Free Web NovelChapter 383: Final Chapter: The Beginning of the Second Level
After the long night passed, there were still many, many things for the guardians of the refuge to do.
They counted the number of the dead and transported as many as possible to the East Campus, saving those they could and preparing a memorial service in the days to follow for those they couldn’t.
In seven hundred years, Baichuan City, once protected by the rules, had partially turned into complete ruins.
Qian Yixin had originally wanted to ask the capitalists in the industrial zone for some money, to experience the power of "everything’s smooth with the salary sorted, and the ceiling becomes irrelevant", but the factory buildings had largely collapsed, and the capitalists had perished during the battle.
His business of making money had thus fallen through halfway.
As for the West City District, the city center, it looked as though it had been bombarded by countless meteors.
But destruction also meant rebirth, and with the opening of the Wells, the refuge forces were confident they could clear away the twisted rules of each area.
At the same time, they would complete the reconstruction of Baichuan City. Now with the defensive power brought by Zero, the huge protective shield could only be dismantled from the inside, thus preventing the possibility of being directly attacked by a large number of Evil Fallen.
In the recent battle, the Baichuan City refuge, not taking into account Well Level powers, had triumphantly defeated its opponent.
Soon, powers outside the Tower would learn of a new force rising, one belonging to humans—the refuge.
Everyone was busy, including Bai Wu.
There were too many people needing medical treatment and arrangements in the dormitory area of the East Campus.
The fact that Qin Zong and the others had smashed their Return Roulette with a resolve to die had left Bai Wu with mixed feelings of amusement and dismay.
Under those circumstances, there indeed needed to be such leaders to do such things, to fill everyone with courage.
The anthem of humanity is an anthem of bravery. This famous line offered a fitting interpretation for that moment.
Fortunately, there were still quite a few people who could go back, especially two from the Xie and Yan Families, who both had the authority to call up large numbers of Return Roulettes.
The soldiers of the Investigation Corps would ultimately have to return to the High Tower. The High Tower still had many matters needing their attention, and for Bai Wu, staying in Baichuan City meant his investigations were limited to Baichuan City only.
The function of the Teleportation Stele could not be overlooked, and Bai Wu knew to solve the mysteries of the Wells and the Tower, he had to venture into more strange regions.
The establishment of the refuge was just the framework being set up. Many essential problems still needed solutions. Evil Fallen could live quite well here, but humans... were still not quite there yet.
In Bai Wu’s view, it was not yet time to compare with the High Tower.
But one day in the future... this place would surely surpass the High Tower. This city called Baichuan would certainly become the most important human habitat.
...
...
The Mirror Evil Fallen was in an awkward situation as Nie Chongshan and Liu Mu were actually keeping an eye on it.
"Look at that person, it’s like a dog," Liu Mu said without realizing the famous quote he was citing.
Nie Chongshan spoke:
"Unwanted trash, to put it bluntly, I also despise it; it’s a very strange feeling."
"I feel the same, always finding it annoying," Liu Mu couldn’t quite figure it out either.
The Mirror Evil Fallen had been targeted by the incredibly powerful Nie Chongshan of the refuge during the entire battle, from the beginning to the end, not injured at all, perfectly deflecting every attack, a true embodiment of absolute defense.
Such a strong character, why was the Judge’s and Blacksmith’s first reaction to kick it away?
Now, even he felt some disgust... Could it be that this person truly had some kind of quality?
A kind of quality that made people want to avoid it at first sight, that made them want to push it away as soon as they got close.
What was this? The real meaning of perfect defense, so it completely isolated itself?
"But reason tells me that this guy isn’t actually bad-hearted, maybe one day it could be of use to us," Nie Chongshan said.
Liu Mu spoke:
"Shall I try to persuade it?"
"Or should I?" Nie Chongshan retorted.
Liu Mu nodded, although he really didn’t want to talk to this mirror person, it was all for the sake of the refuge.
And Nie Chongshan wouldn’t be polite; his way of speaking was to start off by saying "Yo, unwanted trash, want to hang with the big boss?"
That might just exacerbate the conflict.
...
...
Yan Zizai and Xie Xingzhi had already returned to the High Tower, where they still had many things to do, most importantly, to retrieve the people who needed to be brought back.
The collective departure of a large number of personnel from the tower had become clear to the entire High Tower.
People knew that this seemed to indicate a move to some dangerous area, but the fact that these individuals never returned also made the citizens on the lower levels wonder if the events of ninety years ago were occurring again.
Liu Chengzi, Ruan Qingyun, Yan Jiu, and others waited on the second level for news.
Through the conch shell, Yan Zizai conveyed the news of the great battle victory to Yan Jiu, but because he was too busy, he left out many specific details.
Therefore, the girls were still very worried. Especially because... so much time had passed, and not a single person had come back.
It wasn’t until the arrival of Yan Zizai and Xie Xingzhi that everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
After delegating some tasks, Yan Zizai and Xie Xingzhi encountered Qin Family’s Guardian on their way to the fifth level of the High Tower.
Qin Chu.
The eight ruling families each had a Guardian, the strongest in combat power just after the family head.
As the Qin Family controlled the most military formations in the High Tower, their Guardian was naturally very strong and decidedly iron-blooded.
Qin Chu’s build was only slightly leaner than Liu Hu’s, but his chiseled features expressed extreme resoluteness—different from Liu Hu’s brute manner, Qin Chu was more like an assassin who had gone through life and death and could conceal his killing intent.
"Congratulations to you, the new ruler of the Yan Family, I didn’t expect to meet you here," Qin Chu stated, standing ramrod straight like a robot.
Yan Zizai retorted:
"Didn’t expect to? Aren’t you here on purpose to intercept me?"
Qin Chu didn’t beat around the bush:
"The Traction Disc was last in the custody of the Zhong Family, but they didn’t have it, Zhong Xu is dead, and suddenly the Traction Disc appears. You and my family’s junior have organized a large number of people to head to a certain area, don’t you think you owe an explanation on where your Traction Disc came from?"
Innate Force, ninth order fifth stage. The core Talent Sequence is Sequence 28—Dragon Transformation.
Qin Chu was a troublesome opponent, and Xie Xingzhi admitted he was no match for the man—if he could not summon a powerful Spirit Possession artifact, relying solely on technology equipment, he was no opponent for Qin Chu.
But Yan Zizai didn’t care:
"What are you to question me, let Qin Ye come himself."
Qin Chu’s forehead throbbed with veins, clearly trying to suppress his anger.
But Yan Zizai looked at Qin Chu with even more disdain.
"If you want to fight, you’d better bear witness for me that he started it, and I was forced to kill him in self-defense."
Those words were directed at Xie Xingzhi.
Xie Xingzhi had always known that Yan Zizai was arrogant, but he had toned it down in the presence of Bai Wu and Wu Jiu.
But away from them, he indeed had the capital to be arrogant.
Qin Chu hadn’t expected Yan Zizai to be so tough.
"The eight major families have great demand for the Traction Disc."
"Is that so? I’ve withdrawn from the major families. Whatever agreements you made in the past, that’s your business, not mine. If you don’t accept that, just end yourself and go cry to Yan Zhao in hell. But now, I call the shots in the Yan Family. The Traction Disc is in my hands. If you think Zhong Xu was killed by me, no problem, think whatever you want!"
Damn!
Xie Xingzhi cursed inwardly, wasn’t Yan Zizai being way too tough today?
Was he making it clear that he wanted to cross the Qin Family?
Qin Chu was very powerful, but he wasn’t necessarily going to get the better of Yan Zizai.
Seeing Yan Zizai so righteous and brazen in taking over the Traction Disc, Xie Xingzhi thought the move was necessary, but it meant taking on all the trouble by himself.
Xie Xingzhi couldn’t help but lament that the boss, with his grand strategy, had splintered the Zhong and Qin families and stirred up the creation of the Supervisors Squad, but he definitely hadn’t foreseen that the Yan Family would become the biggest double-crosser within the squad.
Grinding his teeth, Qin Chu left.
Reaching the fifth level, Xie Xingzhi said:
"Aren’t you afraid of being targeted by the other families?"
"Among the six families, the rulers of the Zhong Family have been wiped out, do you think the Zhong Family can still amount to anything?"
"Hard to say. But one thing is for sure, the Zhong Family is now in danger, and many who want to steal the Zhong Family’s business within the tower and occupy their position."
"So, removing the Qin Family, there are four families left, but Zheng Yue of Zheng Family has a very subtle attitude, he may not act against us, what if I actively make friends with Zheng Family? Once one of the four families is willing to stand by my side, plus the strong support of your Xie Family."
Yan Zizai didn’t finish his sentence, but after a moment’s thought, Xie Xingzhi realized that if the eight major families were to reshuffle, turning eight factions into two, it would indeed be an opportunity.
However, Xie Xingzhi still reminded him:
"You have to know, behind them, all the families have external forces supporting them from outside the tower. We are not clear on what kind of help they can provide; you yourself have suffered greatly from it. The forces behind your Yan Family are no longer reliable."
The Qin Family has support from external forces outside the tower, therefore the Qin Family has always had "new humans."
The Xie Family has a strong technological foundation because of Mechanical City. The other families also have assistance from forces outside the tower.
Xie Xingzhi’s intent was to remind Yan Zizai that while he could be clear about his position, his attitude didn’t necessarily need to be so unrestrained.
"I have backing too. The refuge is my supporter outside the tower," Yan Zizai suddenly said.
This response caught Xie Xingzhi off guard.
"Do you think the refuge could be stronger than those monsters?"
"Of course, it would be strange not to think so, right?"
Xie Xingzhi was momentarily at a loss for words, but after thinking about it, it seemed to make sense—Baichuan City’s refuge had indeed fended off two powerful forces outright.
After mulling it over, Xie Xingzhi nodded and said:
"No wonder you’re so bold."
Yan Zizai smiled.
Xie Xingzhi then said:
"It looks like, the High Tower is also facing major changes."
"It’s about time for a change."
...
...
Baichuan City, outer periphery.
"You’re not planning to go back? Your team doesn’t have a Return Roulette, but you do," Zheng Yue said as he picked his ear, looking at Wu Jiu.
After the merchant was defeated by Zheng Yue and Wu Jiu working together, Zheng Yue sensed that there might be even more troublesome enemies ahead, so he retreated to the back.
Although he thought about activating the Return Roulette several times to go back, every time he saw that Wu Jiu and Yan Zizai were still calmly waiting at the front to support Bai Wu, he would give up the idea.
In the end, when the sun began to strain his eyes, he realized that humans had actually won.
But soon Zheng Yue noticed something—Wu Jiu did not walk into the campus, but instead left the protective shield.
"Hey, say something, I risked my life to help you," Zheng Yue followed behind Wu Jiu.
Wu Jiu was an interesting person, and Zheng Yue felt he was a great partner—serious in his actions, considerate of others, and when Zheng Yue slacked off, Wu Jiu would take on more work willingly.
Wu Jiu said:
"You should go back. Thanks for your help this time. That octopus was troublesome, and for all we know, it and the blacksmith might have had some ace up their sleeves that could have dealt with one of us, possibly fixing a lot of hidden problems."
"Is that so? My importance is self-evident," Zheng Yue yawned.
He was actually very tired and quite curious about what Wu Jiu was up to:
"You’ve stepped out of the refuge’s range."
"Yes, I’m going to go far and wander, you don’t have to follow."
"What do you mean by going far and wandering?"
"This world encourages people to leave the tower. The longer you stay out, the faster your strength improves, and the greater the possibility of obtaining a Sequence."
Wu Jiu answered calmly.
Zheng Yue understood, but didn’t fully grasp the point:
"You’re not suggesting, are you, that you intend to enhance your strength? You should know, at our level, the cost of improving strength is not small."
The more the Innate Force advances, the harder it is to improve, and the same applies to the Sequence. Many powerful creatures, when slain, have a chance to grant a Sequence. But the more Sequences one has, the lower this probability becomes.
Perhaps in the hundreds of members of the Investigation Corps, only a very few fortunate ones might have obtained a Sequence, but these lucky individuals previously did not possess one.
For someone like Wu Jiu, wishing to advance further, whether in terms of Sequence or Innate Force, was extremely difficult.
For Zheng Yue, overly troublesome matters were not worth pursuing over simply lying down and accepting the situation.
But for Wu Jiu, constantly pushing himself to become stronger was something natural and to be expected.
As the captain, protecting his team members was a basic code of conduct that had to be upheld.
Wu Jiu did not listen to Zheng Yue, he did not stop his steps, but continued walking outwards, his figure becoming smaller and smaller, and gradually, turning into a speck in the distance.
People came and went, not noticing that the strongest member of the Investigation Corps had disappeared just like that.
His disappearance was peaceful, just as he himself wanted, as if he was merely going to do something that was taken for granted.
Wu Jiu rarely showed pride, but he always seemed reliable to everyone.
Without that superficial arrogance.
But watching the fading figure of Wu Jiu, Zheng Yue suddenly felt some stirring emotions.
"What a bother, I always feel that next time I see him... I might be the one holding him back."
Although he really wanted to follow, Zheng Yue ultimately gave up because he clearly understood he did not possess that kind of mindset.
Did this man... perhaps only want to approach, and even surpass, that kind of strength after witnessing true power?
Most people, Zheng Yue included, were basically numbed by the power at the Well Level.
Such a hopelessly wide gap directly eliminated any thoughts of surpassing it.
But there are certain individuals in this world who will never compromise, who will never stop moving forward.
Only such truly proud beings can give others an everlasting sense of trust and security.
"I hope that the next time I see you, you will have become the true strongest of mankind. You certainly will, right?"
Zheng Yue felt it strange that someone as easygoing and lazy as himself could have such boundless confidence in Wu Jiu.
In the end, Zheng Yue activated the Return Roulette; he needed to report back to Old Man Zheng You.
Zheng Yue had a premonition that the next time he saw Wu Jiu, it would be after a very long time.
...
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It was a little past two in the afternoon.
While everyone was busy, Bai Wu came to the coffee shop outside Baichuan Middle School.
The coffee shop was in ruins, but he still found a corner out of sight and hunched down alone.
He was waiting for Bai Yuan.
Usually, Bai Yuan would appear from time to time, but whenever he was needed, he would play dead.
Fortunately, this time Bai Yuan knew that Bai Wu had come into contact with some things and could not avoid him anymore.
So Bai Wu entered a strange state.
If someone saw Bai Wu now, they would probably think... Bai Wu had gone mad, talking to a ghost.
The surrounding sunlight became brighter, and Bai Yuan, in a white coat with a gentle face, would perhaps make only Yan Zizai feel ashamed if he could be seen by everyone.
"This is serious, congratulations on clearing the first stage," Bai Yuan clapped his hands and congratulated Bai Wu.
Bai Wu remembered that when he was a child, the only time his father acted like a father was when he was playing games, and he would say warmly that one should have imagination for the future.
Of course, when he was administering injections, he had the same expression, which made Bai Wu feel a bit nauseated.
"Spill it, since you are my embodiment of obsession, and you are in my Inner World, you must know everything I’ve been through. Tell me, what’s really going on with all this?"
Bai Wu looked at Bai Yuan, who was leaning against a collapsed wall, looking up at the sky, and said:
"There’s not much to say, I belong to a bygone era already, can’t you let me enjoy my vacation in peace?"
"Did you know Lin Rui is the Masked Strange Person?"
"I had no idea, I found out not long ago, just like you did, that my old friend was actually that young kid."
"So... although they are one, the difference is significant?"
"It’s significant; although both are Lin Rui, he couldn’t reach K-level. Under the nurture of the farm, my old friend is much stronger than the Lin Rui you know."
Bai Wu was inclined to believe this as Lin Rui’s first-generation version of the Masked Strange Person and the second-generation version did indeed seem to have a huge disparity in strength.
"Do you know Jing Liu?"
"What do you think?"
"What is her purpose? What is High Tower, and what are the Wells? How should I save Lin Rui? Are you really dead? Why did I appear in this world, or rather, why did you appear in another world?"
Bai Wu still had a ton of questions, but Bai Yuan made a shushing gesture with his finger:
"Don’t be too greedy."
Bai Wu fell silent.
Bai Yuan’s palm faced the sky, allowing the blinding sunlight to pass through his fingers, he spoke slowly:
"Let me think, how to answer you. Honestly, I don’t care much, my mindset right now is just like my old friend’s, we don’t care how the world will turn out. But since you’ve asked, I’ll take it as a reward for establishing the shelter, I will give you a hint to progress further. I will only say it once, do not interrupt."
"High Tower is High Tower, Well is Well, they indeed are related, but this relation is for you to uncover by yourselves."
"High Tower is a prison, appearing only when the distortion level of this world drops to a certain value. However, if there is no distortion at all, it too will be destroyed. Put simply, the High Tower can only be discovered when distortion arrives but does not exceed a certain degree."
"And the Wells... Wells are the source of distortion. Do not assume that since Jing Er guards a Well, he knows its location. Indeed, there is talk of an outer perimeter of Wells in this world, but in a world of absolute distortion, what’s considered the outer perimeter and the true distance to the Wells, is something no one ever knows."
"The monster that Jing Si fears is a creature all other Well members wish to find, for it is the origin of distortion. However, there is another monster, the creator of High Tower, who used High Tower as a prison to seal it away."
"I, as well as the First Generation Mask you mentioned, whom I’d rather call Old K, are among the few who have seen the creator of High Tower. He and the monster inside the High Tower were the earliest to come into contact with the Wells. Both are what you’d consider, in your consciousness, Origin-Level beings."
Bai Wu was astounded by what he heard.
Bai Yuan kept talking, regardless of how much Bai Wu could comprehend:
"High Tower is a massive prison that isolates the power of distortion. Hence, the monster confined in High Tower has been greatly weakened in strength."
"Still, the creator of High Tower sealed away that massive monster but also died himself. Old K and I were deemed worthy by him."
"And the monster sealed in the High Tower, once it leaves the tower, can make the world even more twisted. The monsters with ’Well’ in their names were created by it, specifically to liberate it. They were born knowing their mission."
"However, two of them were ’reversed’ by the High Tower Creator. You must have guessed by now; these two are Jing Si and Jing Liu."
"You might have started to doubt Jing Liu, but she’s different from the other Wells."
"You can think of the creature in the High Tower as a king, while the other Wells wait for the king’s descent into the world, to let the distortion envelop this world forever. And to keep spreading, taking over even vaster worlds, as well as spacetime."
"And whoever achieves this first will gain the recognition of that creature. So they each act on their own, but also aren’t absolute enemies due to their aligned interests."
"As for Jing Liu... maybe she is, maybe she’s not, heh, you need to keep an eye on her, stay on guard, but you can’t treat her as an enemy either."
"As for Jing Si, it’s quite laughable. He’s the only one who took the side of the High Tower Creator, intent on purifying the distortion and aiding humanity, but he went mad."
Bai Yuan spoke of all these puzzles with ease, but where did the Origin come from? Why do the Wells exist, and what’s the deal with the Hei Wu? These were things Bai Wu didn’t understand.
The puzzles seemed to multiply, but one thing was certain: Bai Yuan had indeed taken part in this twisted journey.
"Did you really die of illness?"
"Yes, I died of an illness, just like the Ace of Spades. We went to the Otherworld, where we didn’t have to fear those powerful monsters. Our karma may have been marked by the ’farm owners,’ but once we reached the Otherworld, they couldn’t find us. However, the corresponding people, once they went to the Otherworld, became vulnerable."
Bai Yuan looked at Bai Wu with an increasingly gentle smile:
"I am truly dead, so you should show a little respect for me, the deceased," he said.
Bai Wu had many questions he wanted to ask, but at that moment, Bai Yuan suddenly said:
"I’m just a player from a previous era, I’m out of the game, and I don’t care at all about what happens to the game and the Great Demon King."
He paused slightly:
"Hmm, it’s past three, I should go have my tea. You have one last question to ask."
The final question.
Bai Yuan had sketched out the outline of the iceberg—what the people from the Jing Family wanted to do, what the main purpose of the High Tower was.
But there were many puzzles left: Sequence and Innate Force, entries, Semi-Evil Fallen, as well as why the farm and oneself came to this world, whether the world outside the Hei Wu would be affected?
How to save Lin Rui? How to find the Well? Why does the monster of the High Tower need the former top Sequencers?
What is the relationship between the Hei Wu, the Wells, and the two Origin Level beings?
Bai Wu desperately wanted to know these things, but in the end, he asked a very selfish question.
He knew it was a rather shameful and untimely question, but he asked it anyway:
"So, was my childhood experience deliberately orchestrated by you?"
After hearing the question, Bai Yuan was stunned for a second, then burst into loud laughter, the usually graceful man laughing with abandon.
"Hahahaha... What a foolish question. Why degrade yourself like that? The things I did to you were just on a whim. For me, coming to another world meant leaving that game."
Bai Yuan looked at Bai Wu with a pitying gaze, while Bai Wu’s hands involuntarily trembled.
"Do you know how low the probability is to make a person not succumb to negative emotions, yet still live a healthy life, without turning into a murderous sociopath?"
"Don’t imagine I’m that remarkable. Maybe to me, you were just something to tinker with. If you turned out defective or worthless, I wouldn’t hesitate to discard you."
"And don’t think that my care for you is driven by some mission. Any game that becomes too burdened with missions loses its fun. I seek pleasure, understand?"
Bai Wu laughed self-mockingly. What a foolish question... what am I really expecting?
But that’s all right, at least I can openly despise this person.
Bai Yuan said,
"Don’t expect me to have any expectations of you. If one day I really do, then it must mean I’ve taken the wrong medicine."
"I feel the same way; don’t expect me to have any expectations of you. If one day I really do... Heh, I could never do that."
Bai Wu responded calmly, but in Bai Yuan’s eyes, it seemed like a sullen retort from an unhappy child who had been scolded.
The atmosphere was a bit eerie, but Bai Yuan and Bai Wu were quite accustomed to it. In another world, this father and son duo had experienced too many similar scenes.
"However, since I have survived in this form, I still hope that you can hold on for a bit longer, and at the right time, you can seek help from me. I’m looking forward to seeing you clear the second level. Time for some tea."
Bai Yuan disappeared.
Bai Wu’s gaze appeared empty and it was a long while before he stood up, dusting off his clothes.
There was a lot Bai Yuan talked about that he needed to digest properly.
As for the second level that Bai Yuan mentioned... he didn’t know what it would be,
But whatever it is... since I have already stood on the twisted side of opposition, I will follow this path to the end.
One day, the bustling and lively Baichuan City will emerge in this world.
...
...
Outside the tower, in the unknown areas, at sea.
The cruise ship sailed upon the vast ocean.
Countless Evil Fallen gathered on its immense deck, some still retaining human shapes, while others had mutated into distorted forms entirely.
For seven hundred years, countless Evil Fallen fought and coexisted on this massive cruise ship.
Now, rarely united, they were all looking in the same direction.
If one were to ask these beings whether the world had an end, until not long ago, they would have definitely believed that the world was limitless.
But just recently, with the opening of the Wells... this vessel capable of breaking through many regions finally had the chance to shatter the Hei Wu...
...
...
Outside the Hei Wu, in the territorial waters once belonging to Yuansheng Country, now the Four Nations International Waters area, maritime forces from countless nations would forever remember this moment. All communication personnel were urgently reporting the situation at the edge of the Hei Wu.
Out of the endless Hei Wu, a super gigantic ark cruise ship emerged!
The sea churned tumultuously as, amid the deafening sound of the ship’s horn, all members of the stationed troops from various countries looked up to witness the massive cruise ship, bearing the ancient country’s emblem from seven hundred years ago, make its way out!
An immense shadow enveloped it, as if a colossal monster from within the Hei Wu had descended upon the realm of humans.
(End of this volume)
