Free Web NovelChapter 337: Chapter 141: Expansion of the Shelter
The red light shone upon the Pyramidal Black Tower, and the Black Tower instantly turned red—a strange sight no one had ever seen before.
Cain and Yan Zizai both marveled at the scene before them, while Yan Zhao seemed to have thought of the same thing as Cain, his eyes filled with reluctance, confusion, and anger.
For seven hundred years, it seemed a foregone conclusion that the Evil Fallen could not enter the High Tower.
But whether the Evil Fallen would turn to ash upon entering the High Tower was something very few people knew for sure.
But this did not include Yan Zhao.
As a human subject of Evil Fallen experimentation, Yan Zhao was on the same path as the "doctor" from Baichuan City seven hundred years ago.
Both a human and an Evil Fallen, they liked to inject Evil Fallen substances into humans.
Once they reached the High Tower, and the Yan Family had finally consolidated their power, becoming the supreme rulers, such deeds became even more convenient.
Do those in the lower strata even count as people? Of course, they don’t.
Once one becomes a ruler, it’s as if they are the master of the High Tower—those lower beings risk their lives heading to the mining areas to dig and exchange for meager living supplies.
Many young people see no way out their entire lives; even if they strive their whole life, unless they are incredibly lucky, and some items accidentally undergo Spirit Possession, or they inadvertently awaken a certain Sequence... it seems difficult to trade for a residence on the second layer.
Not to mention the intoxicatingly opulent lives on the third layer—if one isn’t born there, then many will never have the chance to go to the third layer as permanent residents in their whole lives.
Of course, people from the third to fifth layers believe that at least these lower beings can stay alive; being alive, they ought to be grateful.
Many young, and even those who are no longer young, in a bid for a future, began to take risks and try to survive in the more dangerous blue regions, to earn wealth.
Because the blue regions have a higher chance of items undergoing Spirit Possession, and the growth coefficient of Innate Forces is also higher.
This gave Yan Zhao even more opportunities.
The higher the death rate in a place, the more justified people’s deaths become.
Apart from those severely injured patients in the hospital, among those who mysteriously disappeared in the blue regions, there were quite a few abducted by the Yan Family.
For hundreds of years, Yan Zhao never lacked for human experiment subjects inside the High Tower, and outside, the doctor never lacked for Evil Fallen serum samples.
Thus, the cooperation between the two played out in a supply relationship.
Yan Zhao had seen with his own eyes how humans transformed by the Evil Fallen unmistakably disappeared, as if turning to ash...
But without even a trace of ash, it was a more thorough expungement.
Just that there wouldn’t be such a commotion like now, with red lights brightening the ceiling, and the entire fifth layer blanketed in red.
Cain mockingly said,
"Tsk tsk tsk, this feeling is very familiar. Do you know what I saw when I went to the sixth layer? There are many things I don’t remember, my memory seems to be erased, my soul feels like it has been bisected... To this day, I feel like something is calling me to go there again, but my subconscious is very afraid..."
"Because the only thing I remember is the blinding crimson light! Hahahaha..."
The laugh of a demon echoed once again in the Yan Family Manor, and for some reason, Yan Zizai felt that this Masked Fiend and Bai Wu were quite similar to some degree.
Perhaps it was the laughter, or maybe some other indescribable judgment basis of his own.
Only one was a madman out in the open, while the other seemed calm, always holding various clues, but was essentially a madman at heart.
Xie Yingjie of the Xie Family looked at the ceiling, his eyes filled with dread.
It wasn’t just Xie Yingjie, the rulers of the other few families felt the same. They had been comfortable for too long, and it had been too quiet above them for so long, that they had almost forgotten something—
The High Tower was more than five layers.
They even believed that the people on the sixth layer gave them the Eternal Spring of Immortality, so that they could live forever and manage the High Tower for them eternally.
Just like Yan Zhao at this moment:
"Impossible... impossible! Since you have given me us immortality, how could you possibly kill me?"
Cain laughed loudly at Yan Zhao,
"Pfft, you don’t really think that you eight are some chosen ones, do you? Or do you think that your existence for seven hundred years could have any significance up there? Don’t make me laugh, hahaha..."
"You all are nothing more than livestock kept in the lower five layers."
Feeling the aura of destruction, Yan Zhao became hysterical, crazy, and furious!
He charged at Cain, and as his body underwent grotesque distortions, numerous tentacle-like things sprouted from his back, piercing through Cain’s body all at once.
But under the effect of Absolute Regeneration, Cain quickly rose from a pool of blood.
Yan Zhao then roared loudly,
"My experiment was a success! I am the one who has truly found the right direction in the past seven hundred years! I cannot be wrong! Impossible to be wrong!"
The surroundings became more and more crimson, as if denser red lights focused on the Yan Family Manor.
Yan Zhao was puzzled; why would such a phenomenon occur? Had he succeeded or failed?
In the past, the Evil Fallen simply vanished... Why, this time, after he injected that syringe, did such a mutation occur?
Cain, fully recovered, watched Yan Zhao alternate between madness and confusion, and probably guessed Yan Zhao’s inner thoughts.
"Humans once thought about bringing the High Tower into the tower itself, but unfortunately, the Return Roulette does not load the Evil Fallen. You may have also seen the Evil Fallen disappear, they just vanish directly, without such a phenomenon. All of this can only mean that now you have reached the level I had when I first went to the sixth level, the High Tower considers you a threat."
"You can close your eyes, at this moment, you are at least the strongest among the eight of you, although... it’s meaningless."
Meaningless. These four words indeed interpreted Yan Zhao’s actions.
The red light finally fell, enveloping some of Yan Family’s experiments, and even including Yan Zizai and Cain.
But Cain’s use of Evil Fallen power is based on the Sequence, his essence is simply the use of the power of the Evil Fallen, and not becoming an Evil Fallen himself.
As for those experiments, they belonged to the Evil Fallen who simply couldn’t survive in the High Tower, those containers stored... were actually humans, just with mutated bodies.
The massive and swollen figure of Yan Zhao began to dissipate bit by bit, the endless red light resembled a crimson purgatory.
It let out an agonizing roar in the purgatory.
For seven hundred years, it had been conducting various experiments, turning countless living people into Evil Fallen, trying to touch that balance’s "boundary."
At the moment it thought it was finally going to succeed... it was like the retribution and curse of those who had died, like the cleansing of the evil it had done over seven hundred years in the name of justice!
This monster that turned countless people into Evil Fallen... ultimately took the form of an Evil Fallen and was cleansed by the High Tower!
The irony of this moment, Yan Zhao’s seven hundred years of effort, he didn’t die from Cain’s powerful methods, didn’t die from Bai Wu’s rebellion, wasn’t killed by Yan Zizai’s revenge, nor was he swallowed by other rulers.
He was just like those experiments who had become Evil Fallen by his hand... erased by the rules.
The one who beguiles others to become evil dragons will, in the end, be rejected by the world in the shape of an evil dragon.
Just as Cain said, the reason for such a huge red phenomenon is that Yan Zhao at this moment... had been determined by the High Tower to be a super Evil Fallen posing a great threat.
It indeed succeeded, mastering the power that humans could not handle, it can even be said to have gained the recognition of the High Tower. This red glow was unlike the ones when cleansing other Evil Fallen; it was a phenomenon that only occurred when a top-tier Evil Fallen invaded the High Tower.
But it also failed utterly because the High Tower—never recognizes the Evil Fallen.
This place does not allow any Evil Fallen to exist!
The painful voice grew more piercing and twisted within the red light; but before long, as the figure in the crimson purgatory dissipated bit by bit, so did the voice.
Afterward, Yan Zizai felt the colors around him slowly returning, the red glow beginning to disperse bit by bit.
The Pyramidal Black Tower became black again. The other ruling families didn’t know what had happened, but they knew that something big was about to happen soon.
Inside the Yan Family Manor, Yan Zizai walked slowly towards Yan Zhao, while Cain gradually returned to his human form.
Yan Zhao had not completely turned into ashes; the parts of him that remained human had been preserved, leaving about a third of his body centered around the abdomen, left shoulder, and a small portion of his head.
He was dead, and in the remnants of his head, one could see a wide-open eye.
What kind of look that was, Yan Zizai couldn’t describe, but Cain carved out that eyeball.
"What a nice collectible, I need to report back with this small half-head. If you don’t want it, I’ll take it," said Cain.
The entire Yan Family was as silent as death, as if people’s souls had not yet returned from the blood-red world.
Yan Zizai only knew that this person was brought by Bai Wu to deal with Yan Zhao, and Bai Wu had also said that this person was not on his side.
His expression unchanged, he simply nodded. Yan Zhao’s corpse held no significance for Yan Zizai.
Cain spoke:
"You know, becoming an Evil Fallen is actually quite interesting. If one day you find this decaying High Tower intolerable, you are welcome to come live with me in the world outside the tower."
Yan Zizai didn’t know how to respond to these parting words.
The effect of The Deceiver is to acquire others’ power through deceit, but Bai Wu specifically instructed Yan Zizai, especially if there was a situation like the death of Yan Zhao and the survival of the Masked Strange Person. Yan Zizai knew the correct way to respond.
Yan Zizai was not like the woman-like blusterer in the Investigation Corps, who would hear Bai Wu’s words and then forget them.
He nodded and said:
"I understand. Although I don’t know who you are, from now on, the Yan Family is under my charge, and it’s time for you to leave."
Yan Zizai’s response seemed a bit like burning bridges, but Cain didn’t mind and said with a playful air:
"Although you’re quite interesting, it’s a pity that the prey I’m interested in is even more intriguing."
Yan Zizai frowned, the implication being that he had gotten lucky surviving. But being able to stand toe-to-toe with an Evil Fallen-transformed Yan Zhao, he did indeed have the arrogance to back it up.
As for the so-called sixth level... Yan Zizai didn’t really believe it.
Cain was going to take the remaining parts of the body to Baichuan Middle School to exchange for some things. Bai Wu didn’t plan to use Cain just once.
If possible, he would have Baichuan Middle School’s fabrications last as long as possible. And through Mechanical City, as well as the previous apostle codenames like Lilith, Elijah, Dandelion, and so on, names not from Sheng Country, Bai Wu also guessed what truly interested Cain.
Thus, "Traveler" Nie Chongshan, under Bai Wu’s suggestion, extended an invitation that Cain couldn’t refuse.
...
...
Three days had passed since the wedding fiasco, and Yan Jiu had disappeared. For the fifth level, both the Qin Family and the Yan Family had dispatched many people to search for Yan Jiu.
But there was no trace of Yan Jiu to be found.
The Qin Family genuinely wanted to find him, believing that finding Yan Jiu would lead them to the Masked Strange Person.
The Yan Family ... naturally, it was all just for show.
The High Tower has been in turmoil these past few days, and the people of the lower levels have already heard a certain rumor—the ruler of the fifth level of the High Tower is dead.
Many do not know the difference between a ruler and an immortal ruler; the death of a ruler is a common occurrence. However, this time, what shocked everyone in the High Tower was the cause of death.
It was suspected to be divine punishment.
Then there’s the matter of the Masked Strange Person slapping around several rulers on the third level, which has also been the talk of the Tower.
It’s not that the people of the fifth level of the High Tower hadn’t thought about stopping it, but the situation was too shocking, and there were too many people present; the news simply couldn’t be contained.
No one knew how the power dynamics in the High Tower would shift next because, for the first time in seven hundred years, there was a ruler—whose death was not of natural causes.
And since the last rebellion against the High Tower’s rulers, many years have passed, and people have forgotten what it is to rebel, having long since grown accustomed to oppression and exploitation.
Upon hearing about the bridal kidnapping, they were all invigorated. Even though the event of the kidnapping was insignificant compared to the death of a ruler.
The incident somehow gave people a type of courage, though they couldn’t say exactly what kind.
In the end... it was a change in the various captains of the Investigation Corps and Garrison Corps.
Wu Jiu was actually aware of all of this; these days, he had been on the fourth level of the High Tower, conversing with Qin Zong.
Everyone was wondering whether the words spoken by the Masked Strange Person inside the Mingyu Estate were true...
Those words had a significant impact on each squad captain, almost as if a demon had planted a seed of rebellion deep in their souls.
And the impact on Qin Zong was particularly great.
Qin Zong knew that the Masked Strange Person was Bai Wu, so he was eager to know where Bai Wu had gone. Who exactly was Bai Wu, and how could he possess such immense strength? Was all this known to Wu Jiu?
So, in those days, Wu Jiu stayed with Qin Zong, answering most of the questions Qin Zong had.
"So... the incident from ninety years ago really was a conspiracy?" Qin Zong hoped Wu Jiu would say it wasn’t.
But Wu Jiu was never one adept at lying, except he had recently learned a bit from Bai Wu and started lying to the Evil Fallen.
But when facing a superior, Wu Jiu was still very earnest and serious.
"Yes, I don’t know the specifics, but by a stroke of luck, Bai Wu met those people from ninety years ago," Wu Jiu admitted.
Qin Zong slumped in his office chair, looking especially weary.
Wu Jiu also didn’t expect such a big twist in the events, wondering where the future of the Investigation Corps would lie. How would the rulers react to the death of the High Tower’s ruler?
And Captain Qin... what choice would he make?
Wu Jiu saw all these questions as significant issues concerning the future of the High Tower.
But the one who set all of this in motion—Bai Wu—was indifferent.
...
...
Outside the Tower, Baichuan Middle School.
The final dwelling place of Yan Jiu was Baichuan Middle School. Therefore, no matter how hard the various forces within the High Tower searched, they could not find the girl.
Despite the dangers outside the Tower, Baichuan Middle School had become somewhat safe now. ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Thousands of harmless Evil Fallen were living here, including beings like Lin Rui with unfathomable strength, Jiang Yimi, the Semi-Evil Fallen who could control calamity, and those from ninety years ago, who received great powers for the sake of seeing the safe haven.
Besides, a large group of "prison friends" from Shudu was about to arrive in Baichuan City.
With these arrivals, Baichuan Middle School would probably have the fighting capacity of an almost black-zoned area.
Bai Wu had many matters to attend to and had no time to worry about the High Tower’s affairs.
Whether Yan Zizai had become the ruler of Yan Family, whether Qin Zong would harbor rebellious thoughts against the Qin Family, whether the people of the lower levels felt some kind of inspiration, or whether the soldiers of the two armies had become wary of the rulers...
He trusted the Xie Family, the Yan Family, and the captains to handle these matters.
Although the haven must be established, the High Tower could not be abandoned. This was the situation Bai Wu wanted: not to put all eggs in one basket. That’s why Bai Wu didn’t have Yan Zizai go to the haven.
But Bai Wu left the High Tower matters to Yan Zizai and the captains.
Right now... there was also much to do at the safe haven.
Like arranging for the Evil Fallen to deal with Cain, while simultaneously planning for the haven’s future.
Additionally, as the prison forces were soon to arrive, Baichuan Middle School would become very congested, making expansion necessary in the eyes of both Lin Rui and Bai Wu.
By ’’expansion’’, they meant obtaining all the Doomsday Fragments in other areas to make them harmless zones like Baichuan Middle School.
And right now, what Baichuan Middle School needed most was a large residential apartment building.
At this moment, Lin Rui and Bai Wu were standing outside the residential district.
"I have been observing this place for a long time, the route, the building’s purpose, and the surrounding environment are all quite good. However, senior... There are dangers inside, the kind I can clearly sense," Lin Rui pointed out as he spoke toward the building in front of them.
Bai Wu looked over, and his eyes popped up with a note.
[An apartment full of ghost stories, this place once bore the hopes of many in the apocalypse, but also housed twisted things and strange rules products. Thus, seven hundred years ago, a lot of people moved in, a series of interesting events occurred, but not a single one left alive.
Hidden here are six puzzles, find them, solve them, and you will gain an unexpected reward. Although you are stronger than any Evil Fallen here, how does the saying go again?—Respect the rules, my old pal.
The dangers you encounter inside will test not just your strength but also your imagination. But I can assure you, this apartment—is absolutely lethal.
If you can’t uncover its secrets, the danger will only escalate, so it’s better you go in person, after all, our combination is unbeatable.]
As Bai Wu’s own strength changed, his eyes could no longer provide three sincere pieces of advice as before—run, run, or just fucking run.
The area is obviously extremely dangerous, but it’s rare for the eyes to mention "an unexpected reward."
So, Bai Wu became interested. This was a fourteen-story apartment building, and it was not an exaggeration to describe it as such, situated next to a school, and seven hundred years ago it was marketed for its school district housing.
Many parents moved in here for the sake of their children.
But after the Seven-Day Catastrophe of Baichuan City, this apartment building became a "haunted house."
After the catastrophe, mutations began in various places, and people who hadn’t boarded a cruise or flight endlessly searched for supplies and shelters.
And when people saw this apartment, it was like a sated drunkard seeing an enticing, scantily clad woman.
It held a fatal attraction for many people.
However, once these people moved in, they never came out again. Gradually, the living people of Baichuan City either died in the apocalypse or became Evil Fallen.
Bai Wu couldn’t judge the level of danger in this apartment, but he decided to give it a try anyway. There were still many empty dorm rooms in Baichuan Middle School, but it was also necessary to prepare a residential area in advance.
After all, the prisoners... might not get along well with the students.
"I’m planning to go in and have a look," Bai Wu said.
"Senior, the aura in there makes me uneasy, I better accompany you. I have a feeling it would be very dangerous for you to go alone," Lin Rui expressed his concern for Bai Wu.
But then he suddenly changed the topic:
"Senior, speaking of which, aren’t you going to accompany that girl? How about I take care of this place?"
Lin Rui was talking about Yan Jiu, who was currently housed in the dormitory area. Although the dorm area housed many Evil Fallen, there was no threat from them, and high negative emotions wouldn’t turn them into Evil Fallen, as those twisted rules had been removed.
After experiencing Mechanical City, Shudu Prison, and the bridal abduction, Bai Wu actually wanted to rest for a few days, and chatting with Yan Jiu wouldn’t be bad either.
But in the end, Bai Wu decided to prioritize exploring the residential area first.
"I’ll head to this area alone; you don’t need to accompany me. I’m capable of taking care of myself. Besides, didn’t you mention there’s an area you’re particularly interested in lately? It’s related to a burst of laughter."
Lin Rui nodded:
"Ah, I was just about to talk about that. The laughter is getting louder, it used to feel very faint, but now it sounds like more and more people are laughing together... to the point where sometimes it can be heard clearly..."
"Is there a problem with the laughter?"
"It’s no small issue. If the source of the laughter isn’t dealt with, I’m afraid it may cause serious trouble. The laughter seems to have the power to bewitch others. Now there are already people showing symptoms in the school."
"What kind of symptoms?"
"Joining in the laughter."
Bai Wu frowned:
"In seven hundred years... no one in Baichuan Middle School has heard this laughter...where is it coming from?"
"The outskirts," Lin Rui pointed in a certain direction.
Bai Wu looked over and realized that wasn’t it... the direction of the zoo?
He suddenly thought of something—could it be that Jing’s death had caused some kind of influence?
The Baichuan City Zoo area is vast, and as the Guardian, although Jing was only a Level 7 Mutant, his strength was indeed terrifying.
After being exorcised, that area no longer had a Guardian.
Bai Wu was just speculating; he felt there was a connection. The laughter coming from beyond the zoo was likely affecting many areas by now.
But perhaps the Evil Fallen in other areas were very powerful and could still resist, but the students of Baichuan campus... although Evil Fallen, most except those in the East Campus area were relatively weak.
After long deliberation, Bai Wu said:
"Then I’ll leave it to you. I’ll deal with the residential area at hand, and you take care of the source of the laughter."
"Okay, Senior. If there’s any trouble, please make sure to return to the High Tower and don’t try to be a hero," Lin Rui said.
When facing Bai Wu, Lin Rui didn’t act as carefree as he did in Shudu Prison.
Bai Wu nodded, patted Lin Rui on the shoulder, and the two strongest humans of Baichuan City began to operate separately.
Looking at the eerie apartment building, Bai Wu walked inside.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Separation Line~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(There was supposed to be some daily life plots after the major plot ended, I even had the tea ceremony class after Liu Hai ready, but the upcoming instances really attracted me. It has been a while since I wrote those carefully designed instances that slowly uncover the mystery, especially this time—the style is going to be more horrifying, and I very much have the desire to write, hoping to convey that provocative sense of dread.
So the daily life part will be put on hold for now. Additionally, the character Yan Jiu will have her moments to shine.)
