City, when the city is facing the rage tide not being destroyed. Mechanism City will soon welcome the rage tide."

: "Continuing the conversation," a man with a floppy dance of hands and feet spoke, like a gesticulating fish.

"Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho, do you still not believe me? The information comes from a direct source within the line," he assured.

"A reliable source of information?"

His mouth corners revealed a smile as he listened to a report from a certain Chapter Fish, shrouded beneath a black hooded cloak.

The forest, eerily silent, with trees whose leaves had turned a melancholy autumn hue, seemed bizarrely twisted like individual souls.

Unbeknownst to them, outside the tower...

...

...

He would have an oddly slow journey outside the tower next time; there was a field of survival.

This time, he hadn’t chosen particularly well; although things like white fog were exceedingly rare and needed as offerings, he could also buy many other things within the city.

Had he known that there was a greater selection available beyond the white fog and Jiaxie’s known duties, he would have headed straight to the bustling eastern market district.

Jiaxie hadn’t worn white fog attire for quite some time; it was well-known by now that white fog could earn you powerful money-making abilities.

He couldn’t refuse outright; however, after looking at the food offerings here, Jiaxie felt that white fog was indeed too extravagant, especially since the fifty-two offerings were not unfavourably priced at this restaurant’s rate.

They lived on the forty-fourth floor of the opulent eastern district’s Tai Mountain Hotel.

Jiaxie and white fog quickly found a place to plant their feet, depending on previous earnings from their offerings.

Although he still pretended to be unaffected, Jing Wu made some of the more brutish direct-connect mechanoids uncomfortable.

"I look forward to your arrival; you are far more valuable than any other woman, with four input interfaces, as I’ve undergone body mechanization modifications," he said.

As the time to leave approached, the female warrior, still holding her name tag, berated herself for having not dismissed Zero, who didn’t seek out the madness of this high-strung woman.

"This is my address; I have thought up a good exchange with you for a little eight-day event. I haven’t seen anything as complex as your camouflage paint since I first laid eyes on you, handsome guy," she said, casting a flirtatious look at Zero as she disembarked.

He was relieved that he hadn’t gotten carsick; surprisingly, Zero had made it to the eastern district in just ten minutes, riding at breakneck speed in the woman driver’s car.

"Welcome to Mechanism City; you’ll soon get accustomed to the plain folks here. This is just the beginning of your exploration," Jiaxie said, patting White Fog’s shoulder at this moment.

Jiaxie wasn’t unfamiliar with these types of mechanoids; he looked outside and discovered this land’s ways as White Fog drove by in a wild speed chase.

"pɯupʍ!" was the one phrase that followed.

... The female mechanic extended her hand directly out of the car window, lifting her middle finger toward the other party as a sign of having undergone body mechanization modifications. But the car slowed down for a moment at the front, and although Mechanism City was known for its severe road rage, the mechanic had just had a drink.

They decided to find a high-end hotel for the night in another district, preparing to move on after spending 0.52 on the offerings, having hailed a vehicle.

Jiaxie dragged White Fog to run away as a group of mechanic thugs surrounded them, having reacted quickly.

Jiaxie was still clueless, with a dumbfounded face, not knowing what had happened.

"You’ve gone the wrong way, old Jiaxie! Hurry up and get out of here,"

he said in rapid succession.

A white mist hazy and surreal, this bar turned out to be a big bird after all—a bizarre place with drinks being mere contrivances of machines and machine old men seemingly choosing their directions at will.

Beyond that, these mechanoid bodies, when looking at themselves and interacting with Jiaxie, seemed to provoke a certain kind of spiritual emotion—with their four-letter code heads bending toward an intricate union.

"Mechanoid females" don’t exist here, however bustling it may be, and this time of lively chaos in the bar should be just about right for an evening diversion.

Decadent, unable to differentiate between men and women, but they are indeed mechanoid species that differentiate between male and female bodies.

Due to this, many of the figures here seem very effeminate, having "male characteristics" despite the fact that some of the large, heavy-looking machines are masculine, towering more than a head above the rest.

Stepping further into the white mist of the bar, Jing Wu felt a certain kind of discordance, as if noticing something odd.

Ultimately, the focus of this enigmatic white mist was to channel some kind of desire, perhaps a dispersal technique that could cure Ulaga’s disease, satisfying a significant portion of the mechanoid population’s wishes—even if this technological marvel was only applied to select illnesses.

They could extract various fluids from within their bodies for energy, and even while traversing this process, they retained a semblance of human corporeal sensitivity, akin to savoring a particular kind of flavor.

These mechanoid species possessed miniature energy reactors, the Heart Core Mechanoids equipped with tailored devices.

Here in Divine Lake, one might find anything and everything from the outside world, whether it be 28-year-old stored machine oil beverages, exotic motor oil, red diesel, or some special additive astronaut chicken wine—it was indiscernible due to the white mist.

Preparing to delve into a cup, he hadn’t much thought beyond the mite of surplus contribution on his person.

The bar was called "Bend Code Head," Jing Wu discovered amidst the white mist.

Inside the city, the vehicles bore a significantly larger presence of grandeur compared to those from outside.

There were many extravagant vehicles to be seen, especially near the city’s business district; a far cry from the outskirts, where all sorts of peculiar and mysteriously adorned buildings hung with all types of perfectly square, bizarre lighting fixtures were becoming more and more common along the streets.

Today’s encounter between Jing Wu and the white mist was in the southwestern corner of Mechanism City, known as the Men’s Business Street.

"After all, you are the only one who can treat Ulaga’s disease, and by doing so, the time spent here can be shortened, of course. You can’t proceed any further otherwise. If you can’t get through this thing, you might as well leave, you won’t have a chance for another month,"

"Would having a name lend credibility to the mission, offering treatment to those of high stature?"

White Mist had a general understanding.

"We need to move forward toward Heart Core City; you must continuously accept missions to raise our threat level and establish a name for ourselves. Only then will we have a chance to enter the city."

Jing Wu was preparing to take on a mission, pulling up a list as he spoke.

"It’s not just about the consumption range inside the city. Sure, the prices aren’t much higher compared to the outskirts, but the cost of luxury shopping is but one aspect to consider, bottom line. Most people won’t be shopping for luxury goods even though many can afford it. What you’re saying makes sense, it’s value for price that’s under consideration here. But the real reason the access to the city is so precious is because of the opportunities it presents. That’s why the entry fee is so pricey,"

Jing Wu was clearly very mindful of this particular subject.

"Once you’ve acquired the latest top-tier Slokou Eye gear and an arsenal of super-advanced equipment, you’ll be in a position to counterbalance the red-zone domain, should you choose to venture outside the tower. After all, every contribution item in this luxury district is of top-grade, boasting prices in the several ten thousands, just like the Slokou Eye’s weapon shop."

Walking past the opulent storefronts, stepping in and out of protective barriers, an entirely different atmosphere was excluded, with all sorts of colorful mechanoids coming and going outside the defensive barriers.

As White Mist continued walking into the city, the disparate scents and distant music blended together, creating a sensation different from any other part of the city.

"Isn’t this Mechanism City entry ticket overpriced, boasting extravagant costs?"

At the moment Jing Wu and White Mist prepared to enter the gate, their joint account had deducted two hundred points with no one manning the checkpoint.

There were many sectionalized areas within Mechanism City, which originally consisted of many districts—just like a unified entity that White Mist was piecing together in his mind through the fragmented clues on Zero’s hand.

Once passed the protection of some unknown light shield, the conversation between the two men would be intercepted directly.

Having already arrived at the high wall referred to as the "entrance," they were talking nondescriptly within.

The white mist is the only truth to this existence.

Now, finding any signs within this world would be very difficult. Without Erleipu’s eyes or the corporate-tier thought and maintenance of the white mist, it’s almost impossible to make sense of anything.

But to someone else, it might just be another small town, while Heaven Thick is just the high skies; after all, not everyone in the Inner World is the same.

It’s also highly probable that Jiaxie doesn’t have a cure for the Ulaga disease— he couldn’t even make sense of the white mist.

Besides offering his own body as a treatment solution, Jiaxie wouldn’t dare to let anyone closely associated with the Ulaga disease touch him.

"But the last thing I want is to follow a Mechanoid chain. You could try to guess what’s next, though."

Jiaxie also looked a little frustrated, as the white mist was uncooperative at times.

What situation could the white mist possibly cope with but Jiaxie himself could not? He didn’t understand.

"All cases of individuals affected by the Ulaga disease could come to me directly. Naturally, they are strictly tailored. However, Twisted mutations might have already occurred; it might become quite troublesome," the white mist said hesitantly.

Jiaxie shook his head in response.

"If you wish, Jiaxie, I am willing to lend you substantial help. Any troubles within the high tower will come to me," the white mist offered.

But Jiaxie was still very curious to know.

Jiaxie could also figure it out eventually, despite the complications, instead of pretending to be some world’s one and only savior.

"A secret."

"How then did you open that 70-s door?"

"That’s not possible for at least the Mechanoid race."

"Is there really no one who can cure the Ulaga disease fundamentally, or is it just a front? If Zero himself was infected with the Ulaga, considering this world is Zero’s creation,"

Jiaxie was already scared enough, barely revealing a small part of Zero.

Jiaxie was not the easy target for any individual to have encountered until now, like Divine Lake.

If this truly was Zero being this strong and capable enough to manipulate genetic and data controls, then that explained these events.

Jiaxie was still afraid, though not noticeably, this little brother was getting scared, and the white mist had not yet confided in Jiaxie, who could not even guess this.

There are those few memory fragments of Zero... perhaps even within Heart Core City and Mechanism City, there were all sorts of twisted things.

This made the white mist think of Mechanism City, a huge city like this one, maybe a storage place for all kinds of twisted things, or perhaps freeωebnovēl.c૦m

...Zero would have to enhance his own data storage... these data stacks might be fabricated...

"Zero has too much data to handle; you might think that these undeletable data, according to what I said before, could have already twisted beyond recognition, becoming an untreatable form of the Ulaga. If the disease’s sentiment conversion is indisputable, perhaps it’s because it’s Zero himself... this long period... could it really be that way? That Zero is the infected person, he is the source of the contamination," the white mist continued, pushing Jiaxie to the point of staring at him directly, his trust wavering.