Free Web NovelChapter 99: Chapter 99: Disaster Level - Red
Bai Wu waited a few seconds before looking again and found that Dwarf still had not acquired a new Sequence.
"Is it because there’s too much of a difference in strength? Maybe one set of experimental data isn’t enough... perhaps many attempts are needed. After all, this involves probability. But whether there are other factors at play, it’s unclear for now." frёewebnoѵēl.com
There were too many mysterious elements outside the tower; with Bai Wu’s current knowledge, it was also difficult to explain everything from a scientific perspective.
After wiping out the wolves, Bai Wu had a feeling—could it be that Dwarf had wiped out a clan...?
The Alpha Wolf’s Sequence was far more powerful than Wave Band Interference, presumably a being just below the Fragment Bearers in some blue area?
The group set off once more, with Wu Jiu and Wang Shi leading the way.
The mountain road was still smooth, but the slope had changed, no longer upward but downward.
Along the way, Bai Wu and the others encountered Evil Fallen resembling mosquitoes, endowed with the "Blood Force" entry; those resembling Slime with the "Splitting" entry; ones resembling Mongolian worms with the "Soil Penetration" entry; and also the extremely large Cyclops, endowed with the "Gigantism" entry.
There were those flying in the air, running on the ground, burrowing up from below. The end was generally the same; they were slain by Wu Jiu or other team members.
Even with Wu Jiu’s experience outside the tower, he had never seen so many Evil Fallen.
Evil Fallen in a typical area often share certain similarities. However, these Evil Fallen had distinct regional differences that were immediately apparent.
Besides, there was one thing that made Bai Wu incredulous—the Evil Fallen that appeared were none below the fifth level of mutation.
However, Sequence holders were in the minority; on their way, aside from the initial Alpha Wolf, Bai Wu did not encounter any other Evil Fallen with Sequences.
As to whether these Evil Fallen were mutated from animals or humans, he was somewhat unclear, as the remarks given focused on other aspects.
Just like that mosquito—if a human with a fish tail is called a mermaid, Bai Wu believed that based on the appearance of that mosquito, it could be called a "Beauty Mosquito," although its proboscis was extremely disgusting. When it was about to suck Lin Wurou’s blood, it looked quite the nymphomaniac; of course, in the end, it was beheaded by Dwarf.
The Mongolian worm and Slime, on the other hand, had no human characteristics whatsoever.
Bai Wu was very curious about the mutation rules for Evil Fallen. Before entering the zoo, he hadn’t seen animal mutations and thought perhaps humans mutated on a genetic level while animals became mechanized directly.
But this time... he realized he had underestimated the diversity of mutations.
"How many waves of Evil Fallen attacks have we encountered? Why are there so many Evil Fallen in this area? Are we in a purple area?"
Purple?
If it was purple, Bai Wu felt somewhat relieved. Purple meant difficulty +2, he guessed.
However, Bai Wu felt uneasy.
The closer they got to that mountain, the more it seemed like a waypoint, where all the Evil Fallen were converging.
That meant this was merely the periphery.
The difficulty was probably not as simple as a mere +2 deeper within the mountain.
After about an hour of walking with intermittent stops and staying on guard, Shang Xiaoyi said:
"The temperature has risen to 29 degrees, and the mist has thinned out, visibility is around twenty-four meters."
The larger the visibility range, the higher the possibility of encountering other Evil Fallen.
However, it seemed that Wu Jiu and the rest’s luck was slowly improving, or perhaps it was the calm before the storm, because along the way, they didn’t see any Evil Fallen.
Instead, they saw quite a few corpses of Evil Fallen.
Most were from fifth-level mutated Evil Fallen, with a few from the sixth level.
Bai Wu bent his head, pondering if this was some sort of migratory activity for the Evil Fallen... then the misty area would be a battlefield for natural selection.
After surviving this battlefield, most of the remaining Evil Fallen would likely start at level six or even reach level seven?
If a level seven mutation also possessed several powerful entries, that would be the strength of a regional Guardian.
His curiosity was growing, what kind of place would be the endpoint of this journey to the Misty Mines?
The answer would soon be revealed, as the huge mountain in his line of sight became clearer and clearer.
Bai Wu and his companions also noticed that the trees around them had become strange. Some were incredibly huge, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they resembled models of the World Tree, while others were extremely small, resembling mushrooms with green crowns from afar...
This visual disparity made it hard for Bai Wu not to notice:
"Not only humans have to deal with resource allocation; in fact, everything outside the tower is also vying for some kind of peculiar substance. But let’s save the puzzle for the next scene to reveal, if you have the courage to go in."
The odd remark didn’t mention anything about the trees themselves. It’s as if it touched upon something fundamentally of the world outside the tower.
The big mountain in their line of sight became more distinct. The mountain top was barren, looking hazy from a distance with white mist swirling around it.
Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be some kind of black crystalline body, and Wu Jiu and company were certain it was an exceptionally mineral-rich mine.
"Looks like after we get through this fog barrier... we will have reached our destination, right?" Wang Shi asked.
In front of everyone, the thick mist acted like a barrier, blocking their way, rendering them unable to see anything beyond the mist regardless of how close they got.
Nor could they sense any movement from the other side of the mist wall.
But when Shang Xiaoyi lightly touched the mist, he found no resistance; they were able to pass through it.
"This should be the endpoint. This mist is like a door, but on the other side of the door, there might be dangers we cannot handle. I suggest the captain and Xiaoyi go slowly, and we will wait here," Bai Wu said.
Wang Shi was slightly frustrated, "If there’s danger, I should be the one to face it."
"Let’s do as Bai Wu says. Xiaoyi has the ability to sense; I will go with Xiaoyi, and the rest of you stay put."
Wu Jiu and Shang Xiaoyi’s figures were swallowed by the dense mist.
The rest waited anxiously, while Bai Wu squatted to one side, observing the dead body of an Evil Fallen.
The process didn’t last long, and Wu Jiu and Shang Xiaoyi quickly returned from the other side of the fog wall.
When the two reappeared, Lin Wurou, Wang Shi, and Yin Shuang’s watch readings fluctuated slightly.
Because Shang Xiaoyi looked pained, yet had fallen into an unconscious state.
"What happened, captain? What’s wrong with Xiaoyi?"
"Let’s head back. This isn’t something we can handle. I’ll explain in detail when we’re back," Wu Jiu replied without even offering an explanation, leaving his team members witnessing such a firm attitude from their captain for the first time.
"Shouldn’t you at least tell us what’s happening?" Bai Wu didn’t want to go back; he had a hunch that everything might be exactly as he’d guessed.
"We are in an exceedingly dangerous area. Just being able to get here is fortunate enough. Don’t go further. Through the fog barrier, Xiaoyi and I saw countless Evil Fallen, orderly marching towards the interior of the mine. There must be another world inside," Wu Jiu explained.
Orderly? Bai Wu felt something was off.
After a pause, Wu Jiu continued:
"Once through the fog barrier, the mist becomes very thin. Although our senses still faced some obstruction, Xiaoyi thought we might try to use the Innate Force to perceive... then he suddenly passed out."
Everyone fell silent; this was the first time they had experienced a perceiver suddenly becoming unconscious.
Firstly, Bai Wu thought of the possibility that the Evil Fallen might be engaging in some sort of social behavior unique to humans.
Secondly, Shang Xiaoyi might have perceived an Evil Fallen with immense spiritual power, and as a result, was retaliated against.
Wu Jiu added seriously:
"If the miners are in the caves of the mine, saving them amid so many Evil Fallen is nearly impossible. Let’s head back. This mission is a failure."
The others reacted fairly calmly, as this wasn’t the first time they’d encountered a mission that was called off midway through.
But Bai Wu’s expression was unusually excited.
During his days within the High Tower, he had, out of boredom, flipped through some books about explorations beyond the tower. These books were mainly records of various Evil Fallen’s appearances and characteristics.
They focused primarily on how to fight these types of Evil Fallen.
Until now, humanity’s consensus on the Evil Fallen still relied on instinct: creatures that hunted humans to survive.
But since Bai Wu had started exploring the High Tower, he was convinced that the behaviors of the Evil Fallen were far more complex than people’s current understanding.
And ahead, there might be a gathering of Evil Fallen of massive numbers and scale.
What exactly does Consolidation of Zones mean? And who exactly is the holder of the travel ship ticket?
Could he be from the legendary area even more terrifying than the red zone—the ultimate difficulty level, the black zone?
"Captain, Xiaoyi might have been noticed by some Evil Fallen with strong spiritual power. This should be an ability of the Evil Fallen. Combining our last experience, if you take Xiaoyi back to the High Tower, there basically won’t be any problem," someone suggested.
"Alright, everyone, start up the Return Roulette and prepare to go back. With this fog barrier, we are temporarily safe," the captain decided.
Wu Jiu took out the Return Roulette. The others also reached for their Roulettes, but Bai Wu took out a set of attire from his person.
"We’re all on the same side, so I won’t disguise myself," he said.
With the V-shaped smiley mask of Constantine and a broad black cloak, Bai Wu put on the mask and cloak. As everyone looked on with astonishment, he started to smear some blood from the corpses of Evil Fallen onto the cloak and mask.
"What are you doing? There’s a limit to acting recklessly even if you’re ignorant of death. Didn’t you hear what the captain said?" Lin Wurou scolded in a low voice.
Wu Jiu also frowned:
"This situation is more dangerous than the last one; it’s not the time to play hero."
After making sure the scent had permeated his body, Bai Wu shook his head and said:
"You also mentioned it, captain. The fog is thin and can block the senses to some degree. Moreover, Evil Fallen don’t rely on their senses. So, with my current disguise, there’s actually a high possibility of being mistaken for one of the Evil Fallen."
"You won’t be able to save those people," Lin Wurou said again.
"Saving people is secondary," Bai Wu replied.
After he had put on all the gear, Bai Wu looked at Wu Jiu and said:
"For seven hundred years, the investigative troops have only managed to gather information on combat methods against enemies. We haven’t even been able to map a single area outside the tower. Do Evil Fallen engage in social behaviors? Are there patterns to how areas outside the tower are restricted? These aren’t immediate priorities to understand, but if there is an opportunity to learn more, I don’t want to miss it."
Wu Jiu pondered Bai Wu’s words, and after a few seconds of hesitation, he said:
"Give me a reason to take this risk, even if it means sacrificing subordinates."
Bai Wu replied without hesitation:
"There are many uncertainties in this exploration, but some clues have become very clear. Captain, have you noticed, or do you get the feeling, that we have encountered Evil Fallen from multiple areas?"
Wu Jiu nodded, and Yin Shuang also nodded unconsciously.
They had all sensed it, as if the misty fog was a random battlefield where one could never know when or where a creature from any region would appear.
"Evil Fallen cannot leave their respective zones, but why can these? Our classification of areas is based on the danger levels, which are largely determined by the strength of the Evil Fallen. But captain, have you thought about this: taking those wolves as an example, if they originated from a grassland area, which is ranked as blue, and now they’ve migrated here, is that area still considered blue in terms of danger level?" Bai Wu asked.
Wu Jiu had a sudden realization:
"Are you saying... that the areas outside the tower are changing?"
"Yes, perhaps some super Evil Fallen organize a fixed time to redistribute these areas." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Consolidation of Zones—Bai Wu was beginning to understand the meaning of these four words, yet there were still some critical details he hadn’t figured out:
"We can even speculate in the worst direction... Maybe the proportion of area distribution is also changing. Could the number of white zones outside the tower be diminishing? What is the overall trend in the change of different zones—is it becoming more distorted or returning to normal?"
"What exactly are the Evil Fallen, those higher beings, up to? Why did the territorial restrictions suddenly malfunction? Could such changes to the rules have a certain impact on us residents of the High Tower?"
Wu Jiu and Yin Shuang exchanged a glance, both wearing faces of shock. Wasn’t this just entering the Misty Area and then encountering several waves of attacks by the Evil Fallen?
Bai Wu actually believed that the destination of this trip held so many great secrets?
But they could not deny that these secrets were indeed mysteries that the people of the High Tower had yet to unravel.
Bai Wu shrugged his shoulders, which, combined with his blood-stained smile mask, made him look quite mad:
"The answers are now inside there, and I simply cannot convince myself not to explore. To pretend to be an Evil Fallen, one must cast aside any negative emotions. I’m the only one present who can do that, so I must go in and uncover the truth."
"If the danger level last time was one, what do you think the danger level is this time?" Wu Jiu suddenly asked.
Bai Wu thought for a bit and, based on his previous experiences, speculated:
"If the captain’s reference to danger pertains to the combat strength of the Evil Fallen, then I cannot estimate; it is at least above ten."
Ten times that of the purple region? Wu Jiu decided to force Bai Wu to return, but then Bai Wu said:
"However, in terms of survival, I have a fifty percent chance of making it out alive."
Wu Jiu was still uneasy, and Bai Wu said:
"Captain, such an opportunity may only come once every several decades, perhaps even longer. If we miss it this time, we may never find such a chance in our lifetimes."
Wu Jiu fell into hesitation.
Bai Wu also knew that this mission was extremely dangerous, with many unknown variables inside. But from the start, the information given by his eyes was different from before, and at least this time, the note didn’t advise him to turn back.
Moreover, according to the information from the captain, although the Evil Fallen had been slaughtering each other previously, they entered the mine in an orderly fashion.
This at least indicated three extremely advantageous factors— the Evil Fallen possessed some intelligence and could suppress their inner desires. The Misty Area had thinned but still had some capacity to weaken the senses.
And most importantly, the one summoning them did not wish to see conflict.
After hesitating for a minute, Wu Jiu walked up to Bai Wu, clapped him on the shoulder, and looking up, said:
"Prioritize your safety above all. Bringing back intelligence is not important. The important thing is to come back alive. As for the rest, initiate the Return Roulette."
Wang Shi also patted Bai Wu on the shoulder, saying:
"Real man, you’re the most courageous rookie I’ve ever seen."
Lin Wurou pouted her lips, somewhat worried, yet not wanting others to know she was concerned, simply turned her head away.
...
...
A minute later, Wu Jiu and the others finally returned to the High Tower.
But the instant they returned, they suddenly regretted it.
The entire Eastern Square, everyone stopped what they were doing and looked incredulously at Wu Jiu and his group.
The officer in charge of registering tower entries and exits opened his mouth wide in astonishment. He had been in this line of work for seven years and this was the first time he had seen someone come out of that stele.
The five members of the Vanguard Group from Team Seven were also extremely surprised, and then expressions of fear appeared on their faces.
For hundreds of years, people had seen the reckless who had entered via the red stele, but this was the first time anyone had seen someone return from the red stele.
And unlike the normal red light, when Wu Jiu and the others returned, the light emanating from the stele—had a tinge of black in it.
(Two updates combined into one. The next Chapter is still being written and should be finished tonight.)
