Free Web NovelChapter 361: Chapter 165: Simple Folk Customs of Baichuan City
In any battle, there will inevitably be a vanguard. In a beautifully executed war, the contest between opposing generals is as graceful as deriving mathematical formulas.
The key to all of this lies in information.
Accurately judging the enemy’s layout based on the vanguard’s damage was common practice in the past.
However, in the world outside the tower, communication devices are basically ineffective. For invaders, the method for assessing information relies entirely on the perception of aura.
But for Bai Wu, the method for information assessment is a divine perspective.
In short—I don’t have the fog of war, I have full map visibility.
"The worker Evil Fallen in the factory area have already started fighting with the invaders. But that Centipede Beast is very powerful, it must be one of the six executives. Although the factory’s rules are twisted, among the Evil Fallen, the more powerful ones are just a few team leaders.
The fire support unit from Shudu Prison is not daring to fire at full strength, so the enemy’s vanguard will likely retain a good number, they are not weak, and it may only take a few minutes to move into the next area."
Bai Can conveyed everything he saw to Bai Wu.
These observers have been continuously observing the world for seven hundred years. To be no exaggeration, with the perfect Mutation Entry ’Peeping Eye’, their breadth of knowledge is second only to Jing Liu.
These teachers have become the most powerful support units in this battle.
For them, Baichuan City has already been thoroughly understood over seven hundred years.
Bai Wu smiled and said,
"It’s no trouble, the enemy is using their vanguard to test us, but we can also gauge their overall strength through this. Where are the two Great Demon Kings?"
The Great Demon Kings refer to Jing Er and Jing Wu.
"One is on the way, he seems to be taking his time, but it’s hard to say when he will arrive. Although he seems far away... his ability to traverse space... is terrifying."
Jing Er.
Bai Wu surmised that the one leisurely sightseeing must be Jing Er.
"Also coming from the west?"
"Yes. That’s not a big problem. What about Jing Wu?"
"It has already arrived on the outskirts of Baichuan City, but has not acted rashly, as if with reservations? This is suspicious... its strength, these mere rules can hardly constrain."
These twelve teachers may have a vast perspective, but when it comes to playing dirty, they are obviously not as adept as Bai Wu.
The teachers are not worried about the vast Evil Fallen army but are concerned about Jing Wu alone, which is understandable. The Evil Fallen army can be partly resisted with strategies and Baichuan City itself.
But Jing Wu is a variable, powerful enough to break through the battlefield on his own.
No rules can withstand it, no force can stop it. Individuals that are too powerful are always key in deciding the outcome of any war.
However, Bai Wu was confident that if Jing Wu had not attacked at the beginning, he would not act rashly afterward.
"He’s become smarter. He’s waiting for the forces from Huangquan Island to arrive. How long until the forces from Huangquan Island arrive?"
"At their current speed, they should arrive in three hours."
"That’s not too slow; Jing Wu can definitely wait three hours. But we are also waiting, which is a good thing."
The Bai Can could observe many areas outside the tower, but they couldn’t see what was happening inside the tower. They were unsure whether humans, under the influence of their base nature, would truly be willing to rush to their doom for some nebulous gain.
Bai Wu didn’t say much more; even if the reinforcements from High Tower didn’t arrive, there were still the reinforcements from Zero.
Only Zero could defeat Jing Wu. Of course, before Zero’s arrival, there were still quite a few.
Bai Wu said,
"Please keep me updated on the situation at all times."
"It’s part of our duty," the voices of the Bai Can responded.
...
...
West City District.
Colt’s automatic headshot had always greeted the body of the Centipede. He was surprised, why is this person’s head so hard?
Lu Yan really wanted to go over and break the defense with words, but it wasn’t time to reveal himself.
The Evil Fallen in the factory area clearly couldn’t hold on for too long. They were the guardians of the factory, the working class, while the invaders showed overwhelming strength and kept attacking the workers.
The Centipede’s body twisted, even capable of breaking through buildings protected by rules!
This sight made Qian Yixin who was watching from afar frown:
"Pity I don’t have money... I, who work for free, am no match for this giant centipede. It’s very strong."
Colt also felt that even if he went all out with his firepower, it would still take some effort to defeat the Centipede. And this was assuming it didn’t fight back. The world outside the prison was vastly expansive, and Colt hadn’t expected that a random leader would possess such strength.
Minutes later, the factory gradually ceased its chaos, and the hundreds of workers who had become Evil Fallen were finally liberated in death, no longer fixated on ceaseless labor.
In a sense, these workers did indeed work until death.
The scattered remains began to be devoured by the Evil Fallen, but the Centipede
Colt and the others had already ceased their attacks as well.
"The show is about to start. The area they’re heading to next must be the disaster area, right?" Yuan Ye, standing atop Hydra’s head in the distance, looked down at the invaders in the West City District.
The invaders’ vanguard suffered a loss of thirty percent in the factory area, while the commander, the Great Centipede Beast, sustained only some minor, insignificant injuries.
Next, after passing through numerous factories, they would arrive at a three-way junction. Centipede was also currently on its way to the three-way junction.
In Bai Wu’s plan, the task of annihilating the enemy vanguard was to be completed here.
...
...
Inside Baichuan Middle School’s teaching building.
"For seven hundred years, there has actually been a misconception that I believe the Evil Fallen share as well."
"What misconception?" Yan Jiu asked.
"Humans are not suited for survival outside the Tower; the distorted rules outside the Tower target humans."
Yan Jiu looked puzzled and tilted his head in thought. Isn’t that the case?
Bai Wu said:
"If it weren’t for the negative attributes that descend every four hours, there would be no difference between humans and the Evil Fallen outside the Tower.
The Investigation Corps has always been facing various twisted rules, but they mostly have only a few days, or even a shorter period, to explore a region."
"What about the Evil Fallen? Because they are restricted by regions, many have lived in one area for decades or even hundreds of years.
Faced with humans who have just arrived in a region, they naturally have the advantage. But what if they enter an unfamiliar environment?"
"Baichuan City has gone through the ’Apocalypse,’ and I don’t know what that is, but it seems to have turned the city very twisted.
These distortions are familiar to the Evil Fallen who have been locals for seven hundred years, but they can be lethal to the invaders, even if they are Evil Fallen."
From the time he arrived at the Tower, Bai Wu believed that the rules outside encouraged people to leave the Tower.
"In the three-way junction area, the left leads to the chemical district, which is a disaster zone. Even for us, purifying that area in the future will be a headache. The monsters there, the rules themselves, and the corrosive air are all much more powerful than the mechanical industrial area we just faced."
"If they take this route, they’ll encounter the nastiest Evil Fallen in Baichuan City. This area is also one we need to purify in the future, but I have always been unable to find a good entry point because the corrosiveness is too strong..."
When Gu Hailin and others were expanding the area, they consciously avoided this place. Because the region itself is filled with deadly poisons, along with various heavily mutated monsters.
Bai Can said:
"They may not choose to go through here."
"Right, one out of three. Waiting for the enemy to guess would be too troublesome and uncertain. Although the other two options are also advantageous for us, they aren’t as beneficial. Therefore, we need to find a way to make it one out of one, not one out of three."
Baichuan City is a vast labyrinth.
This place has locations that even Bai Wu finds extremely challenging.
The chemical district is the main attraction of the entire West City District. Inside, one must not only find various clues and rely on knowledge to navigate through the area but also deal with monsters that have been heavily mutated by excessive chemicals over the years.
The most terrifying thing is the air in this area, which is highly corrosive. The deeper one goes into this district, the stronger the corrosiveness becomes.
This place is not a black zone, but one of the high-risk areas among Baichuan City’s several red zones.
Bai Wu stood up:
"It’s time for me, the commander-in-chief, to show a little of what I can do."
...
...
On the outskirts of Baichuan City.
Both the merchant and the blacksmith heard the noise that shattered the night, indicating that the vanguard had already engaged with the defensive forces of Baichuan City.
However, the life force of the Centipede, one of the six Great Slavers from Black Gold Island, remained strong, and the battle did not last too long. This situation pleased the merchant:
"Hohohohoho, it seems the enemy is weaker than we imagined."
"Not necessarily, perhaps they’ve concentrated their defense in other areas," said the blacksmith.
"This city has a few decent prospects. If Centipede provokes them, it might also have a hard time coping."
The blacksmith maintained a calm demeanor. Jing Wu, staying in the rear, silently awaited.
It sensed a terrifying presence, as if it were far away, yet seemingly ready to arrive at any moment.
The Well had opened too soon, for it had been activated earlier this year. Hence, Jing Wu could guess at least part of the reason for this premature opening.
The emergence of this presence made Jing Wu feel a sense of foreboding.
"Why has he come here? Is he looking for me? Or someone else?"
The Well’s opening naturally involved Jing Wu’s elder brother, Jing Er.
But Jing Wu was not afraid, just very puzzled, considering Jing Er was on the side of the Evil Fallen.
Although it always thought that Jing Er’s appearance of kindness and benevolence was detestable.
Jing Wu was merely curious about why Jing Er was willing to leave the Well to come here, and for what purpose.
...
...
Baichuan City, West City District.
The moon was covered by clouds, turning the world a lot darker, and the city’s strange lights struggled to pierce the heavy darkness.
Having finally arrived at the three-way junction, the Centipede and his companions began to make decisions.
As the vanguard commander, the Centipede was naturally cautious.
Baichuan City was very bizarre, and it had realized the gravity of the situation and the cunning of humans. Although the constraints between regions had dissolved, the distorted rules had not.
These rules posed significant trouble to the intruders.
Even though the Centipede had just suppressed the industrial workers of the Evil Fallen in the recent battle, it noticed something outrageous—
After just a few minutes of fighting in that area, it found that some of its minions... had donned worker’s uniforms, joining the workers’ forces.
It seemed that if one lingered in that place for too long, they might even become a slave to the factory.
These regions were terrifying; who knows what even more fearsome areas might be encountered.
So, the Centipede remained cautious. It wasn’t the type of reckless vanguard, which was why the blacksmith appointed the Centipede as the leader of the vanguard troops.
The Centipede’s perception was strong; atop the junction, it should have been able to easily sense that certain paths were dangerous.
However, just as it decided to avoid this place, it spotted a human figure.
In that instant, the Centipede speculated whether it was a trap, thus it released its perception to the extreme.
"It’s not an illusion! There really is a human who has ventured deep into this place. Follow me!"
In the night, the greenish, corrosive mist in the air was invisible, and this corrosive gas did not cause discomfort to the Evil Fallen who had entered the chemical district.
At least, not yet.
Many of them saw a blurry figure; it was this figure that the Centipede was chasing!
Yet, as the group delved deeper into the area, the Centipede found that the figure had vanished.
Completely vanished...
Only some traces of presence were left far behind, but seemingly already behind them?
The Centipede found this odd; it couldn’t possibly lose track of it, so where did the other party go?
A bad premonition welled up inside, but there was no time to ponder the reason for this feeling.
In the darkness of night, monstrous creatures dwelling within the chemical zone seemed to be roused from their silence.
Beasts oozing strong acid from their bodies began to emerge from all around.
The catastrophe seven hundred years ago caused a major leak here; the chemical plants exploded continuously, but the twisted rules did not let the workers perish. Instead, they lived on within their respective chemicals, becoming extremely dreadful entities.
In the night, those formless beings stepped out, looking like walking clumps of mucus under the dark sky. Vaguely, one could make out human silhouettes, but they seem ready to dissolve into pools of acid at the next instant.
Each creature emitted a chilling sound, as if their throats had been completely corroded, yet attempted to vocalize forcefully.
Mutation level eight, perfect Mutation Entry: Absolute Corrosion.
Whether the Sequence corresponded with the Entry, Bai Wu was unsure. However, if there was a correspondence, he believed that Absolute Corrosion and Absolute Dissolution were evidently on the same level.
These monsters were troublesome on their own, and in a group... this vanguard unit wouldn’t even need to clean up the battlefield themselves.
Bai Wu’s prediction was correct. As hordes of corrosive creatures emerged, the level of corrosion in the air rapidly intensified...
The hair of many Evil Fallen began to curl, and their skin transmitted a searing pain.
Are the Evil Fallen afraid of themselves? Of course, they are, not just humans fear those grotesquely misshapen things.
When a bunch of corrosion monsters emerged, the centipede beast in the vanguard felt its spine tingle.
"What the hell is this ghost city... Retreat! Everyone retreat! Why are there so many dangerous things!"
Just one glance was enough for it to determine that its military strength was insufficient to forcibly break through this area.
It just couldn’t understand one thing: the human figure, which seemed so real... Why had it disappeared?
The centipede began to retreat, but it had nowhere to retreat to. The corrosion monsters attacked swiftly!
They crazily pounced on the centipede and the Evil Fallen behind it, as if someone had splashed a huge glob of mucus at the invaders!
The centipede’s defense was astounding; even Colt’s firepower couldn’t penetrate it.
But just when it thought it could handle these Level 8 mutants, the strong acid corroded half of its body in an instant...
Even a small part of its head was corroded.
The giant centipede’s body writhed on the ground in agony, but no matter how it struggled, the strong acid kept seeping into its body...
At this moment, the centipede finally realized...
Do not provoke these neutral units! Never provoke these neutral units!
"At least... at least the... advance route must be reported..."
The centipede was still very resilient.
Most of the Evil Fallen behind it had been wiped out by the corrosion monsters, leaving only it dragging its mangled body, constantly retreating.
It was indeed worthy of being chosen by the blacksmith as the vanguard; even Absolute Dissolution hadn’t killed it outright. Driven by its strong will, the centipede finally retreated from the dangerous chemical zone. ƒreewebɳovel.com
It almost developed a psychological shadow, grateful that the mucus-like corrosion monsters hadn’t pursued...
They seemed not to know the area restrictions had been lifted, or knew but chose not to leave for some reason.
The centipede was immensely relieved. Despite the severe damage to its body, as long as it returned to Black Gold Island, it could trade its battle merits for a more powerful body.
It continued its retreat, planning to inform the blacksmith and the merchant of the enemy’s scheming.
The centipede was now certain of one thing, Baichuan City itself was terrifying, and these humans were deliberately using this fact.
Just when it thought it could make a clean escape.
Bai Wu appeared.
"Quite tenacious, I must admit, Black Gold Island has a solid foundation. How many more creatures like you do they have?"
The centipede was shocked; hadn’t this human disappeared in the perimeter?
"Surprised? Don’t be surprised. You were very conservative this time. I originally thought you were going to launch a full-scale offensive, allowing me to use Baichuan City against you. But your Laoda—he seems to have learned his lesson?"
"How can you possibly be here! I clearly saw you enter that area?"
Bai Wu revealed the mystery.
"I perform magic."
The centipede was horrified to find that it was surrounded by Bai Wu... numerous Bai Wus appeared around it.
It tried to sense them, but it couldn’t distinguish between reality and illusion at all.
Gaze of Spite and Desire.
From the Supernatural Tale Apartment, the ability of televised supernatural tales, it could create brief illusions that one couldn’t see through.
This was also Bai Wu’s greatest bait for luring enemies.
The illusions began to disappear one by one. Bai Wu then stepped in front of the centipede:
"You are a good vanguard, but I really hate centipedes."
The bronze axe swung, and as the centipede tried to resist, it found its speed greatly reduced!
Supernatural Tale Apartment ability number two—Spider Web Chain Field.
The closer one was to Bai Wu, the slower they would become. Bai Wu had finally confirmed the ratio of speed reduction.
The centipede was not completely immobilized, but to Bai Wu, it was full of flaws.
After dozens of heavy chops, the great general of the Black Gold Island vanguard, the centipede, died at last.
Bai Wu dragged the centipede’s body and moved it to the second entrance of the three-way intersection.
The clouds slowly slid by, allowing the moon to reappear. After dealing with the centipede, Bai Wu satisfactorily dusted off his clothes:
"The appetizer is done; isn’t it time for the main course?"
