Free Web NovelChapter 485: Chapter 102: Denglin in The Era of Mata
Bai Wu had no sense of fear, even anger and sadness were much fainter than that of ordinary people, and he appeared very calm.
However, when he discovered that his body was still intact, Bai Wu showed a satisfied expression. It was as if a panicked person had received an answer that completely put his mind at ease.
"I am still human... How strange, how exactly did he manage to do it?"
He remembered the name Zhou Zeshui, and did not seem too saddened. After feeling the carefree smile with which Zhou Zeshui had departed, the heaviness in Bai Wu’s heart also lessened considerably.
He still couldn’t fully control his body and had many doubts about it.
Bai Wu touched his own cheek and was generally able to judge that he was still himself.
"I’ve acquired a Well Level body, but it doesn’t seem that I’ve usurped someone else’s nest. I am still the same as before."
From the messages before Zhou Zeshui’s death, Bai Wu could infer that Zhou Zeshui was able to save him because of the Power of Life and Death, which, before the Inverted Well broke him down, suspended him between life and death.
But the Power of Life and Death alone was not enough, so it seemed that Zhou Zeshui had transferred some characteristic of the Well into his own body.
That gave him the powerful vitality of a Well Level being.
But how exactly was all this done? Was it a unique ability of Zhou Zeshui, or could every Well Level do this?
Bai Wu tended to believe the former; this Jing San, who had lain dormant for seven hundred years, probably had some special powers.
"He had the memories of The First Generation, Bai Yuan, and Xiaoyugan, with The First Generation having the largest share and thus the biggest influence, giving me a very familiar feeling."
"Presumably Zhou Zeshui knew some secrets too. Since I’ve received some sort of revelation, did Bai Yuan and The First Generation receive revelations in the beginning?"
"Did Zhou Zeshui learn of this revelation through memory, mastering some method?"
Bai Wu was quite inclined to just accept the situation as it was, to consider Zhou Zeshui’s gift a blessing after a narrow escape from death, and to think of nothing more. But he felt that this was another key point.
But with Zhou Zeshui’s death, everything became unknowable.
The body still needed time to adapt, although Bai Wu could feel that he now possessed unprecedented powerful vitality.
Yet because of that, even having escaped the danger of death, he still couldn’t move freely.
He didn’t know how long it would take for that layer of deathly ash to be completely shed.
During this time, Bai Wu lay on the ground beneath the blood-red sea of clouds, pondering over the questions that troubled him.
It was very quiet under the blood-red sea of clouds; the Inverted Well had dissolved all distorted things, and the aircraft had not fallen.
Bai Wu was also unclear about where Jing Si had gone. Zhou Zeshui had personally admitted that Reincarnation no longer belonged to him. Now, it seemed likely Reincarnation was with Jing Si.
Bai Wu recalled the brief exchange he had had with Jing Si on the aircraft:
"My conflict with Jing Si... because of Jing Liu, had turned into hatred."
"Jing Si’s words conveyed an unwillingness to kill me."
"Without Jing Liu... Forget it, there are no what-ifs. The current Jing Si may not be an enemy of this world, but at least she regards me as an enemy."
"Jing Si may be insane but not stupid. These monsters, Jing Yi is the smartest, followed by Jing Liu. The rest aren’t far behind."
"Jing Si must have been insane for many years, with too little time of clarity, just like a mental patient who occasionally becomes lucid, would appear to have chaotic thoughts. If she got Reincarnation, Jing Si should gradually adapt to lucid days, and eventually notice some things. She can’t be dumber than Jing Wu, right? No, of course not, of course not."
Bai Wu shook his head and muttered to himself under the quiet blood-red sea of clouds, his voice hollow.
The light of the setting sun shone through the sea of clouds; although the blood-red sun could not be seen, the sky was alight with a radiant red.
This journey on the aircraft made Bai Wu realize the importance of one thing—memory.
"I used to think these six were pure monsters, but now it seems, they all have human memories."
"Jing Er’s Buddhism could very well be genuine, maybe the distortion couldn’t fully erase his humanity. Before he was twisted... perhaps he was truly a person of great love."
"Jing Wu fought me many times, from clinging to my leg to me defeating it on my own... I always won."
"But I could feel that its growth was terrifying. Every time, I could sense it was improving."
"If the future attack on Mechanical City is true... Then the current Zero likely is no match for it."
"However, what is most special are Jing Liu and Jing Si, the siblings. Since there’s Jing Wu in between them, they cannot be actual siblings. But they have a bond deeper than ordinary siblings."
"Moreover, Jing Liu is different from the others; she has no reverence for the High Tower’s monsters."
Bai Wu stroked his chin, pondering the most reasonable explanation—
"According to the changes in Zhou Zeshui, the six monsters at Well Level each have three sets of memories; one is the true memory, which is the memory of when they were human.
"Another is the twisted memory, which is the memory in the Memory World where Zhou Zeshui saw his wife and daughter betray him, and he also killed his own wife and daughter."
"And the last type—is the special memory of the days ’inside the shell’ mentioned by Jing Si, these memories made the six Wells realize they were siblings."
"It also gave them a sense of mission, letting them understand that the purpose of living was to find the High Tower and rescue the monsters sealed within it."
"The memories ’inside the shell’ are crucial; not even twisted memories can affect them. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such a deep bond between Jing Si and Jing Liu. Jing Si can be understood as influenced by Well Water, but Jing Liu..."
Bai Wu furrowed his brows:
"If I can understand their experiences ’inside the shell,’ maybe I can gain some insights."
"But to understand memories ’inside the shell,’ I must find a true Well Level to inquire. Unfortunately, Zhou Zeshui doesn’t have much time left to save me, and perhaps Zhou Zeshui himself isn’t aware of the importance of those shell memories."
Bai Wu’s train of thought became clearer.
"Among the existing Well Levels, it seems the only one capable of communication is Jing Er."
"Moreover, in the prophecy, Jing Er was persuaded by Hong Yin to stop Jing Wu... which is quite interesting. Jing Er might be a breakthrough point."
The six Well Levels, Jing San died as a human, Jing Liu was imprisoned, Jing Si directly defected, and Jing Er seemed to be on the edge, like a mixed case between Jing Er and Jing Wu.
In that case, it seems only Jing Yi and Jing Wu hold firm stances. But Bai Wu didn’t feel for a moment that Jing Yi was the one in the distillery.
After all, the threat of Jing Yi far exceeds that of the other existences.
Whether the monsters inside the High Tower really possess insignificant strength, resulting in the creation of Well Level monsters with discordant hearts, or there’s some deeper reason, Bai Wu could only wait to explore further until more clues were available.
"What a pity that without the Angel Envoy, it seems I can only lie here until I completely adapt to this body."
Bai Wu guessed that there would be no shortage of major events coming up.
He had originally planned to head to Denglin City, but after these considerations, he now hesitated.
The High Tower might have already appeared somewhere outside the mist.
Jing Yi would inevitably dispatch a large number of Evil Fallen to attack the High Tower, and given the High Tower’s fighting capability, it definitely wouldn’t be able to withstand the assault.
The blood-red clouds gradually darkened, turning into a faint blue color.
Naturally, Bai Wu was anxious about the High Tower. If the High Tower were breached, the casualties would be unimaginably heavy.
Now, the shelters were far smaller in scale compared to the High Tower. If the High Tower were to break, there would only be three choices left for humanity.
Shelters. The Ark. And the worst choice—Meinan’s so-called "farm" city, to be penned by the Evil Fallen.
The future foretold by the prophecy would eventually arrive.
Bai Wu had a strong premonition; if he didn’t go to Denglin City, even his current self might not be able to protect the High Tower.
Should he head to Denglin City at the fastest speed to secure two Seven Sins weapons and then support the High Tower? Or should he support the High Tower now and personally oversee the command?
With time being of the essence, Bai Wu quickly made up his mind—
"I can’t expect that just because I didn’t die, all the unfavorable futures will change. I must make the correct analysis. The blood-colored sea of clouds is at the border of Food City. The time it takes for me to go to Denglin City now is far less than the time it would take for me to go outside the mist. Distant water can’t quench a nearby fire...
"To truly break free from a twisted future, I need the power to contend with these chess players."
Whether out of rationality or intuition, Bai Wu decided to head to Denglin City first.
...
...
Baichuan City, the fierce sun hung high in the sky.
After parting ways with Li You, Wu Jiu returned to the High Tower and then headed to the Baichuan City shelter through the High Tower.
Although his actions were not as erratic as Bai Wu’s, they were notably stable.
Arriving at the shelter, Wu Jiu intended to consult on several questions.
In the center of the teaching building, those Bai Can could peer into many secrets of the world through observation.
Wu Jiu had made up his mind to go to Denglin City to find the corpse of Bai Wu. The Bai Can quickly pointed Wu Jiu in the right direction.
Thus, Wu Jiu’s journey to Denglin City was significantly shortened.
At the same time, Wu Jiu established a certain pact with Li You, allowing Wu Jiu to often see the changes outside the mist through her senses.
Currently, both Fuyue Old Island and Fuyue New Island, along with Johnson Island and Jin Ze Country, were all in a state of nationwide anarchy with everyone fleeing.
It wasn’t that the Evil Fallen had easily toppled nations; rather, they had easily shattered humanity.
The outbreak of negative emotions could be said to be the equality of all beings.
Aside from those who truly had few negative emotions in normal times, no matter one’s status or occupation, wealth, intelligence, or looks, everyone would become an Evil Fallen.
Meinan was no exception, but in one of its cities, the cry for the Blessed City was raised.
Li You told Wu Jiu that Sanchez City in Meinan was the Blessed City. This was the city where Zero had used the Mechanical Descending God to complete the revelations.
Wu Jiu had witnessed this himself at the time.
It just seemed that someone had taken advantage of this fact to lead humanity to this city.
It was said that property prices in Sanchez had instantly increased thirty-fivefold. It wasn’t just property prices that experienced this magical surge; many other things as well.
Graphics cards, mobile phones, jewelry, bags, and watches—items that men and women were usually interested in—now held no significance.
A can of food, a cheap packet of instant noodles, could be traded for several pounds of jewelry and leather bags.
Because in Sanchez—there were no Evil Fallen, and people wouldn’t transform into Evil Fallen due to their emotions.
Sanchez was like a city blessed by the gods.
However, entering Sanchez City required regular blood donations. Additionally, women of childbearing age in the city would receive many subsidies.
Wu Jiu learned of this news on his way, and Li You said,
"Now, two-thirds of the people following me, or rather, following you, are wavering. They have decided to head to this city."
"And the remaining third have decided to continue following you, heading to the High Tower. Yesterday, I distributed the supplies."
As long as the sensory connection was maintained, the smells that Li You could detect, the touches she felt, the sounds she heard, the sights she saw, and even the strength she received could all be conveyed to Wu Jiu.
The reverse was true as well.
Li You didn’t like these greedy and ugly guys, but she respected Wu Jiu’s thoughts and often asked Wu Jiu how they should be dealt with.
All Wu Jiu said was,
"Just take them to the outside of the High Tower; my friends have already started making arrangements."
Whether it was the Blessed City Sanchez or the High Tower, news of both places being the land of salvation had already spread.
Through Li You, Wu Jiu saw many survival groups on their way to either Sanchez or the High Tower.
Several Evil Fallen Transformations broke out along the way, leading, due to the scarcity of supplies, some survival groups to opt to rob others.
They thought that brute force could solve the problem, but they forgot that who was the mightier no longer mattered. What mattered now was who was more sensitive to "emotions."
The strong robbed the weak, and in their despair, the weak became Evil Fallen, and thereby became the strong.
Even Li You’s group had been coveted by others, but Li You dealt with them all.
Wu Jiu could distinctly feel that when Li You killed those robbers or Evil Fallen, he seemed to have gained a substantial amount of ability.
Of course, Wu Jiu had also killed quite a few Evil Fallen along the way, and acquired some of their abilities.
This was a sensation he had never experienced before; as a human, he had formed a pact with an Evil Fallen, and now, he was able to plunder the strength of other Evil Fallen.
In short, Wu Jiu, who had thought he had reached his limit and couldn’t get any stronger, saw his power begin to advance towards realms he had never imagined.
On the fifth night, at the western border of Denglin City, Wu Jiu saw a sign on the ruined highway—Denglin City 15km away.
It was raining in the sky, and through the light rainfall, he could already see the outline of Denglin City in the distance, the city enshrouded in a faint black mist.
Wu Jiu remembered Bai Wu mentioning that this place was genuinely classified as a black zone.
And even among black zones, there is a vast difference.
Wu Jiu did not hesitate, he just knew that he had to tread carefully from this moment on.
He was not clear about what exactly was in Denglin City. But since it was capable of killing Bai Wu, the danger it posed must have been extraordinary.
Shortly after, Wu Jiu crossed the toll station and saw a huge advertising billboard covered with dust from seven hundred years ago—Welcome to Denglin City.
But the road was broken, muddy, and his blue uniform was stained with a lot of mud.
Many sights of Denglin City at night were unclear to Wu Jiu.
However, he saw a huge building that instantly drew his attention.
Denglin City, Tech Building.
Wu Jiu had seen a pixelated version of this building in the heart of Jing Si, so he was not sure if it was the same one because the previous scene was very blurry and lacked detail.
He just felt it was somewhat familiar.
What really caught Wu Jiu’s attention was not the building itself, but the huge tentacles entwined around the outer wall of the Tech Building.
Lights were on inside the Tech Building, while the tentacles were writhing in the darkness of the night.
...
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Outside the Tower, Denglin City.
The morning sun was already somewhat dazzling, and Bai Wu furrowed his brow when he saw the "Welcome to Denglin City" billboard:
"Extreme temperature zone, huh... The temperature must be over sixty degrees here."
Last night, Denglin City was experiencing rain, but as soon as the day broke, it started to suffer from intense heat.
The originally soft mud pits and rotten roads on the outskirts of the city were baked hard and dry by the sun.
Bai Wu looked toward Denglin City, which was faintly covered by Hei Wu, and quickly received a note in his eyes:
[Welcome to Denglin City, you should be well aware of the timeline, this place can be said to be the first black zone of The Era of the High Tower.
Even though the regional barriers have disappeared, the monsters here are not willing to leave such a Land of Bliss as Denglin City. freeweɓnøvel.com
It’s hard to say if there are any specific rules here because there are too many distorted ones.
This place is where humanity once resisted Evil Fallen, refusing to enter the High Tower, and it is also the last stubborn hold of Pre-Tower Era human civilization.
But you and I both know very clearly that the stronger the obsession before death, the more terrible it becomes once transformed into Evil Fallen. I wish you a pleasant experience.]
Although drinking Well Water had given him great strength, Bai Wu still sensed a hint of danger.
"If it was before, my eyes would probably give me three suggestions, run, run, and run."
Bai Wu smiled, preparing to walk into Denglin City.
But he suddenly stopped.
On the uneven ground, there was a muddy footprint, which seemed to be etched into the ground after being exposed to the scorching sun.
[Uh-oh... While I would love to analyze for you the bacteria and components contained in the soil of The Era of Mata, I guess—you might be more interested in the owner of this footprint.
Fine, I’ll tell you, the number of people in this world willing to avenge you is not many, he is one of them, and he is tied for last but one in height with someone else.]
The captain? Hong Yin?
The captain and Hong Yin were the same height, naturally tied for last but one.
Bai Wu was stunned, it was either the captain or Hong Yin, he pretty much knew it in his heart.
Hong Yin could not possibly know his news, with Angel Envoy destroyed, Zero would most likely assume he was dead.
Between the captain and Hong Yin, the one most likely to have received the news had to be the captain.
After being briefly stunned for a few seconds, Bai Wu started to smile, a smile more brilliant than the sixty-nine-degree sunshine:
"Maybe some futures haven’t changed, but at least you’ve survived. I’ve almost forgotten what it feels like to join forces."
